Oleksandr Usyk vs. Joseph Parker - WBO Ordered

[Ruthless-RKO]

Joseph Parker confirmed as next for WBO title after Usyk-Dubois II

Joseph Parker has been the mandatory challenger for the WBO heavyweight title for more than a year. That remains the case, the sanctioning body confirmed on Sunday.

Parker will have to wait a bit longer for his shot at the WBO belt, however, now that the rematch between Oleksandr Usyk and Daniel Dubois has been announced for July 19.

Usyk was the undisputed champion before dropping his IBF belt last year – he was obliged to face Tyson Fury in a rematch – rather than defend against Dubois, his IBF mandatory challenger at the time.

Usyk remains the lineal champion and has the WBC, WBC and WBO titles while Dubois now owns the IBF belt.

“Having carefully considered the arguments presented by all relevant parties regarding the WBO mandatory, it is the WBO’s position that the best interests of boxing and, most importantly, the fighters themselves are best served by allowing the unification bout to proceed prior to discharging the mandatory obligation,” WBO President Gustavo Olivieri posted on social media.

“In doing so, the division will once again crown an undisputed champion, elevating the sport and its athletes to the highest standard,” Olivieri wrote. “It is further clarified that Joseph Parker’s mandatory status is upheld, and he remains next in the rotation system following the unification.”

The WBO’s mandatory obligation has not been fulfilled for years, though it’s not as if the belt hasn’t been defended in major fights.

Usyk won the WBO title, as well as the IBF and WBA belts, from Anthony Joshua in September 2021 and then retained it in their August 2022 rematch. Usyk then defeated Dubois in August 2023, beat Fury for the WBC title (and therefore became undisputed) in May 2024 and won the Fury rematch last December.

This interim WBO title was introduced in September 2022, about a month after Usyk-Joshua II. Interestingly, it started in a fight Parker was involved in: his knockout loss to Joe Joyce.

The belt has changed hands twice since: Zhilei Zhang stopped Joyce twice in 2023. Parker edged Zhang via majority decision in March 2024 and then took out late replacement Martin Bakole this past February.

Of course, the winner of Usyk-Dubois II is under no obligation to face Parker, though that is a fight that many boxing fans want to see. If they were to vacate the belt, then Parker would be elevated to the full WBO titleholder.

[Ruthless-RKO]

WBO is next in line for enforce a mandatory.

So this should be ordered.

Either than or Usyk vacates. Parker becomes champion.

Then Usyk fights him to become a 3-time undisputed HW champion. Hahah

[MasterG]

WBO is next in line for enforce a mandatory.

So this should be ordered.

Either than or Usyk vacates. Parker becomes champion.

Then Usyk fights him to become a 3-time undisputed HW champion. Hahah

When will the IBO order a mandatory against Jake Paul.

[Ruthless-RKO]

WBO will likely order this fight soon.

[Glass Joe]

Usyk should vacate and get Parker - Moses Itauma ordered for laughs and win it back to become 3rd time Undisputed heavyweight champion

[Ruthless-RKO]

Usyk should vacate and get Parker - Moses Itauma ordered for laughs and win it back to become 3rd time Undisputed heavyweight champion

Was saying the same thing. Imagine.

[paultom]

WBO is next in line for enforce a mandatory.

So this should be ordered.

Either than or Usyk vacates. Parker becomes champion.

Then Usyk fights him to become a 3-time undisputed HW champion. Hahah

When will the IBO order a mandatory against Jake Paul.

When Paul confirms how much backhander their getting ?

[gregregegg]

I hope this fight just happens with no shenanigans.

Moses vs parker is actually a good fight. I have no idea how it goes. but it should not happen next, Moses hasn't gone close to earning his number 1 WBO spot....

[Coco]

I hope this fight just happens with no shenanigans.

Moses vs parker is actually a good fight. I have no idea how it goes. but it should not happen next, Moses hasn't gone close to earning his number 1 WBO spot....

But then deserved or not, he is number one, so it is sink or swim time

[Gnome]

Usyk v Parker would be a foregone conclusion, Kabayel would be better. Parker-Itauma in the meantime, winner can fight Usyk.

[Ruthless-RKO]

[Ruthless-RKO]

WBO to order Oleksandr Usyk-Joseph Parker

Less than a week after reclaiming the undisputed heavyweight championship, Oleksandr Usyk has been told by the WBO to next defend their title against Joseph Parker.

The 38-year-old Usyk entered Saturday’s rematch with Dubois as the WBA, WBO and WBC champion. Dubois held the IBF title of which Usyk, for prioritising a rematch with Tyson Fury, had been stripped.

Usyk, of Ukraine, proceeded to stop Dubois in five rounds, leaving Parker – the WBO interim titlist – as his likeliest next opponent. The 33-year-old Parker had, incidentally, been on course to challenge Dubois for the IBF title in February, before at late notice illness ruled Dubois out.

