Official Usyk vs Verhoeven Scorecards May Be Even Worse Than the Referee Stoppage

Oleksandr Usyk has officially defended the WBC heavyweight title with a TKO win over Rico Verhoeven in a fight that nobody is pleased with.

While Usyk scored a clear knockdown late in the 11th round, many were unhappy with the way the fight ended just seconds later, criticizing referee Mark Lyson for the abrupt stoppage. Jake Paul being one example. However, had the fight gone all 12 rounds, fans might have been even more upset with the decision.

Matchroom Boxing released the official scorecards within minutes of the fight's conclusion. Despite nearly every fan scoring the fight for Verhoeven at the time of the stoppage, the three ring-side judges saw something different.

Pasquale Procopio was the only judge to have Verhoeven on top, scoring the first 10 rounds 96-94 in favor of the Dutchman. Manuel Oliver Palomo and Fabian Guggenheim had the fight 95-95 even, meaning Usyk would have been up two points at the end of the 11th round on two of the three official cards.

Scorecards at the time of the stoppage 👀 @DAZNBoxing @ringmagazine pic.twitter.com/oY6g8mpPwn
— Matchroom Boxing (@MatchroomBoxing) May 23, 2026

Without the stoppage, Usyk would have banked a 10-8 round in the 11th. He was still seemingly down multiple rounds, with the DAZN broadcast team suggesting he needed a knockout to keep his undefeated record and pound-for-pound placement intact.

Yet, all three judges would have had Usyk ahead after the 11th round, meaning that, barring a Verhoeven knockdown in the final frame, 'The Cat' was on his way to winning a unanimous decision. Given that most fans were upset with the stoppage, believing it prevented a generational upset, the reactions might have been even worse had Usyk won a decision.

Rico Verhoeven impresses in loss to Oleksandr Usyk

Despite the loss, nobody on the 'Glory in Giza' card gained more stock on the night than Verhoeven. The former kickboxer fought Usyk better than any of his former heavyweight opponents, including Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois.

Verhoeven combined an aggressive, come-forward approach with elite head movement and a disciplined high guard that kept Usyk on the back foot the entire fight. Verhoeven's unorthodox footwork even had the champion confused for the first time in his career.

Many believed that Verhoeven's chin, which proved nearly unbreakable in his kickboxing career, would not pass the Usyk test under the boxing rule set. Yet, Verhoeven walked through nearly all of Usyk's power shots for the majority of the fight while landing the biggest blows of the contest to periodically rattle the Ukrainian.

The fight was certainly closer than some fans seemed to score it in real time, but Verhoeven shockingly looked like the better boxer and seemed to be a step ahead for the majority of the first eight rounds. Fatigue eventually got the better of him, allowing Usyk to take advantage and keep his perfect career unblemished.

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