Glory in Giza: Who Won, and What's Next?

Boxing history was made beneath the Pyramids this weekend as the "Glory in Giza" card delivered drama, upsets, and career-defining moments. Oleksandr Usyk retained his WBC heavyweight title and claimed the "King of the Nile" commemorative belt, but the champion stole the headlines for the wrong reasons. Facing kickboxing legend Rico Verhoeven, who had fought professionally in boxing just once before, many years ago, Usyk was expected to dominate a novice. Instead, the Ukrainian struggled at times against a man with virtually no boxing pedigree, before finally securing an eleventh-round knockout. Questions now swirl around Usyk's performance, with WBC Interim Champion Agit Kabayel looking increasingly dangerous as the mandatory challenger. Verhoeven earned immense credit, but whether he continues in boxing remains unclear. In the co-feature, Frank Sanchez flattened unbeaten Richard Torrez Jr. with a brutal second-round knockout, becoming the IBF mandatory contender. The true star of the night was Britain's Hamzah Sheeraz, who delivered the performance of his career by capturing the vacant WBO super middleweight crown against Alem Begic in devastating fashion. The rangy Londoner stopped his opponent inside the distance, cementing his status as Britain's premier 168-pound fighter. A mouthwatering domestic showdown with the winner of Callum Smith versus Joshua Buatsi now looms large, with Sheeraz calling for a stadium fight before the end of the year. Jack Catterall also impressed, outclassing Shakhram Giyasov for the WBA regular welterweight title. Japan's Mizuki Hiruta defended her WBO super flyweight belt against Mai Soliman. On the undercard, Daniel Lapin suffered a shock TKO loss, while Egyptian Mohamed Mabrouk Yehya celebrated a victorious debut.

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