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Rico Verhoeven Questions Officiating in Controversial Stoppage Loss to Oleksandr Usyk
Open scoring left Rico Verhoeven questioning the officiating before referee Mark Lyson waved off the bout one to two seconds after Round 11 ended.
- Referee Mark Lyson waved off the fight one to two seconds after the bell sounded in Round 11, stopping the bout following Oleksandr Usyk's flush uppercut that left Rico Verhoeven dangling through the ropes.
- The open scoring system allowed Verhoeven to track judges' tallies throughout the bout, revealing they kept the fight even after four rounds despite him telling Uncrowned he felt ahead 'at least three to one.'
- After Round 10, two judges scored 96-94 Verhoeven while one had it tied 95-95; Verhoeven answered the count and kept his hands raised with about 10 seconds remaining, stating: 'I'm keeping my hands up, I'm responsive, I'm not gone.'
- The premature stoppage immediately sparked backlash online, with observers noting the decision robbed fans of a fitting conclusion to arguably 2026's most surprising fight.
- Despite Usyk's 23-to-1 betting odds heading into Egypt, multiple analysts believed the bout in front of the Pyramids of Giza proved far more competitive than expected, with their reading aligning with judges' scorecards.
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Rico Verhoeven Questions ‘Fishy’ Usyk Fight Scoring
Rico Verhoeven, kickboxing legend, has revealed how he scored his fight with Oleksandr Usyk for the WBC world heavyweight title. He believes he has a comfortable lead of eight rounds against two, over Usyk before he was controversially stopped in the 11th
·New York, United States
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Peter Fury reveals what Mark Lyson told him after the fight
Peter Fury confronted Mark Lyson after the fight Referee Mark Lyson has explained why he stopped Rico Verhoeven’s fight with Oleksandr Usyk after the bell had run for the end of the 11th round. Dutch kickboxer Verhoeven was ahead on one of the judges’ cards before he was dropped in the penultimate session. He recovered, […]
Coverage Details
Total News Sources12
Leaning Left1Leaning Right0Center1Last UpdatedBias Distribution50% Left, 50% Center
Bias Distribution
- 50% of the sources lean Left, 50% of the sources are Center
50% Center
L 50%
C 50%
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