John Fury, the father of Tyson Fury, has urged the boxing community to give Oleksandr Usyk “maximum credit” for his defense of the WBC heavyweight title against Rico Verhoeven.
The bout, which took place on May 23, 2026, in front of the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt, ended in a controversial 11th-round TKO victory for the Ukrainian champion.
Despite the scrutiny surrounding the stoppage, which occurred with just one second remaining in the round, John Fury insisted the performance proved Usyk is a “true champion.”
The contest proved far more difficult for the undefeated Oleksandr Usyk than many analysts had predicted. Rico Verhoeven, a dominant champion in GLORY Kickboxing making only his second professional boxing appearance, used his 258.7 lb frame to hold a physical advantage over the 233.3 lb champion.
At the time of the stoppage at 2:59 of the 11th round, two judges had the fight even, while the third judge had the Dutchman ahead on the scorecards. DAZN News had the challenger leading 98-92.
The ending sparked immediate debate when referee Mark Lyson waved the fight off after Usyk landed a right uppercut and subsequent punches. The bell had reportedly sounded while the flurry was ongoing, leading to a confrontation on the flight home between Rico Verhoeven’s trainer, Peter Fury, and the referee.
Peter Fury later noted that Lyson admitted he “didn’t hear the bell” due to the atmosphere, a lapse that prevented the fight from reaching a final 12th round.
John Fury defends the champion against mounting criticism
John Fury addressed the skepticism regarding the victory during an interview with Secondsout, praising the way Oleksandr Usyk handled the massive physical disparity. He described the challenger as a “6ft 6in athlete” who “trains like a demon” and is “strong as a bull.”
While John Fury has previously questioned Usyk’s wins over his son Tyson, he was firm in his belief that the Ukrainian deserved “all the credit in the world” for his night in Egypt.
The elder Fury highlighted how difficult it is for a former cruiserweight to continue competing against natural giants at the top of the heavyweight tree. “You’ve got to give Usyk credit because he’s only a cruiserweight blowing up,” John Fury remarked. He noted that despite the adversity faced against the kickboxing legend, Usyk simply seems to “get the job done” when it matters most.
The physical toll of the fight was evident, as Usyk had to overcome a weight disadvantage of over 25 lbs to secure the stoppage. Much like how pioneers shaped the modern UFC era by testing their skills across disciplines, this crossover bout highlighted the dangers of facing elite athletes from other combat backgrounds.
John Fury’s shift in tone suggests the performance earned a new level of respect from within the Fury camp.
Verhoeven team files appeal after officiating error
Rico Verhoeven expressed pride in his performance but was vocal about his desire to “go out on my shield” rather than see the fight stopped prematurely. The team behind the Dutchman has since filed an official appeal.
They argue that the referee’s failure to hear the bell deprived their fighter of the chance to recover in his corner and see out the final round of a fight where he was leading on one card.
Despite the controversy, the event was a major spectacle broadcast on DAZN Pay-Per-View, bringing elite professional boxing to one of the world’s most iconic heritage sites. This isn’t the first time an international sporting event has faced logistical hurdles or com/giants-broadcast-glitch-netflix-opening-day-2026/”>streaming issues during high-stakes moments, but the human error by the referee remains the focal point for the Dutchman’s camp. Peter Fury described the incident as a “genuine mistake” rather than intentional bias.
Mandatory defense against Agit Kabayel looms
While Rico Verhoeven has called for an immediate rematch, the WBC has already ordered Oleksandr Usyk to face Agit Kabayel in a mandatory defense. Failure to comply with this order would put the champion’s title reign at risk.
Murat Gassiev recently described a potential clash between Usyk and Agit Kabayel as a “50-50 fight,” suggesting the champion will have little time to rest after his grueling encounter at the Pyramids.
Promoter Turki Alalshikh has already discussed a path back to a Verhoeven rematch in 2027, potentially following an undisputed unification attempt. Until then, the heavyweight division must wait to see if the appeal results in any change to the official result. For now, the champion continues his unbeaten run, as com/latest-sport-news-updates-miami-open-aintree-world-cup/”>major news updates across the sport remain focused on whether Usyk can maintain his dominance under the weight of mandatory challengers. Regardless of the scores at the time, Oleksandr Usyk remains the holder of the WBC, WBA, and IBF belts.
