The action was halted in the penultimate round.
Oleksandr Usyk and Rico Verhoeven delivered a heavyweight classic in Egypt this weekend, with the dramatic stoppage continuing to divide opinion across the fight world.
At the time the contest was waved off, two judges had the bout level at 95-95, while the third scorecard edged it 96-94 in Verhoeven’s favour after a sensational display from the Dutchman.
And while debate surrounding the stoppage continues to rage on, Verhoeven’s trainer Peter Fury has made his opinion on the controversial ending crystal clear.
Fury told Boxing King Media: “It was premature because the round was ended.
“It should have given him a little bit of time to go and have the round because he was on his feet and he tried to throw punches back.
“He was hurt and he was struggling, but the round was over.
“He could have come back in that corner with a minute’s rest and got through the round.
“We’ll never know, but look, he was tired. I don’t want to take anything from Oleksandr.
“What a great victory he’s done. He hasn’t just beat a kickboxer, he’s beat a serious talent in there who come to put it all on the line. So Oleksandr needs credit.
“I did say before this fight, if Oleksandr comes through this fight, give Oleksandr the maximum credit because Rico is a phenomenal fighter.
“He is no mug.”
You can watch our full exclusive interview with Peter Fury here:
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