Fans Furious At Oleksandr Usyk Fight Over 'Worst Stoppage Ever'

World heavyweight boxing champion Oleksandr Usyk has successfully retained his belt in front of an epic crowd overlooking the Pyramids in Egypt. But the manner in which he retained his title has a ton of boxing fans fuming.

The vibes were immaculate prior to the fight as the Usyk and title challenger Rico Verhoeven came out with Ancient Egyptian-themed entrances as the historic Pyramids loomed in the distance. But once the fight started, it became pretty clear that Verhoeven was more than a match for the unbeaten champion.

Most fans watching at home felt that Verhoeven was on the verge of winning in the latter rounds. But at the end of Round 11, Usyk rallied with a strong barrage of blows that literally had Verhoeven on the ropes.

With just two seconds remaining on the Round 11 clock, the referee decided that Verhoeven had taken enough hits and stopped the fight.

Fans and even the broadcasters were outraged by the stoppage.

"What are you doing referee?! What are you doing? Are you kidding me? This is for the heavyweight championship of the world! I don't believe it!" the broadcaster said.

Worst stoppage ever?

Boxing fans were outraged that they were deprived of the extra seconds that would have sent the fight to a decisive Round 12.

"Ref stopped that fight as if he also had a bet on Usyk winning! Ridiculous stoppage! Rico was doing so well and most probably leading on the overall card. Usyk's invincibility is gone," one user declared on X.

"2:59 of the 11th is crazy. He's up on points rico and they stop it. Definitely dodgy. Usyk may have stopped him in the last round but Rico could have recovered during the 1 minute rest between rounds. A fight for the world heavyweight title you don't jump in early," another said.

"Probably the most fixed stoppage the sport of boxing has ever seen in such a large scale. Boxing is finished," a third remarked.

"1 second left & he's still on his feet… boxings just protecting Usyk record at this point so they can milk him some more…"

"That's up there with one of the worst boxing stoppages I've ever seen."

Other fans argued that Verhoeven was struggling at the end of the round and that the stoppage was valid. But while there will probably be a larger debate about that in the hours to come, fans are pretty pissed off at the state of boxing right now.

As for Usyk, he retains his championship and moves to 25-0. But with that latest win coming only by the skin of his teeth and against an opponent who was far less experienced in pro boxing than he is, there might be calls for a rematch.

If nothing else, fans are going to start doubting if Usyk is as invincible as his record makes him look since it took a controversial stoppage to potentially save his belt.

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This story was originally published May 23, 2026 at 8:22 PM.