Oleksandr Usyk must defend his WBO heavyweight title against Joseph Parker or risk losing it. The WBO has given both camps 30 days to reach an agreement.
Usyk became the undisputed heavyweight champion last weekend at Wembley Stadium. He knocked out Daniel Dubois in the fifth round to add the IBF belt to his WBC, WBA, and WBO titles. This victory came after Usyk first achieved undisputed status in May 2024 by beating Tyson Fury.
The Ukrainian fighter had to vacate the IBF title in December to fulfill a rematch with Fury. Now, he faces another tough decision with the WBO's order.
The WBO announced that Usyk and Parker have 30 days to agree on terms. If they can't, a purse bid will happen with a minimum bid of $1,000,000.
Parker earned his spot as the mandatory challenger with impressive wins over Martin Bakole, Zhilei Zhang, and Deontay Wilder. Many fans think he deserves the next shot at Usyk more than anyone else.
Usyk could choose to vacate the WBO title or try to get Parker to step aside. But Parker's team hasn't shown any interest in step-aside talks.
Riyadh Season and SELA, led by boxing powerbroker Turki Alalshikh, don't want to make the Usyk-Parker fight. Alalshikh, who owns Ring Magazine and has been key in making Fury's fights happen, won't back this matchup.
Usyk must now decide whether to face Parker or risk losing one of his world titles. The clock is ticking on their 30-day negotiation period.
