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 up next
Sanchez says he is now ready for Usyk and waiting for the challenge.
Surely former opponent Kabayel deserves the first shot though, having been the WBC interim champion for more than a year now?
Usyk has indicated that he plans to fight twice more after tonight before retiring.
We’re halfway through the main card in Egypt, with the British interest about to ramp up significantly with back-to-back world title fights involving Jack Catterall and Hamzah Sheeraz.
First up, ‘El Gato’ Catterall meets undefeated Uzbek Shakhram Giyasov, the 17-0 2016 Olympic silver medallist and amateur world champion.
They are fighting for the WBA’s ‘regular’ welterweight crown and will have eyes on the full title after Rolly Romero was this week confusingly made a ‘super champion’ with no next fight yet lined up.
Torrez Jr stunned by first defeat as Sanchez eyes Usyk
Thankfully a bloodied Torrez Jr is now back on his feet and looks okay after that brutal low right hand that caught him flush.
A first professional loss for the southpaw, who drops to 14-1.
A major setback for a man who many have seen as the future of American heavyweight boxing.
As for Sanchez, he explodes back onto the scene after 15 months out of the ring with a highlight-reel knockout and catapults himself into the world title picture.
The defeat by Agit Kabayel suddenly feels like a long time ago.
Sanchez knocks out Torrez Jr in second round of IBF title eliminator
OH MY WORD!
An impressive start from Torrez Jr in an entertaining opening round, but he’s just been absolutely flattened in the second!
The inactive Sanchez shows no signs at all of ring rust as he unleashes a devastating right hand that leaves the Olympic silver medallist flat on his back in the middle of the ring.
He tries to get up, but quickly stumbles back and down and has no chance to continue as the referee waves it off.
Wow. ‘The Cuban Flash’ is now the mandatory challenger for Oleksandr Usyk’s IBF heavyweight title.
Hearn: Usyk upset looks impossible... but Rico is 'not a normal man'
We’re edging ever closer to tonight’s divisive main event, which will see Ricardo ‘Rico’ Verhoeven attempt to pull off one of the biggest upsets in sporting history against the great Oleksandr Usyk.
Promoter Eddie Hearn accepts that it looks like mission impossible for the kickboxing legend, but insists he is not a “normal man” and that such a gargantuan shock should not be ruled out.
"The fight on paper is an impossible mountain to climb for Rico Verhoeven," Hearn said this week.
"No, I'll rephrase that. For the normal man.
“But the reason he has accomplished what he's accomplished, and the reason he's done what he's done, is because he's not a normal man."
Sanchez vs Torrez Jr in final eliminator for Usyk's IBF heavyweight title
We pay our first visit of the night to the heavyweight division next in what should be a hard-hitting showdown between Cuba’s Frank Sanchez and America’s 2020 Olympic silver medallist Richard Torrez Jr.
This is a final eliminator for the IBF title currently held by Oleksandr Usyk, so the stakes are very high.
A highly-decorated amateur, Torrez Jr is unbeaten as a professional at 14-0 and stopped Tomas Salek in the first round of his last fight to retain the WBC-NABF and WBO-NABO titles in Mexico in November.
The 25-1 Sanchez, meanwhile, is still on the comeback trail following his knockout loss to Agit Kabayel in Riyadh two years ago, when he lost the WBC Continental Americas and WBO-NABO titles, having also gone to Mexico to stop Ramon Olivas Echeverria last February.
Hiruta wants title unification or Fundora showdown next
Hiruta tells DAZN in the ring after her latest impressive win that she is now targeting unification at super-flyweight.
That would mean looking at the likes of Jasmine Artiga, Adelaida Ruiz and Irma Garcia.
If those fights are not available, then she wants to face America’s undisputed flyweight champion Gabriela Fundora in a blockbuster bout.
Hiruta dominates Soliman to retain WBO super-flyweight title
How wide will the judges’ scorecards be in favour of Hiruta?
99-91, 98-92 and 98-92.
A dominant unanimous decision win for the Japanese star, who successfully defends her WBO super-flyweight world title for the seventh time at a canter.
She also retains her Ring belt and moves to 11-0.
No shortage of effort from ‘Egyptian Queen’ Soliman, who rallied in the eighth and ninth with those strong right hands, but the champion was just far too good for the rest of the night.
Hiruta vs Soliman
Hiruta was tagged by a couple of strong overhand rights in the eighth, including one that landed flush and shook her, and Soliman also gave a good account of herself in the ninth.
But the champion comes roaring back in the final round, providing a typically classy finish.
She has strolled to victory on points despite that brief rally from Soliman.
Hiruta vs Soliman
This is an absolute boxing clinic from the supremely-talented Hiruta at the moment, and certainly not for the first time.
She is rolling and gliding around the ring wonderfully, repeatedly demonstrating her superb punch variety, speed and footwork.
Soliman is trying her best, but the gulf in class is massive.
She is getting tagged by so many shots during these close-range exchanges.
Soliman has landed a couple of heavy right hands, but her moments of success have been far too fleeting.
Hiruta vs Soliman
There are some on social media labelling Hiruta as a female Vasiliy Lomachenko.
The hand speed, slickness, footwork and ring IQ is certainly reminiscent of Loma.
She is a real, real talent.
We’re already halfway through this title bout and she’s yet to really put a foot wrong.
5-0 in terms of rounds, easily.