One second shook boxing: Usyk beat Verhoeven, but the world exploded against the referee

A single second before the end of the fight sparked a massive scandal in the boxing world. Oleksandr Usyk recorded a technical knockout victory over Rico Verhoeven at the grand boxing gala in Egypt, but the referee’s decision to stop the bout completely set social media and the combat sports world on fire.

Expectations were that the Ukrainian champion would comfortably get past the kickboxing superstar, but Verhoeven shocked the world with an extremely strong performance. The Dutchman not only matched Usyk’s pace, but at times even looked like the better fighter in the ring.

The drama came at the very end of the 11th round. Just one second before the final bell, the referee stopped the fight and awarded Usyk a technical knockout victory, allowing him to successfully defend his WBC belt for a third time.

The decision triggered a storm of reactions across social media and among combat sports fans. Many accused the referee of stopping the fight too early and robbing Verhoeven of the chance to reach a judges’ decision.

After the fight, Verhoeven himself did not hide his disappointment and even hinted at a possible appeal against the result.

Shortly after the bout, footage of the final seconds of the controversial ending appeared online, fueling even more debate around one of the most talked-about boxing nights in recent years.