Tony Bellew, a former world champion, shared his thoughts on the situation. He praised Parker's resilience and the WBO's decision.
They threw Joseph Parker to the wolves time after time and each time he came back leading the pack. After the problem with the Dubois fight he could have just waited and moved on but he didn't! He fought the problem once again! FINALLY he's been rewarded! Very well deserved in my honest opinion. [Well done] WBO for doing the right thing!
Usyk, who holds the WBO, WBA, and WBC world heavyweight titles, last fought in August 2023. He knocked out Daniel Dubois and wants to become the undisputed world heavyweight champion again. This mandatory defense might delay those plans.
Parker, a former WBO champion himself, has been on a roll lately. He's beaten Martin Bakole, Zhilei Zhang, and Deontay Wilder in his recent fights. The New Zealander was set to face Dubois, but the British fighter pulled out due to illness. Instead of waiting, Parker took on and defeated Bakole.
The two fighters have 30 days to agree on terms for the bout. If they can't reach a deal, the fight will go to purse bids.
Tyson Fury, who sometimes trains with Parker and considers him a friend, is happy for the Kiwi boxer. Fury knows the challenge Parker faces, having lost to Usyk twice himself.
This fight order throws a wrench in Usyk's plans for an undisputed title bout. The Ukrainian will have to put those ambitions on hold while he deals with the dangerous Parker.