Heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk ordered to defend WBO title against Joseph Parker

TOI Sports Desk / TIMESOFINDIA.COM / Mar 13, 2025, 17:40 IST

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Oleksandr Usyk must negotiate a WBO title defense against Joseph Parker within 30 days. This development may impact Daniel Dubois' hopes for a rematch with Usyk. Usyk, who defeated Tyson Fury to become the undisputed world heavyweight champion, plans to have two more fights before retiring. Parker, a former WBO titleholder, has won six consecutive fights.

Heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk ordered to defend WBO title against Joseph Parker

Oleksandr Usyk (Reuters Photo)

The battle for the heavyweight boxing title takes another turn as champion Oleksandr Usyk faces a mandatory title defense.
The World Boxing Organization has directed heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk to begin negotiations with Joseph Parker for defending his WBO title, potentially derailing Daniel Dubois' hopes for a rematch with the Ukrainian champion.
The WBO announced that Usyk, who currently holds the WBC and WBA belts, must "reach terms" within 30 days for a mandatory title defense against New Zealand's Parker, or face a purse bid situation.
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Parker recently defended his WBO interim title in Riyadh with a second-round victory over Martin Bakole, who stepped in after Dubois withdrew due to illness.
The 27-year-old Dubois, the current IBF champion, had been seeking another shot at Usyk following his ninth-round knockout loss in August 2023.
The British fighter has since rebuilt his career with impressive victories over Jarrell Miller and Filip Hrgovic, followed by a knockout win against former world champion Anthony Joshua at Wembley in September, bringing his professional record to 22 wins, two losses, and 21 knockouts.
Usyk made history in May 2024 by defeating Britain's Tyson Fury to become the first undisputed world heavyweight champion in nearly 25 years, though he later vacated his IBF belt before their rematch.
The 38-year-old Ukrainian extended his undefeated professional record to 23-0 with 14 knockouts after beating Fury again in December, retaining his unified WBC, WBA, and WBO championships.
The Ukrainian champion recently stated in February that he intends to have two more fights before retiring from professional boxing.
Parker, who held the WBO title from 2016 to 2018 and has won six consecutive fights since losing to Joe Joyce in 2022, now appears to be next in line to face Usyk.

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TOI Sports Desk

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