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WBO Orders Oleksandr Usyk to Defend Heavyweight Title Against Joseph Parker

The governing body has given Usyk and Parker 30 days to negotiate a mandatory title fight, complicating talks of an undisputed clash with Daniel Dubois.

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Boxing - Light Heavy Championship - Artur Beterbiev v Dmitrii Bivol - Weigh-In - Boulevard City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - February 21, 2025 Joseph Parker during the Weigh-In as promoter Eddie Hearn looks on REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed/File Photo
Boxing - Oleksandr Usyk v Tyson Fury - Heavyweight World Title - Kingdom Arena, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - December 22, 2024 Oleksandr Usyk during a press conference after winning his fight against Tyson Fury Action Images via Reuters/Andrew Couldridge/File Photo
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Overview

  • Oleksandr Usyk, current WBC, WBA, and WBO heavyweight champion, has been mandated by the WBO to defend his title against New Zealand's Joseph Parker.
  • Usyk and Parker have 30 days to reach an agreement for the fight before the WBO initiates purse bid proceedings.
  • Parker, a former WBO champion, secured his position as the mandatory challenger after a second-round knockout victory over Martin Bakole in February for the WBO interim title.
  • The announcement disrupts ongoing discussions for a potential undisputed title fight between Usyk and IBF champion Daniel Dubois, who had been seeking a rematch after losing to Usyk in 2023.
  • Usyk, 38, has expressed plans to retire after two more fights, following his back-to-back victories over Tyson Fury to become and remain the undisputed heavyweight champion in 2024.