Undisputed heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk has been ordered by the WBO to begin negotiations for a mandatory title defense against Joseph Parker. Usyk successfully regained his undisputed title, winning all four belts with a 5th-round TKO victory over Daniel Dubois on July 19 at Wembley Stadium in London. According to the WBO, both parties have 30 days to reach an agreement before the fight goes to a purse bid.
Usyk vs. Parker?
Usyk (24-0, 15 KOs) claimed the IBF title from Dubois and went into the bout already the WBO, WBA, and WBC champion. The IBF belt was previously vacated by Usyk when he pursued the rematch with Tyson Fury instead of facing the mandatory challenger at the time, Filip Hrgovic. Usyk previously became the undisputed heavyweight champion after defeating Fury by decision in May 2024. He is currently the top pound-for-pound fighter in the world.
Parker (36-3, 24 KOs) has won 12 of his last 13 fights and has been on an incredible run. It includes a victory over Deontay Wilder in 2023 and winning the interim WBO belt against Zhilei Zhang. The win over Zhang makes Parker the mandatory challenger to face Usyk.
Frank Warren, Parker’s promoter, said, “I would like to see the Joe Parker fight. Joe deserves it…He’s on a run himself, same as Daniel (Dubois) was on, and that’s the fight that’s been ordered.” He said Usyk’s next defense should be against Parker and believes it would be a great fight. The WBO’s letter to both teams read, “By virtue of this order, the parties have thirty (30) days upon issuance of this letter to reach terms.” The minimum bid is set for $1,000,000.
Final Thoughts
It appears as if a Usyk vs. Fury III fight is on hold. The potential Usyk vs. Parker bout is more appealing right now since Usyk defeated Fury both times. However, the decisions were considered controversial. The next big fight in boxing is Canelo Alvarez vs. Terence Crawford, which is set for September 13 in Las Vegas and will be available on Netflix.
