First Published: May 24 2026 | 12:12 PM IST

After watching back the controversial ending to his fight with Oleksandr Usyk, Rico Verhoeven wants some big questions answered.

Few gave the Dutchman a realistic chance heading into the fight beneath the Pyramids of Giza, given the fact that the kickboxing great had entered the bout with just one previous professional boxing appearance and was facing a pound-for-pound great in Usyk.

Instead, the 37-year-old challenger produced a performance that troubled the unified champion throughout, using relentless pressure and awkward timing to build what many viewers believed was a lead on the scorecards.

The turning point came in the eleventh round, when Usyk landed a sharp uppercut that sent Verhoeven through the ropes. Though visibly hurt, ‘The King of Kickboxing’ returned to his feet and continued fighting before referee Mark Lyson waved the contest off during a barrage on the ropes with just, according to the official result, one second remaining in the round.

Verhoeven’s camp has since questioned both the timing and nature of the stoppage, insisting the challenger should have been allowed to survive the final seconds and come out for the twelfth round.

Speaking to Boxing News, he said that an appeal is now likely.

“To be completely honest, I just saw the end, because of all the comments I was reading. They stopped the fight after the bell. So the bell went, then they stopped the fight. I think we might just go and appeal it, because this doesn’t make any sense, right? If the bell goes and then stop the fight, why? Then it’s my time to rest.”

Indeed, many videos appear to show the final call from referee Mark Lyson coming after the bell, though further clarity is required, particularly given that the clock was stopped briefly following the knockdown for Verhoeven’s mouthpiece to be reinserted.

Asked how hurt he was, the former undisputed kickboxing champion – who was up on one card and level on the other two at the time of the stoppage – said he felt good enough to carry on.

“Yeah, I got the eight-count. It was a good eight-count. It was needed. But [once I was up] I heard the [clapper], so I was like ‘f**k, we got ten seconds, keep on the move, hands up and catch the shots.’ And I feel like that’s what I was doing. That’s why, when the referee came in, I wasn’t dazzled or whatever. I was looking at the referee. Why did you stop it? We’re almost there.

“It didn’t make any sense to me, and now looking back at it, the bell went. That’s something he should be aware of. Of course, mistakes can be made, but looking back at it, the referee needs to admit his mistake. It’s either a no contest or we go to the scorecards, and if we do that, I was ahead.”

Finally, Verhoeven reflected on the fight as a whole and how it feels to have silenced a significant number of doubters.

“I had fun. I had so much fun. It was incredible to be a part of history … We had an amazing gameplan and it worked. I’m super proud, super happy with it. Of course I’m going to look back at it and think I could have done things a little better. But he had both hands full, and he’s been the undisputed champion. I didn’t see any boxer do that to him till tonight. So I’m super proud of myself, but also bittersweet.”

Though Usyk has a WBC mandatory challenger, Agit Kabayel, waiting, many are now calling for a rematch, regardless of how Verhoeven’s appeal plays out.

Mikal Bridges has gone from zero to hero for the New York Knicks, and the first part of that adage is no figure of speech. It seems like a lifetime ago now, but Bridges literally went for zero points in New York’s Game 3 loss vs. Atlanta. It was the low point of Bridges’ New York tenure, and the Knicks looked like they were in real danger of what would’ve been a disastrous first-round upset. 

My how things have changed. 

Since that time the Knicks have 10 straight playoff games — three straight to finish the Hawks, then four more in a sweep of Philadelphia, and now they’ve gone up 3-0 on the Cavs in the Eastern Conference Finals after a 121-108 victory on Saturday. One more win and New York is in the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999.

Bridges isn’t the hero of this run, but he’s one of them. And given the way this was going, and how mercilessly his name was being dragged through the mud for the five-pick price the Knicks paid to get him, it makes this a cool story on a deeper level than just basketball. 

Let’s get the numbers, which are almost hilarious. Over his last eight games, dating back to the clincher against the Hawks in which he had 24 points on 10-of-12 shooting, Bridges has averaged 19.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.3 steals on on 69/48/100 shooting splits. 

No player in history has matched those shooting numbers over an eight-game playoff stretch while averaging at least 15 PPG, and Bridges is averaging damn near 20. This has literally never been seen before. Even if you toss out all the other numbers except the field-goal percentage LeBron James is the only other player in history who has won 10 straight playoff games while making half his shots. 

And there is no sign of Bridges slowing down. On Saturday, he hung 22 points, six rebounds, three steals, two assists and a pair of blocks on the Cavs while making 11 of his 15 shots. 

It’s impossible to have watched Bridges over this stretch and not notice the dramatic shift in his approach. Look at the reel above again. Every shot is from the free-throw line down. Eight at the rim. Two mid-range pull-ups. A couple floaters. This has been an ongoing theme as Bridges has cut his 3-point attempt rate from 5.1 per game in the regular season to under three per game in the playoffs. So much for the midrange game being dead. 

It has been a long time since we have seen Bridges in this kind of attack mode. Look here in Game 2 as he flares out to catch a pass at the 3-point line, where he has daylight if he wants to launch a shot. Instead, he uses a pick from Mitchell Robinson to probe his way into the paint for a much more efficient floater. 

Again in Game 2, he catches at the top and the instant he senses Max Strus anticipating a dribble handoff he turns downhill and finishes a lofting bank shot over Evan Mobley. 

That is a confident move. The Bridges that was putting up bagels early against the Hawks just does the DHO and fades back out to the perimeter. This Bridges is different. He’s hunting scoring opportunities. Turning corners on a mission. Sprinting ahead in transition. Pull up on a dime. 

This is a guy who took just three shots in that scoreless game against Atlanta. On Saturday he fired up 15, and he hasn’t taken fewer than 10 since Game 5 of the first round. Since that time, he has made an absurd 89.7% of his shots inside the restricted area (35 for 39), 61.7% in the paint (13 of 21), and 56.3% in the midrange (9 of 16). 

“I told [Bridges] and OG [Anunoby], because I don’t call a ton of play-calls, you guys got to find different ways to impose your will on the game,” Knicks coach Mike Brown said on Saturday. “They’re both doing a phenomenal job of imposing their will on the game.”

That’s a great way to put it in the context of this Knicks team overall. Everything is flowing right now. The whole team is in an unbelievable rhythm, and when that’s happening, you don’t have to call a lot of plays. The ball just moves, guys attack, draw help, kick, swing, nobody is standing still, and Bridges is in the thick of it all. Look at his impact before and after that Game 6 breakout against the Hawks — from a minus-11 player to a plus-144. 

Oh by the way, he’s playing incredible defense, too. 

This is while being matched up against the likes of Tyrese Maxey, James Harden and Jalen Johnson. None of these guys have fared well against Bridges, who was an elite defender in Phoenix but has, or had, declined on that end as he became more offensive-minded. This looks like the best of both Bridges, the two-way guy who was deemed important enough to this multi-year Knicks championship push that they traded those five picks for him. That trade has been clowned as maybe the biggest overpay in recent history. Right now, it’s looking like they might have actually gotten a bargain. 

Pep Guardiola will step out at the Etihad for the last time as Blues boss against Aston Villa on Sunday and ahead of kick-off we’ve found a way for fans to get a 99% discount on this season’s training jersey.

This weekend marks the end of an era for Manchester City as Pep Guardiola steps out at the Etihad for one last time as boss on Sunday (May 24). Ahead of his farewell appearance against Aston Villa, we’ve discovered an offer that reduces this season’s Man City Puma Training Jersey to pennies.

The shirt – part of the club’s 2025/26 training collection – has just been slashed from £45 to £15.75 at Kitbag with the discount code SAVE, but there’s a clever method to save more £15 extra by combining two ldeals. When customers register for a free TopCashback account they’ll receive a £15 welcome reward plus cashback on Kitbag orders.

This effectively reduces the Man City shirt to 62p after cashback – a total saving of £44.38 or roughly 99% – when paired with Kitbag’s promotional code. However, the offer will expire when Kitbag’s Bank Holiday ends at 9am on Tuesday (May 26).

