Oleksandr Usyk STOPS Rico Verhoeven: Result and reaction as champion controversially edges past kickboxing legend

HERE. WE. GO.

The Egypt, Netherlands and Ukraine national anthems have just sounded, and it’s time for the main event!

Oleksandr Usyk defends all three of his WBC, WBA and IBF heavyweight titles against Rico Verhoeven at the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt.

The 39-year-old from Kyiv, Ukraine, is 10 months removed from a masterful stoppage of Daniel Dubois, who holds the last of the four belts at heavyweight, last time out at Wembley Stadium.

Undefeated in 24 professional contests, which include two wins over Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua and Dubois, each, Usyk is an overwhelming favourite to get his 25th win tonight.  

Interestingly, this is the first time Usyk has faced a non-British fighter in the ring since his 2019 victory over American Chazz Witherspoon.

Victory, nonetheless, remains the only outcome in the eyes of ‘The Cat,’ and the majority of those involved.

So much so, Saudi boxing kingpin Turki Alalshikh has already mapped out Usyk’s next steps, revealing this week that he has plans to have Usyk headline an event in Istanbul, Turkey, next year.

Verhoeven, meanwhile, faces an almighty task if he has any hopes of derailing Alalshkih’s plan.

Although the 37-year-old, who was born in Bergen op Zoom, Netherlands, can only claim the WBC heavyweight strap if he wins — due to decisions made by the other two sanctioning bodies — this is a golden chance.

‘The King of Kickboxing’ has already proved his worth in his beloved sport, retiring with an almighty 49-8 record last year, concluding a reign of 22 fights unbeaten and 12 years as Glory heavyweight champion with a points win against Artem Vakhitov last year.

But there’s no question this is the biggest fight of Verhoeven’s career.

A win over ‘Oleksandr The Great’ and he’s a heavyweight world champion in the sweet science, having only fought once previously professionally in the sport — a second round KO of Janos Finfera in 2014.

It would also provide opportunities galore for the Dutchman moving forward, given the current wild west landscape of boxing we find ourselves in.

After all, Verhoeven was originally scheduled to fight Joshua before the Brit was involved in a tragic car crash.

Joshua is set to meet Kristian Prenga in a July comeback fight to then face Fury later in the year, but it is these kinds of names that come flooding into the conversation if Verhoeven can shock the world.