The Sands of Father Time: Oleksandr Usyk Rallies To Stop Rico Verhoeven & Avoids The Seismic Upset

The Sands of Father Time: Oleksandr Usyk Rallies To Stop Rico Verhoeven & Avoids The Seismic Upset

It was considered by many, including me, to be a travesty of a world heavyweight title fight. A kickboxer taking on the best heavyweight boxer of his generation. Rico Verhoeven was given no chance whatsoever of even being competitive against Oleksandr Usyk. Winning was unthinkable. But Verhoeven proved everyone wrong, and for the vast majority of the fight, he looked the likely winner on Saturday night.

The pyramids in Giza, Egypt, were a spectacular backdrop. But nobody was expecting much of a fight. But we got one, and a little bit more.

As ever, Usyk found what he needed when defeat was a distinct possibility. A stunning uppercut dropped the Dutch fighter heavily in the dying moments of the 11th, and while Verhoeven bravely got to his feet, Usyk unleashed on him, and the referee rescued the decorated kickboxer with just one second remaining. The call to stop the fight was highly controversial. Verhoeven was hurt. But standing. After what he had served up, Verhoeven deserved the benefit of the doubt.

Many would have had Verhoeven well in front, but two judges had the fight dead level after ten rounds. So whether Usyk would have finished the job in the 12th, highly likely, or the 10-8 11th round, would have left Usyk winning on the cards. At least in the opinion of the three scoring officials. After ten rounds, I had it a little closer than most. Either a 6-4 or a 7-3 margin in favour of Verhoeven would have been fair and reflective. Usyk was given the fight of his life.

It was a beyond difficult night for Usyk. Verhoeven started well. The 39-year-old Ukrainian just couldn’t figure him out. But you had that sense that eventually, he would.

That moment had seemingly arrived in the 4th. Verhoeven was hurt, and he looked ready to go. But while the legs did a little dance, he survived the mini crisis, and by the end of the round, he had recovered his senses and was firing back.

The first real sense for me that the upset was on came in the 5th. After that strong Usyk round, you would have suspected that Usyk would build on that success, but it just didn’t happen. And you started to wonder if it would happen.

Usyk (25-0) looked a little fleshy, the ‘dad’ body in full display. Maybe a fighter who had taken it too lightly. Maybe a fighter who was just getting old right in front of us.

But Verhoeven deserves immense credit. Whatever the issues with Usyk, Verhoeven was a big factor in that. There was a method to what he was doing. Peter Fury had created a more than competent fighter. If you didn’t know, you would have thought Verhoeven had been boxing at this level for his entire life. Even after his good start, we all waited for Verhoeven to fade away. But he didn’t. The fight was fought at his pace. Verhoeven was controlling the fight, and it was Usyk who was struggling to keep up.

But like all great champions, he found a way. Usyk won the 9th and the 10th on my card, and then that pivotal 11th round when everything that came before was rendered meaningless. Time will tell what it means for Usyk and his division.

The unbeaten Agit Kabayel could be next for Usyk, and maybe a rematch with Verhoeven. It might have been a bad night at the office for the unified world heavyweight champion, but it could be a little more than that. Retirement might be a wise call to make.

Rico Verhoeven made a fool out of many, and the 37-year-old will surely be back for more. In only his second professional boxing match, he came so close to shocking the world. But even in defeat, in truth, he still did exactly that.

Photo Credit: Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing