The boxing world has been left divided by Oleksandr Usyk’s stoppage win over Rico Verhoeven.Usyk survived an early scare to stop Verhoeven in the 11th round of their WBC heavyweight title fight on Saturday night at the foot of the Pyramids of Giza.GettyUsyk stopped Verhoeven in the 11th round of a nip-and-tuck affair[/caption]Few gave Verhoeven even the slimmest chance of victory, but he asked serious questions of the lineal heavyweight champion before the finish.With his energy lowering in the championship rounds, Verhoeven lunged forward recklessly and was caught by a sharp lead uppercut.The punch sent the Dutchman tumbling to the canvas, and while he made his way back to his feet, he did so on unsteady legs.Verhoeven was afforded precious seconds to have his gumshield placed back into his mouth.When the fight was restarted, Usyk piled on the pressure.A flurry of heavy shots knocked Verhoeven off balance, resulting in referee Mark Lyson stepping in and waving off the fight with one second left in the round. Verhoeven felt the stoppage came too early and is planning to launch an appeal.What did Anthony Joshua think of the Oleksandr Usyk stoppage?Usyk’s former opponent, turned training partner, Anthony Joshua, is in agreement with Verhoeven’s stance.Pressed on whether he thought the fight had been stopped too early, AJ replied: “Yeah, definitely.” Asked if he thought Verhoeven was winning the fight up until that point, he added: “I don’t know, but it was a good fight. GettyJoshua and Canelo watched the fight from ringside and felt differently about the finish[/caption]“I knew he was a good fighter.”Verhoeven had initially been lined up as an opponent for Joshua’s planned February return.However, the fight fell apart after Joshua’s involvement in a car crash in Nigeria that killed two of his close friends and team members.The Watford powerhouse watched Usyk vs Verhoeven from ringside alongside Canelo Alvarez, who shared a differing opinion on the stoppage.What did Canelo Alvarez think of the Oleksandr Usyk stoppage?“Good fight,” Said Alvarez. “I didn’t expect that from Rico, but good fight… “I don’t think [the stoppage was early]. I think they saved him from a brutal knockout.”Watch Boxing on DAZN*If you click a link in this boxout, we will earn affiliate revenueSign up to DAZN to access the definitive subscription for boxing fans.Upgrade to DAZN Ultimate from just £24.99/month, guaranteeing access to 185+ fights annually, a minimum of 12 pay-per-views at no extra cost, as well as every Lega Serie A match and other elite football access.Alternatively, DAZN Standard is just £15.99/month, with the caveat you will have to pay for pay-per-view events.Click here to sign up.