“The championship committee has ruled that Usyk must fulfil his mandatory against interim champion Joseph Parker,” Gustavo Olivieri, the sanctioning body’s president, posted on social media. “Therefore, a formal negotiation order is forthcoming. The interim status will be terminated upon the completion of the mandatory bout.

“By virtue of his ruling, the WBO enforces expeditiously the one world champion per weight class policy.”

Parker, of New Zealand, previously held the WBO title from 2016 to 2018.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Let me guess.. they want Fury trilogy?

At this stage I hardly think Usyk needs millions and millions.

Turki doesn’t need to have control over his next fight so he should negotiate a deal with Frank and put the fight on somewhere

[Ruthless-RKO]

None of Usyk’s rematches have warranted a trilogy. Other than Fury making some noise and a couple of Fury fun boys making noise there is no need for a third fight. I would much rather see a new heavyweight appear on Usyk record..

Even the Chisora fight did not warrant a rematch

[mickey1975]

Maybe they could do Poland again if Usyk really isn't bothered about money and just wants to give his countrymen a show.

[KiwiRider]

So the Saudi influence comes to the surface.
They won't back it.
So do they have more power than the promotors and the sanctioning bodies?
Probably.
I was worried this sort of thing would happen. The buy in, then the dictator dictates.

[Ruthless-RKO]

So the Saudi influence comes to the surface.
They won't back it.
So do they have more power than the promotors and the sanctioning bodies?
Probably.
I was worried this sort of thing would happen. The buy in, then the dictator dictates.

They don’t. But money talks. So promoters get paid, orgs get paid all via Oil money. Promoters barely have to touch their budgets and gets paid fees from purses.

[KiwiRider]

So the Saudi influence comes to the surface.
They won't back it.
So do they have more power than the promotors and the sanctioning bodies?
Probably.
I was worried this sort of thing would happen. The buy in, then the dictator dictates.

They don’t. But money talks. So promoters get paid, orgs get paid all via Oil money. Promoters barely have to touch their budgets and gets paid fees from purses.

Yep.
Money always trumps integrity in boxing.
The promotors, the orgs, the fighters, the managers,the judges and the referees.

[mickey1975]

So the Saudi influence comes to the surface.
They won't back it.
So do they have more power than the promotors and the sanctioning bodies?
Probably.
I was worried this sort of thing would happen. The buy in, then the dictator dictates.

Why should they back it if they don't like the fight?

[Ruthless-RKO]

So the Saudi influence comes to the surface.
They won't back it.
So do they have more power than the promotors and the sanctioning bodies?
Probably.
I was worried this sort of thing would happen. The buy in, then the dictator dictates.

Why should they back it if they don't like the fight?

Who would you like to see Usyk fight next?

[Ruthless-RKO]

So the Saudi influence comes to the surface.
They won't back it.
So do they have more power than the promotors and the sanctioning bodies?
Probably.
I was worried this sort of thing would happen. The buy in, then the dictator dictates.

They don’t. But money talks. So promoters get paid, orgs get paid all via Oil money. Promoters barely have to touch their budgets and gets paid fees from purses.

Yep.
Money always trumps integrity in boxing.
The promotors, the orgs, the fighters, the managers,the judges and the referees.

Everyone just wants money.

[KiwiRider]

So the Saudi influence comes to the surface.
They won't back it.
So do they have more power than the promotors and the sanctioning bodies?
Probably.
I was worried this sort of thing would happen. The buy in, then the dictator dictates.

Why should they back it if they don't like the fight?

Oh that part is fine.
It's the fact that if they withdraw support aka money, that no matter the rules of who is mandatory don't matter.
It's the level of control that one voice has over the sport- that part unsettles me.
Imagine later down the track, a contender says something that is against the Saudi regime and then never gets a shot because if it. Have you read about all the poor schmucks Turki has put in prison that he didn't like? Do you want him to have the ability to cancel boxer's careers?

[mickey1975]

So the Saudi influence comes to the surface.
They won't back it.
So do they have more power than the promotors and the sanctioning bodies?
Probably.
I was worried this sort of thing would happen. The buy in, then the dictator dictates.

Why should they back it if they don't like the fight?

Who would you like to see Usyk fight next?

Kabayel

[golden_labrador]

Why should they back it if they don't like the fight?

Who would you like to see Usyk fight next?

Kabayel

yip

[Gnome]

So the Saudi influence comes to the surface.
They won't back it.
So do they have more power than the promotors and the sanctioning bodies?
Probably.
I was worried this sort of thing would happen. The buy in, then the dictator dictates.

Why should they back it if they don't like the fight?

Oh that part is fine.
It's the fact that if they withdraw support aka money, that no matter the rules of who is mandatory don't matter.
It's the level of control that one voice has over the sport- that part unsettles me.
Imagine later down the track, a contender says something that is against the Saudi regime and then never gets a shot because if it. Have you read about all the poor schmucks Turki has put in prison that he didn't like? Do you want him to have the ability to cancel boxer's careers?

Good points, albeit I don't particularly like the Parker fight either.