WBO give Oleksandr Usyk and Joseph Parker 30 days to reach an agreement
Oleksandr Usyk and Joseph Parker have 30 days to reach an agreement
The WBO have officially ordered undisputed heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk (24-0, 15 KOs) to defend against their mandatory challenger Joseph Parker (36-3, 24 KOs), as of yesterday, July 24, and allowed them 30 days to reach an agreement before going to purse bids.
Their statement on X read:
The WBO has officially ordered negotiations for the mandatory heavyweight title bout between Oleksandr Usyk and Joseph Parker.
Both parties have 30 days to reach an agreement, or the WBO will proceed to a purse bid.
Let the countdown begin.
The WBO are first in the line of all five governing bodies for their mandatory status. As the WBO Interim champion, Parker is the no.1 contender. There's a queue forming with two other Interim champions patiently waiting for their shot - WBC Interim champion: Agit Kabayel and WBA Interim champion: Fabio Wardley.
Parker was a WBO world heavyweight champion between 2016-2018, winning the vacant world title against Andy Ruiz Jr in New Zealand, then losing it to Anthony Joshua in Wales, where he became the first man to take AJ the distance.
The likeable Parker trains with Andy Lee in England and has become a fan-favourite in the UK. After a seven year wait for his shot, the 33-year-old fully deserves the opportunity to fight for all the marbles.
However, it's unclear when his challenge will come as Usyk has already declared his need for some rest, looking to take at least three months out to fully recover at the age of 38.
That makes any chance of a fight this year appear unlikely, perhaps December as the earliest possibility for the Ukrainian to be ready for a championship defence.
Saudi chief Turki Alalshikh has already declared his intentions to make Usyk-Fury trilogy in 2026. If Parker is to come first, then Usyk may defend in December, ready for another big showdown with 'The Gypsy King' in May 2026.
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