Usyk-Verhoeven ref had seen enough to stop fight before bell

The referee who stopped Oleksandr Usyk's fight against Rico Verhoeven in the 11th round has told a boxing commission he had already decided to wave off the bout before the bell sounded, according to BBC Sport.

The official defended his decision during a hearing that dismissed Verhoeven's formal appeal against the loss. Verhoeven, a decorated kickboxing champion making his professional boxing debut, protested the stoppage immediately after the fight, claiming he was still defending himself when the referee stepped in.

Commission upholds referee's call on Usyk stoppage

Per the BBC report, the referee testified that he had seen enough punishment from Usyk to justify ending the contest, and that his decision was made moments before the round's conclusion. The commission sided with the official's account, leaving the result intact.

Verhoeven, who landed the opportunity through his friendship with actor Jason Statham, had hoped the appeal would overturn the defeat and salvage his crossover experiment. Usyk improved to 23-0 with the win, which drew criticism from boxing purists who questioned the matchup's competitive merit.

No rematch clause was included in the original contract. Verhoeven has not announced his next move in either boxing or kickboxing.

Source: bbc.co.uk