Overview

• The WBO has directed undisputed heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk to open negotiations with interim titleholder Joseph Parker for his next defence.
• Both camps face a 30-day deadline to agree fight terms before the sanctioning body initiates a purse bid process.
• Usyk retains the prerogative to vacate the WBO belt instead of facing Parker, mirroring his previous relinquishment of the IBF strap.
• Parker earned his mandatory position by winning the interim WBO title in 2024 and defending it against Martin Bakole in February.
• The outcome of these talks will determine whether Usyk remains four-belt champion or if a purse bid reshapes the heavyweight landscape.