Oleksandr Usyk vs. Joseph Parker - WBO Ordered

[joshj909]

Poor Kabayal.
He seems to be getting left out of the mix, after performing just as well, if not better than Dubois or Parker.
If anyone is going to give Uysk a hard time, I feel (very feel)it is him.
I also feel Dubois needs to fight Parker.

Kabayel can dispatch Dubois to face the Usyk/Parker winner

[gregregegg]

If Usyk fights ddd does Parker just get upgraded to champ? Or will he have to fight a wbo pick for a vacant belt?

I ask because for Parker this is the difference between getting to fight AJ for mega millions as a voluntary… or fighting huni or Moses for a bit of cash as a mandated vacant shot…

Parker deserves Usyk, or DDD but I guess AJ and a belt would be a good conselation prize….

[tonyevs]

Usyk Vs Parker will be a pretty hard fight to sell .. however, the Saudis aren't into tickets sales so much are they.

It should be a closer than expected fight. Usyk points.

[Ruthless-RKO]

If Usyk fights ddd does Parker just get upgraded to champ? Or will he have to fight a wbo pick for a vacant belt?

I ask because for Parker this is the difference between getting to fight AJ for mega millions as a voluntary… or fighting huni or Moses for a bit of cash as a mandated vacant shot…

Parker deserves Usyk, or DDD but I guess AJ and a belt would be a good conselation prize….

Only if WBO don’t agree an exception, they will then strip Usyk, or Usyk can vacate.

Then Parker becomes WBO champion.

[splashitallover]

Ive been thinking for a while that despite Uysk being favourite, the only 2 fighters who could trouble him are an in shape, Joe Parker and Andy Ruiz. Both have good hand speed, boxing ability and always come to win. Neither are 6.6" giants, and Uysk isnt getting any younger......

[Coco]

Ive been thinking for a while that despite Uysk being favourite, the only 2 fighters who could trouble him are an in shape, Joe Parker and Andy Ruiz. Both have good hand speed, boxing ability and always come to win. Neither are 6.6" giants, and Uysk isnt getting any younger......

Can't see Ruiz ever being busy enough, even if he was in shape!

His wins against Fury and AJ shoes he knows how to deal with bigger, stronger guys.

Maybe it's speed and work rate that can beat him

However untill Uysk starts sliding, I can't make a case for anyone against him

[Ruthless-RKO]

PARKER'S AIM IS TO FIGHT USYK FOR TITLE, COACH FEELS ITAUMA COULD GET 'VERY HURT'

JOSEPH PARKER wants the next step on his incredible heavyweight run to be a shot at unified heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk - and not a fight for a vacant belt.

That is the opinion of his coach Andy Lee, who has helped steer the New Zealander to the cusp of a crack at the same WBO belt he lost seven years ago against Anthony Joshua.

The 33-year-old is on a six-fight winning steak since his 2022 knockout defeat to Joe Joyce in Manchester and his last three fights have been victories over Deontay Wilder, Zhilei Zhang and Martin Bakole - a run that not many fighters at any weight could better.

And the WBO have responded by mandating Parker to fight for their heavyweight title, which is currently owned by the Ring Magazine champion Oleksandr Usyk, who also holds the WBA and WBC straps. But there is a chance that Usyk may choose not to fight Parker and instead pursue a rematch with the IBF champion Daniel Dubois, who he stopped in August 2023, thus vacating his WBO belt.

Lee, however, is hoping Usyk decides against facing Dubois next and instead fulfills his mandatory obligations with the WBO.

“I think he deserves his title fight now,” Lee told The Ring. “I think everyone agrees on that. At least the WBO are stepping up and mandating him now.

“People want Joe to fight Usyk. People have seen Dubois fight Usyk already. It wasn't that long ago. People have already seen Usyk-Dubois and Usyk won by stoppage.

“For us, our first preference is to fight Usyk, definitely. If not, we'll fight for the vacant title but we want to fight Usyk, that’s our aim.”

Should Usyk take on Dubois it would be down to the WBO to order a fight for the vacant title between Parker and somebody else. The 12-0 (17) Australian Justis Huni is currently ranked at No1 and is fit again after a recent hand injury. At No.2 is British prodigy Moses Itauma, still only 20 years old, who has been linked with a fight with Huni for an interim title in the past.

Lee added: “Huni is the number one contender. I’ve seen the talk about Moses being lined up to fight Huni but if I was Huni’s people I wouldn’t be fighting Itauma now. Why wouldn’t he stay No.1 and then potentially fight a legend in an Australia v New Zealand clash for the world heavyweight title?”

Itauma and his manager Francis Warren have made no secret of their desire to beat Mike Tyson’s record to become the youngest world heavyweight champion in history but he currently only has until May 19 this year to do so.

With the belts tied up by Usyk and Dubois, the opportunity seemed to have passed Itauma by but should that WBO title become vacant, perhaps the stars would align for Itauma to box Parker for the belt before that very specific deadline.

Parker and Itauma have already shared the ring, albeit in sparring, during the Auckland man’s preparation for his victory over Zhang last year and Lee thinks a real fight between the two could damage the youngster for the rest of his career.

He said: “Look, Moses is a hell of a fighter but if he were to step in with Joe Parker it’s a big ask for him. It's a big step up for him. In fact it's a massive step up for him.

