The atmosphere at the foot of the pyramids of Giza in Egypt during the “Glory in Giza” event, organised by Matchroom Boxing in collaboration with DAZN and Turki Alalshikh, was sensational. It was a truly unique and magical evening, both for the breathtaking location and the flawless organisation. Such a historic setting can only be inspiring and fascinating for both athletes and spectators. The most anticipated fight was of course the much-discussed clash between the phenomenon Usyk and kickboxer Rico Verhoeven, which ended in a technical knockout in the eleventh round, amid no shortage of controversy.
There were also many interesting fights on the undercard, delivering entertainment and surprising results.
A noteworthy performance came from Mizuki Hiruta, who defended her WBO title against home fighter Mai Soliman.
Soliman tried to make her presence felt, pressing forward and attacking from the outset, but Hiruta’s boxing skills allowed her to secure a unanimous decision victory after 10 rounds. Hiruta was named Fighter of the Year in Japan, and it is easy to understand why: she is a fast, precise and strong athlete with excellent footwork.
Next came Richard Torrez Jr., who entered the ring with a 14-0 record, including a win over Italy’s Guido Vianello. However, many believed that for the American heavyweight, facing Frank Sanchez (26-1) was too soon.
The fight began with Torrez starting aggressively as usual, but in the second round Sanchez landed a devastating uppercut that switched his opponent’s lights out. A sharp setback for Torrez, while Sanchez re-established himself in the elite circuit after his loss to Agit Kabayel.
Immediately after, it was the turn of Hamzah Sheeraz, a very hot name in his division in recent times. He fought Alem Begic for the vacant WBO middleweight title. There is little to report here: the British fighter overwhelmed his opponent and ended the fight in the second round with a body shot. Sheeraz claimed his belt and set himself up for major future fights.
The final bout before the main event was Jack Catterall vs Shakhram Giyasov, a fight for the WBA regular welterweight world title, where the Englishman showcased all his technical skills—arguably the best performance of Catterall’s career to date.
Catterall knocked his opponent down in the first round and dominated for 12 rounds, landing numerous sharp and accurate one-two combinations, defeating an unbeaten fighter who still put up a solid effort via unanimous decision.
An excellent night as well for the fighter from Lancashire, who now moves on to a clash with Rolando Romero, a very intriguing matchup at the top of the division.