Canelo Alvarez defended the late-round stoppage of the heavyweight title clash between Oleksandr Usyk and Rico Verhoeven, arguing that referee Mark Lyson prevented a more damaging finish. Watching the bout from ringside at the Pyramids of Giza on Saturday, May 23, 2026, the Mexican superstar watched as Oleksandr Usyk secured a TKO victory at 2:59 of the 11th round. The intervention occurred with just one second remaining in the frame, sparking immediate backlash from fans and analysts who questioned the timing.
“I don’t think [the stoppage was early],” Alvarez remarked following the event. “I think they saved him from a brutal knockout.” Despite his pre-fight prediction that Usyk would win by knockout within four or five rounds, Alvarez admitted he was surprised by the performance of Verhoeven. The kickboxing legend, entering only his second professional boxing match, proved far more resilient than his 20-1 underdog status suggested.
Oleksandr Usyk, who pushed his perfect record to 24-0, retained his WBC heavyweight title in the process. The champion had previously secured major wins over Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua, but this unique Usyk-Verhoeven challenge in Egypt forced him into deep waters. The atmosphere in Giza attracted a collection of boxing’s elite, with Terence Crawford, Gennady Golovkin, and Andy Ruiz all in attendance to witness the dramatic 11th-round sequence.
Scorecards reveal Verhoeven was competitive before stoppage
The anger surrounding Mark Lyson’s decision stems from how well Verhoeven was boxing. At the time of the TKO, the contest was essentially a dead heat. Two official judges had the bout scored 95-95, while a third reportedly had Verhoeven ahead 96-94. DAZN News went even further, scoring the fight 98-92 in favor of the kickboxer. These numbers suggest that had Verhoeven survived the final second of the 11th, he would have entered the 12th round with a legitimate chance of winning on the cards.
Verhoeven expressed clear frustration with how the night ended. “I wanted the referee to let me go out on my shield or let me go in the 12th,” he said. He pointed out that the referee stopped the fight after the bell had already sounded, an observation shared by many ringside observers. Verhoeven indicated he may appeal the result, as he felt the bell should have guaranteed him a minute of recovery.
The kickboxer, who was trained for this bout by Peter Fury, showed significant improvement since his only other professional boxing match 12 years ago. While Richard Torrez Jr. anticipated high skill levels in the night’s earlier heavyweight matches, few expected Verhoeven to match the technical brilliance of Usyk for nearly 11 full rounds.
Alvarez shifts focus to Christian Mbilli in September
For Canelo Alvarez, the trip to Egypt was a brief detour from his own intensive training schedule. He is slated to face Christian M’billi on September 12, 2026, for the WBC super middleweight title. This returns Alvarez to the ring almost exactly one year after his unanimous decision loss to Terence Crawford. The Mexican icon chose to overlook the controversy in Giza, focusing instead on his admiration for Usyk’s discipline and character.
“I love Usyk. Now I think he is one of the greats and he’s a good guy,” Alvarez added. His endorsement of the stoppage carries weight in the industry, even as social media figures like Jake Paul have criticized the quick hook. Alvarez’s presence at such high-profile international events continues to fuel speculation about his own future, particularly as peers like Vasiliy Lomachenko contemplate their own returns to the squared circle.
Undercard highlights from the Pyramids of Giza
The event featured several major title shifts beneath the main attraction. Hamzah Sheeraz became the new WBO super middleweight champion after a dominant third-round knockout of Alem Bagic. This win places Sheeraz in a prime position to challenge the elite names of the division, potentially putting him on a collision course with the winner of Alvarez vs. M’billi later this year.
Other notable results from the Giza card included:
- Jack Catterall defeated Shakhram Giyasov via unanimous decision (119-108, 118-109, 116-111) to capture the WBA (Regular) welterweight title.
- Frank Sanchez stopped Richard Torrez at 0:55 of the second round with a clinical knockout performance.
Usyk concluded the evening with an emotional dedication to his family and the people of Ukraine. While the 11th-round TKO remains a major talking point for the boxing community, the champion moves forward with his titles intact, while Verhoeven leaves Egypt having earned the respect of a sport that initially labeled him a massive underdog.