“You're daring be great and all, but you're also running the risk of hurting him. You're getting a young fighter very hurt. He's only a young guy and then how does that affect him for the rest of his career? I don't know.

“I saw them spar. It was four rounds. It was very competitive. But for four rounds, everyone can be competitive. If Joe's going to do four rounds with another guy after that, and then another four rounds after that with another guy, you're going to do well. And it wasn't as if he did particularly well they were just competitive rounds. Joe probably got the better of it, but it was very competitive.

“We know him well and we really like him. To be honest we had a great time with him and we missed him when he left.”

[JamesPhilips]

Ive been thinking for a while that despite Uysk being favourite, the only 2 fighters who could trouble him are an in shape, Joe Parker and Andy Ruiz. Both have good hand speed, boxing ability and always come to win. Neither are 6.6" giants, and Uysk isnt getting any younger......

Kabayel? With work rate and bodyshots?

[Ruthless-RKO]

[Ruthless-RKO]

Don’t care what anyone says.

Give Parker the match

[Jimmy2025]

Parker v Moses for the vacant is what I'd like. Roll the dice.

[JamesPhilips]

Cringe. Nice beach though

[keithmoonhangover]

It's even nicer when you're there, such a beautiful place.

[Jimmy2025]

Cringe. Nice beach though

Yes. Must have a different sense of humour out there.

[Coco]

Enjoyed that, Uysk is where the money is, if the titles are fragmented, the money will be too

[KiwiRider]

It's even nicer when you're there, such a beautiful place.

Bloody dangerous to swim there Keef.
The rips at Karekare and that whole coast to the sand spit are the stuff nightmares are made of.
And the sand on a hot summer day is like molten lava to walk on!

[KiwiRider]

Parker v Moses for the vacant is what I'd like. Roll the dice.

It's probably two carefully managed steps up before Moses is ready for Parker.
Rolling the dice is an unnecessary risk for a guy who could take a title undefeated as soon as next year. That makes a lot better legacy and earning potential.

[Jimmy2025]

Parker v Moses for the vacant is what I'd like. Roll the dice.

It's probably two carefully managed steps up before Moses is ready for Parker.
Rolling the dice is an unnecessary risk for a guy who could take a title undefeated as soon as next year. That makes a lot better legacy and earning potential.

Fully get your pov and it will be the same as most. I would see a step up like that as akin to Canelo going in with Mayweather early. A win would be the ultimate launchpad, a loss is not a problem and a learning experience.

[margaret thatcher]

moses never been past 6, hasnt been a full 2 rounds for the last few years. never fought anyone in the world top 25. also 2-3 years younger than canelo was when he fought mayweather, it's even more of a step up than that. canelo was already a unified world champ with like 40+ fights, who been 12 rounds, when he faced mayweather

[Jimmy2025]

moses never been past 6, hasnt been a full 2 rounds for the last few years. never fought anyone in the world top 25. also 2-3 years younger than canelo was when he fought mayweather, it's even more of a step up than that. canelo was already a unified world champ with like 40+ fights, who been 12 rounds, when he faced mayweather

All true but Parker isn't a Mayweather. A very close fight with Hughie, losses to Joshua, Whyte and Joyce. If Moses cannot at least push him hard now, he's not the fighter I believe him to be.

[margaret thatcher]

ah okay, i thought you were talking moses vs usyk

[cormack]

Ive been thinking for a while that despite Uysk being favourite, the only 2 fighters who could trouble him are an in shape, Joe Parker and Andy Ruiz. Both have good hand speed, boxing ability and always come to win. Neither are 6.6" giants, and Uysk isnt getting any younger......

neither of these on their best day gives Usyk anything other than a decent work out session .

[keithmoonhangover]

It's even nicer when you're there, such a beautiful place.

Bloody dangerous to swim there Keef.
The rips at Karekare and that whole coast to the sand spit are the stuff nightmares are made of.
And the sand on a hot summer day is like molten lava to walk on!

I'm not a great swimmer, so it's off limits for me. Kaiteriteri is my kinda beach.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Usyk could still fight Dubois next before mandatory Parker defence

Oleksandr Usyk could fight Daniel Dubois in an undisputed title clash despite being ordered to face Joseph Parker by the WBO.

Usyk has been told to make a mandatory defence of the WBO heavyweight title against Interim titlist Parker.

But Ukraine's unified heavyweight champion could go into an undisputed clash with IBF titlist Dubois before having to honour that mandatory commitment as the WBO can be petitioned to 'stay' the mandatory defence until after a unification, and its Championship Committee would have to make a final decision.

WBO president Gustavo Olivieri told Sky Sports: "The WBO ordered the enforcement of its mandatory in the heavyweight division, Usyk-Parker, to be discharged accordingly."

But he added: "Not withstanding the foregoing, if a petition is lodged with the WBO requesting that the mandatory be 'stayed' until the unification takes place, that is a decision to be rendered by the Championship Committee.

"Per the discretion conferred to the Committee by our governing regulations, such request may be granted."

[KiwiRider]

Well I hope they get things sorted quickly.
Uysk isn't getting any younger.
If it is Uysk Dubois, then put Kayabel Parker on the undercard.