Usyk vs Verhoeven Referee Explains His Stoppage Call

Referee Mark Lyson has explained his decision to stop the Oleksandr Usyk (25-0, 16 KOs) vs Rico Verhoeven (1-1, 1 KO) fight after the bell in the eleventh round, revealing he was unaware the round had ended when he intervened.

Lyson’s stoppage came moments after Usyk put Verhoeven on the canvas and immediately swarmed with unanswered combinations, with the bell sounding almost simultaneously. The decision sparked widespread controversy, with Verhoeven since announcing plans to lodge a formal appeal. Verhoeven’s trainer Peter Fury, who spoke with Lyson after the fight, offered some sympathy for the referee’s position while relaying his explanation.

“He said to me, which is very important, he said, ‘Peter, I didn’t hear the bell’. Now, that I believe because I didn’t hear the bell either. I thought it was rang like two seconds before, because I am only going off what people are telling me around the ring — I was more focused on the fight itself. I think that he realised that he made a mistake. He said, ‘I done what I thought I had to do, he was shaky and I had to protect the fighter, but I didn’t hear the bell,” Fury said