Oleksandr Usyk vs. Rico Verhoeven Live Winners and Losers, Results
Big fight? Maybe not. Big event? Certainly.
Three-belt heavyweight champ Oleksandr Usyk made the sixth defense of his reign not against a fearsome No. 1 contender or a rising prospect, but instead against long-time kickboxing king Rico Verhoeven, who'd not lost since 2015.
And their fight was not in a casino ballroom or sold-out soccer stadium, but at the pyramids of Giza in Egypt.
The match topped a 10-bout card that also included a showdown for the vacant WBO title at 168 pounds and a duel for the WBA's second-tier title at 147.
B/R's combat team was in position to take in the action and delivered a real-time list of the show's definitive winners and losers. Take a look at what we came up with and drop a thought of your own in the app comments.
Winner: Surprising Suspense
1 of 11
Raise your hand if you expected that kind of drama.
Yes, Usyk emerged with both his title and his unbeaten record intact, but he had to go through a surprising amount of competitive hell to do so against an uber-valiant Verhoeven before getting a TKO stoppage with one second remaining in Round 11.
Verhoeven was ahead on the B/R scorecard heading into the 11th, but Usyk's surge in the final minute of the session was punctuated by a right uppercut that sent the 37-year-old kickboxer pitching forward into the ropes and to the floor for the first time in the fight.
He rose before the 10-count but was done in soon after by a 12-punch combination that prompted referee Mark Lyson to step in at 2:59, both ending the show before what could have been a climactic final round and instigating a protest from Verhoeven's corner and the broadcast team.
"Whether you agree with the stoppage or not, you cannot disagree that that was superb," analyst Darren Barker said. "But the end of the round was so close. You've got to give the guy who was winning the fight every chance."
Verhoeven, who was even on two official scorecards entering the 11th and ahead on a third, agreed.
"I thought it was an early stoppage," he said. "Let me go out on my shield or let the bell go."
Winner: Calling a Shot
2 of 11
You want a fight with Canelo Alvarez?
Beat someone up and win a world title with the Mexican superstar at ringside.
Hot commodity Hamzah Sheeraz became a first-time champion with a clinical, one-sided pounding of an overmatched Alem Begic in an abbreviated battle for the WBO's vacant title at 168 pounds.
The lanky Brit walked Begic down from the opening bell, landed hard combinations throughout and got the finish with consecutive left hooks to the head and body that left the German hunched over in the center of the ring before he dropped to a knee and took the 10-count from Luis Pabon.
The official time was 2:33 of the second round.
"It puts me on the world stage, officially. Calling all 168-pounders," Sheeraz said. "It's up to (Canelo). I believe he is one of the gods of boxing. It would be an honor to share a ring with him."
Loser: Easy Elevation
3 of 11
Well, they all can't be bangers, right?
Though highly-ranked welterweights Jack Catterall and Shakhram Giyasov displayed world-class technique across a 12-round duel for the WBA's dubious "regular" world title, their chess match five hours into the show prompted more fans to scroll than to shout.
Catterall's sharp left hand was the most noticeable factor in most of the rounds, leading to a knockdown in the second and leaving Giyasov bloodied and wobbled on other occasions.
The popular Brit swept the scorecards—getting tallies of 118-109, 119-108 and 116-111 from the ringside judges—and earned the Panamanian organization's second-tier belt below the "super" championship to which Rolando Romero was elevated during the week. WBA rules now mandate Romero face Catterall within 180 days or risk losing his status.
Catterall, who lost an undisputed title bid at 140 pounds, in 2022, is 3-0 since moving to 147.
"I am the happiest man in the world," he said.
Winner: Concussive Climber
4 of 11
It looked like Frank Sanchez had aged out of the heavyweight elite.
The 33-year-old Cuban had fought just once since a KO loss to Agit Kabayel in 2024 and was perceived as a competitive B-side to unbeaten 20-something Richard Torrez Jr. when they got together for an IBF title eliminator fight on Saturday's main card.
But one crunching right hand changed everything.
Sanchez timed one of Torrez's aggressive rushes and was ready with a hard uppercut as the Californian ducked, striking him square on the jaw and dropping him flat on his back and unable to continue after just 55 seconds of the second round.
It was the 26th win in 27 fights for Sanchez, who arrived ranked third in the world by the IBF and conceivably moved to the front of the line for an IBF title shot.
"I think the world has been put on notice by that," blow-by-blow man Adam Smith said. "The heavyweight division is so alive at the moment."
Winner: Climbing the Ladder
5 of 11
Mizuki Hiruta is moving into "boxing personality" territory.
The WBO's champion at 115 pounds, Hiruta successfully defended her title for the seventh time on Saturday's main card with a unanimous decision over Egyptian native Mai Soliman.
Soliman was clearly the crowd favorite, and, given six KOs in 10 wins, arrived with hope that she'd land a hard shot or a series of them to topple her quicker, more skilled opponent.
It never happened, though, and left much of the 10-rounder to become a showcase for the bubbly champion, who strutted to the ring to "Walk Like an Egyptian" and was full of personality during the intros, in her corner and during the fight with a shiny ring outfit and braided blue hair.
Hiruta, named Ring Magazine's female fighter of the year in 2025, swept the scorecards with tallies of 99-91, 98-92 and 98-92. B/R's card had it 97-93 for the champion.
