Overview
- The bout at the Pyramids of Giza ended in an 11th‑round TKO for Oleksandr Usyk on Saturday after referee Mark Lyson stepped in with the clock showing 2:59.
- Slow‑motion replay and contemporaneous clips suggest the stoppage came as or after the bell, and coach Peter Fury says Lyson told him on the flight home, “I didn’t hear the bell.”
- Rico Verhoeven has filed an appeal with the Middle East Professional Boxing Commission asking for a review and an apology while acknowledging that overturning a result on timing grounds is rare.
- Industry voices are split: promoter Eddie Hearn and many observers call the stoppage early and want a rematch, while Canelo Alvarez publicly defended the referee’s intervention.
- Pre‑approved sanctioning conditions and existing mandatory obligations for Usyk make an immediate rematch uncertain, so the commission’s review and belt rules will determine next steps.