Usyk and Verkhoven left the ring with bruises and a record of
After their bout in Egypt near the Pyramids of Giza, Oleksandr Usyk and Rico Verhoeven left the ring visibly battered, with bruises and cuts on their faces. The punch statistics showed an almost even but very brutal fight, in which each fighter took dozens of clean hits to the head and body. At the same time, a video was released featuring Verhoeven, in which he announced a possible appeal of the fight’s result.
The fight, which took place on May 23 in Egypt against the backdrop of the Pyramids of Giza, left behind not only heated discussions but also very visible marks on the faces of both athletes, as both Oleksandr Usyk and Rico Verhoeven left the ring with bruises, contusions, and exhaustion that could not be hidden even after a day of recovery.
The next day, Usyk appeared before journalists wearing a baseball cap that partially covered his forehead, but the marks from the fight were still visible, and the bout itself, according to eyewitnesses, was one of the toughest of his career. At the same time, Verhoeven also showed the aftermath of the fight, and the video revealed serious injuries to his forehead and left cheek; the Dutchman even announced a possible appeal regarding the fight’s result, which added tension to the event.
The Compubox statistics only underscore just how intense the bout was, as the total number of hits was almost even: 113 punches for Verhoeven versus 112 for Usyk out of hundreds of attempts. Particularly telling was the breakdown by target, where the Ukrainian boxer took 76 accurate blows to the head, including 16 jabs and 60 power punches.
Verhoeven was also active to the body, landing 37 accurate punches, while Usyk held a slight edge in jabs, landing 23 out of 236 attempts; however, in power punches, the Dutchman slightly outpaced the Ukrainian—93 to 89—which once again underscores the even and grueling nature of the fight.
Dutch kickboxer Rico Verhoeven announced that he would file an official protest following his loss to WBC, WBA, and IBF heavyweight world champion Oleksandr Usyk. The athlete was dissatisfied with the referee’s decision to stop the fight in the final seconds of the 11th round.
Former undisputed super welterweight world champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez commented on the bout between Oleksandr Usyk and Rico Verhoeven, which took place in Giza, Egypt.
Dutch kickboxer Rico Verhoeven commented on his bout against Ukrainian boxer Oleksandr Usyk, in which he suffered a defeat.
Ukrainian boxer Oleksandr Usyk defeated Dutchman Rico Verhoeven by technical knockout in the 11th round and successfully defended his heavyweight championship belts.
After defeating Rico Verhoeven by technical knockout in the 11th round, Ukrainian champion Oleksandr Usyk stated that he is ready to fight two more bouts.
Oleksandr Usyk stepped into the ring against Rico Verhoeven in a bout for the WBC heavyweight world title. The fight will take place in Giza and promises to be one of the most high-profile of the Ukrainian’s career. The Ring title belt will also be on the line.
Prior to this, Usyk and Verhoeven held a joint press conference before the fight and engaged in another battle of wits, where they openly expressed respect for one another but also their readiness for a tough fight. Both athletes emphasized that despite their different disciplines, they are united by a love of fighting and competition.