READ MORE: Man City fans can get official title-winning shirt for £7 instead of £75 in clever Sports Direct deal

READ MORE: Pep Guardiola response to 115 charges as he leaves Man City speaks volumes

The deal is only available for new TopCashback members, while existing members will pay £15.62 after cashback. Both options beat rival retailers like Very, which stocks the same jersey at £31.50 (was £45).

The Man City Puma Training Jersey features this season’s distinctive colours with an abstract design across the body alongside the club badge and Puma cat logo on the chest. The slim-fit tee is crafted with Puma’s dryCELL system to draw moisture away and keep the wearer dry, reports the Mirror.

It follows Man City’s unveiling of the new 2026/27 home strip earlier this month, designed in classic sky blue with a gradient descending from the shoulders that becomes lighter as it falls. It also features a metallic monochrome club badge, Puma logo and sponsor branding, with the overall aesthetic said to symbolise ‘progression’.

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The grid for the F1 Canadian GP is set, and we have the Mercedes pair at the front of the grid. George Russell will be starting the race from pole position and will have Kimi Antonelli right alongside him on the front row.

On the second row, we have the McLaren pairing of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, followed by Lewis Hamilton in P5. There are rumors of rain potentially making an appearance during the F1 Canadian GP and playing a role, but on a race weekend where there have already been a lot of talking points, what can we expect from the main event on Sunday? Let’s take a look.

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#5 If it rains, it’s going to be complete chaos

If we listen to what drivers who have experienced wet-weather running in these cars have to say, then there’s a lot of doom and gloom surrounding what’s going to happen. Pierre Gasly and Max Verstappen have expressed concern over how these cars will fare in those conditions, as the electric component certainly complicates things.

With the F1 Canadian GP having a street-track layout, errors are costly, and that will only further complicate the situation.

If we end up with a wet race, stay tuned for quite a few stoppages and crashes as chaos ensues.

#4 The Ferrari-powered power units will rise to the top

One very small indicator that we’ve had so far in terms of wet-weather running has been the characteristic of getting the tires up to temperature quickly. For power units with smaller turbos, this is an added benefit, and we’ve seen Ferraris having the ability to get the tires up to temperature much quicker in China.

If the F1 Canadian GP ends up being wet, we’re potentially looking at a scenario where the Ferrari-powered cars could potentially have an advantage early in a stint.

#3 The race will not feature much on-track action, similar to the sprint

Irrespective of the track staying dry or it being a wet race, the F1 Canadian GP layout is not too conducive to racing with this specification of cars. The overtakes are made on the start-finish straight or the long straight before the Wall of Champions.

On both of those occasions, you need a bigger delta in terms of performance that comes from the overtake boost.

As we saw in the sprint, even when the cars are within 4-5 tenths of each other at the start of the straight, they are unable to pull off overtakes by the end of it, which is a harbinger of what’s coming in terms of a reduction in on-track action in the upcoming races.

#2 All top 4 teams are in the battle for the podium

In terms of which teams are potentially in contention for a podium at the F1 Canadian GP, it’s highly likely that Mercedes, McLaren, Red Bull, and Ferrari drivers are going to be in contention. The sprint showed that the pace ebbed and flowed a little early on, but once it settled down, the gap wasn’t massive.

That’s exactly where the ability to put together the right strategy comes in handy, and we could see the pit-stop timings alone change the complexion of how a race would go.

It does appear that overtaking is going to be a tough ordeal for these cars, and hence track position is king. The team that nails it will eventually come out on top, and you cannot rule out any of the top eight for the podium.

#1 George Russell wins the F1 Canadian GP

In terms of winning the race, it does appear that Mercedes is the car that is fundamentally the fastest. However, we can’t rule out McLaren either at this point, as Lando was quite impressive in the sprint.

With rain potentially on the horizon, out-and-out speed is maybe not going to get you the win, and there is going to be a measure of calm needed to make the right calls.

Kimi Antonelli might just be the fastest package at the F1 Canadian GP, but if we are making the play for the smartest, it’s probably going to be George Russell, and hence we’re backing the Brit to pick up his second win of the season.