"She wants to be as big a star in (Japan) as Naoya Inoue," Smith said. "The sky is the limit if she keeps performing like this."
Loser: Evolution Denial
6 of 11
Daniel Lapin's evolution hit a roadblock in Egypt.
A roadblock named Benjamin Mendes Tani.
Lapin, a towering light heavyweight at 6'6", had plied his trade on Usyk shows in Saudi Arabia and London before getting the date in Egypt opposite French strongman Benjamin Mendes Tani.
But he never looked comfortable against the uber-aggressive Tani, who stood six inches shorter but began finding range in the second round and consistently strafing Lapin to the body while winging hard shots to the head.
Lapin went to the floor from a left uppercut early in the fourth, was dropped by a right to the body soon after and was waved off when he fell for a third time after an overhand right at 1:35.
"It might be a surprise for all of you guys, but for us it's not a surprise," Tani said. "We've been waiting for the chance to come, and it came and I did my job."
Winner: Saudi Sensation
7 of 11
Let's be honest. Dedy Imprax was brought to Egypt as a crash-test dummy.
The 39-year-old Indonesian had won just twice in six pro fights and had been stopped in three rounds or less in each of his last four appearances since the start of 2023.
But that didn't make the number Sultan Al-Mohamed did on him any less impressive.
The 18-year-old Saudi featherweight strung together his fourth straight pro win and perhaps his most impressive performance with a one-punch body shot KO at 1:12 of the first round.
The 5'7" prospect initiated the finish with a right hand toward Imprax's high guard and immediately followed with a left hook to the body that prompted the stricken fighter to grimace before crumbling to his knees and spitting out his mouthpiece as the count reached 10.
"Out of all the young guys that (trainer) Abel (Sanchez) is working with, this is the one I'm most impressed with," analyst Malik Scott said. "There's nothing more sexy than when a body shot is set up the right way. And that one was. It's not what you to do the competition, it's how you do it."
Winner: Body Battering
8 of 11
It's a big day for fans of body shots.
New Jersey-based cruiserweight Jamar Talley became the second straight fighter to end a bout with a blow to the belly, finishing a combination with the left hook that dropped Basem Mamdouh to a knee and stopped him at 1:51 of the second round.
It's a seventh straight win for Talley, who scored a sixth KO under the guidance of high-profile trainer Brian McIntyre, mainly known for his work with pound-for-pound great Terence Crawford.
Talley carried the fight from the start with hard jabs and right hands, and he got the finish when he bent lower and landed the left that forced Mamdouh to take a step back before dropping to his right knee and taking the full 10 count.
It was Mamdouh's third loss in 13 career fights.
"I love how he set it up and took his time," Scott said. "The future is very bright for Jamar Talley right now. Just keep doing what he did tonight."
Winner: Taking Counsel
9 of 11
Here's a tip: If you've got a trainer like Sanchez, listen to him.
Omar Hikal finally did that between the second and third rounds and it instantly paid off in the form of a KO victory in his pro debut against Tanzanian import Michael Kalyalya.
Fighting in his native country, Hikal was a bit loose with fundamentals while chasing a finish in the opening rounds and relying almost exclusively on left uppercuts to Kalyalya's belly.
Sanchez got in his ear after the second and suggested some variety in the approach and the strategy immediately paid off with a left-right to the head that drove the 32-year-old to the floor.
Kalyalya rolled to his knees but was unable to rise, ending the fight at 55 seconds of the third.
"He got the KO that he wanted," Scott said. "You can tell he wanted it because he was hunting it from Round 1."
Winner: Dangerous Dynamo
10 of 11
Mahmoud Marbouk's career is a work in progress.
But it'll be entertaining along the way.
The 140-pounder became the second straight Egyptian to make a pro debut alongside the pyramids and did so successfully with a unanimous decision over Ugandan foe Ali Sserunkuma.
Also trained by Sanchez, Marbouk seemed far more conscious of putting on a show in his first fight, initiating exchanges and consistently pressing forward, even at his own peril.
The aggressive youngster was repeatedly clipped by straight shots by Sserunkuma. And though he was never in real peril against a foe who'd arrived with a 2-3-1 record and 0 KOs, that won't be the case if he continues to charge in with little to no regard for defense.
One judge had Marbouk up, 38-37, while the other two cards were 40-35 for the winner.
Full Card Results
11 of 11
Main Card
Oleksandr Usyk def. Rico Verhoeven by TKO, 2:59, Round 11
Hamzah Sheeraz def. Alem Begic by KO, 2:33, Round 2
Jack Catterall def. Shakhram Giyasov by unanimous decision (118-109, 119-108, 116-111)
Frank Sanchez def. Richard Torrez Jr. by KO, 0:55, Round 2
Mizuki Hiruta def. Mai Soliman by unanimous decision (99-91, 98-92, 98-92)
Benjamin Mendes Tani def. Daniel Lapin by TKO, 1:35, Round 4
Preliminary Card
Jamar Talley def. Basem Mamdouh by KO, 1:51, Round 2
Sultan Al-Mohamed def. Dedy Imprax by KO, 1:12, Round 2
Mahmoud Marbouk def. Ali Sserunkuma by unanimous decision (38-37, 40-35, 40-35)
Omar Hikal def. Michael Kalyalya by KO, 0:55, Round 3
