Usyk vs Rico LIVE!
Oleksandr Usyk just about navigated a major scare against Rico Verhoeven at the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt on Saturday night. Unified world heavyweight champion Usyk looked in serious danger of falling victim to what would have been one of the biggest upsets in sporting history against a kickboxing legend whose only previous professional boxing bout came 12 years ago. The pound-for-pound No1 really struggled against the impressive Verhoeven, who most onlookers thought was winning the fight heading into the late stages.
However, Usyk rallied crucially late in round 11 to send Verhoeven down with an uppercut before his subsequent follow-up pressure then told as referee Mark Lyson stepped in with a stoppage that was officially timed with just one second remaining in the round, leaving Verhoeven and his team furious at what they considered a premature intervention in the circumstances.
Hamzah Sheeraz brushed aside Alem Begic to collect the vacant WBO super-middleweight title after Jack Catterall picked up the WBA ‘regular’ welterweight crown by dominating Shakhram Giyasov. Frank Sanchez knocked out Richard Torrez Jr in an IBF heavyweight title eliminator after Mizuki Hiruta’s latest successful defence and a surprise loss for Daniel Lapin. Follow Usyk vs Rico as it happened below!
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Catterall vs Giyasov
Giyasov just can’t seem to work out a solution to Catterall’s southpaw strengths as we move into the second half of this fight.
Catterall is using his left hand nicely to tee up some driving rights to the body that get the crowd excited.
A few swinging left hooks from the Brit also land upstairs, buzzing Giyasov.
He counters so well and must be 6-1 up now through seven.
Giyasov does look dangerous when he manages to chase down Catterall and find a home for that thudding right, but it’s happened far, far too infrequently.
He has a mountain to climb from here, unless he can start finding some big shots, quickly.
Catterall has never been stopped of course.
Catterall vs Giyasov
Giyasov eats another stinging left hand early in the sixth.
Catterall then works the body well to further hammer home his advantage.
Giyasov’s face is very red now and there is blood coming from the nose, which looks busted.
Catterall’s corner tell him to keep jabbing to the body, which he does to strong effect.
Giyasov looks surprised by Catterall’s quality in there.
5-1 to El Gato?
Catterall vs Giyasov
Giyasov again applies the pressure in the fifth, leading to some fast and furious close-range flurries - the bulk of which looked to go in Catterall’s favour.
The Chorley fighter is a master tactician when he wants to be and can be a real puzzle to break down.
Giyasov still isn’t really busy enough and Catterall looks to have another round in the bag, but the Uzbek does close strongly with an aggressive flurry in the corner.
Catterall vs Giyasov
A much-needed busier fourth round from Giyasov, who tries to snap out of his early funk and apply far more pressure on a cruising Catterall.
He’s on the front foot and trying to let his hands go, ramming through with the right.
It’s giving Catterall more to think about after El Gato had completely controlled the tempo to this point.
Catterall is still utilising that jab nicely, but you’d have to give that fourth to Giyasov.
He’s on the board.
Catterall vs Giyasov
This is as good as I’ve seen Catterall for a long time through three rounds.
He’s totally controlling this fight so far, completely nullifying Giyasov’s threats and repeatedly finding a home for that left hand.
3-0 at a breeze.
Catterall vs Giyasov
It’s all very tentative and unsteady from Giyasov, whose confidence looks to have been rocked by that early knockdown.
That southpaw left hand is causing him so many problems.
2-0 to El Gato.
We should mention by the way that Rolly Romero said this week that he had retired after a frustrating year trying and failing to secure big fights after outpointing Ryan Garcia in Times Square last May.
Sounds more like frustration than anything, though. He will surely be back soon.
Catterall vs Giyasov
A dream start for Catterall, a defensive fighter and counter-puncher by trade whose fights aren’t typically explosive for the most part.
But that was a lovely left hand that landed on the money and put Giyasov on his backside.
Another strong left looked to hurt Giyasov before the bell, but he does make it to the corner.
The legs still aren’t back underneath him.
Catterall knocks down Giyasov early in first round
Giyasov is down after just 90 seconds of round one! Wow.
What a start from Catterall as he detonates a peach of a left hand.
Giyasov is back up but on extremely shaky legs...
Catterall and Giyasov target full WBA welterweight title
While Catterall and Giyasov will technically be competing for one of the WBA’s confusing and criticised - and vacant - ‘regular’ titles tonight, it seems likely that Romero’s elevation to ‘super champion’ status this week will see the winner of this bout upgraded to full champion sooner rather than later.
Catterall’s only previous world title challenge to date saw him controversially denied the unified super-lightweight championship against arch-rival Josh Taylor in Glasgow in 2022.
He later avenged that hugely contentious loss with no titles at stake and has also seen off the likes of respected former world champions Jorge Linares and Regis Prograis, though was edged out by Arnold Barboza Jr when competing for the interim WBO super-lightweight title in another huge setback to his world title ambitions.
Now up at welterweight, he has beaten both Harlem Eubank and Ekow Essuman, picking up a number of lower-level titles along the way.
He faces a real tough test though against Giyasov, an Olympic silver medallist and world champion as an amateur who is unbeaten at 17-0 as a professional and ranked at No1 by the WBA.
Anthony Joshua, Canelo Alvarez and Gennady Golovkin all at ringside
It is a who’s who of boxing royalty at ringside in Egypt, where Canelo Alvarez is sat next to Anthony Joshua.
Terence Crawford and Gennady Golovkin are among the other big names in attendance.
Joshua has been working plenty with former rival Usyk of late as he prepares for his comeback against Albania’s Kristian Prenga in Riyadh on July 25, building up to that long-awaited super fight against Tyson Fury later in the year.
Canelo, meanwhile, earlier held a press conference in Cairo ahead of his battle with WBC super-middleweight champion Christian Mbilli in September.