Usyk won, but his glory was already shaken.

Oleksandr Usyk is no longer the dominant figure in the boxing world.

If we only look at the results from the morning of May 24th, this is still a victory for Usyk. He successfully defended his WBC heavyweight title by TKO in the 11th round against Rico Verhoeven, a kickboxer who was almost unknown in professional boxing. But boxing has never been defined solely by results.

What made the fight at the Giza Pyramids so shocking was how Usyk was pushed into a real fight against an opponent who had only had one professional boxing match before. At several points, Verhoeven forced the undisputed heavyweight champion to retreat, defend, and take heavy punches.

This is a rare sight for Usyk in recent years. Since defeating Anthony Joshua and then Tyson Fury, the Ukrainian boxer has always been considered the perfect benchmark of modern boxing. He moves intelligently, controls the pace with genius, and almost never gives his opponents a chance to drag him into chaos.

However, Verhoeven managed to do it. The Dutch boxer doesn't box in the traditional way. He fights instinctively, is physically strong, and extremely unpredictable. This is what made things difficult for Usyk. His punches didn't follow the familiar rhythm of professional boxing, causing the Ukrainian champion to take a long time to adapt.

As the fight entered its final rounds, a sense of unease began to creep into Usyk. Verhoeven didn't dominate, but he was tenacious enough to turn the fight into a genuine clash rather than the one-sided display of technique many had predicted.

Therefore, the decision to stop the fight in the final seconds of the 11th round was highly controversial. Verhoeven remained standing. He was still alert enough to react to the referee, and the scorecards after the fight showed an extremely close match. Two judges scored it a draw, while the third even scored Verhoeven the winner on points.

If the fight had gone on for another round, no one could be sure what would have happened. That's why many believe boxing "saved" Usyk from one of the biggest shocks in modern heavyweight history.

Verhoeven (right) didn't win overwhelmingly, but he was tenacious enough to turn the fight into a real clash instead of the one-sided technical display many had predicted.

Of course, Usyk still deserves respect. He entered the fight under immense pressure as the WBC champion, in an event that was met with skepticism from the start. Simply accepting the challenge against an opponent with a completely different style demonstrates the Ukrainian fighter's confidence.

Nevertheless, boxing is always ruthless when legends begin to slow down. Usyk is 39 years old this year. He is still intelligent, still technically skilled, and still has moments of genius, like the decisive uppercut in the 11th round. However, his legs are no longer as agile as they were in his prime. His ability to dodge punches is also no longer perfect under the tremendous physical pressure from younger and heavier opponents.

The most terrifying thing for a champion isn't defeat. It's the moment people start to realize he can be vulnerable too. And in Giza, amidst the lights, fireworks, and ancient pyramids, Usyk delivered that feeling for the first time.

Source: https://znews.vn/usyk-thang-nhung-hao-quang-da-lung-lay-post1653737.html