The WBO has mandated that heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk defend against interim belt-holder Joseph Parker next. They have a 30-day negotiation period to negotiate the bout.
If he snapped Parker’s six-fight winning streak, it would be a big statement for WBA, WBC and WBO champion Usyk (23-0, 14 KOs). We’ll have to see if Usyk takes this fight or ignores the order and gives up the WBO belt. Financially, Usyk can probably make more fighting IBF champion Daniel Dubois for the undisputed.
WBO Mandate
The New Zealander Parker (36-3, 24 KOs) has reinvented his fighting style since his knockout loss to Joe Joyce in 2023, and has become a boxer/slugger. In his past fight, he went back to his sluggers’ roots to stop Martin Bakole in the second round on February 22nd.
Parker is a different type of fighter than the guys that Usyk has beaten in recent years. Its going to be more of a boxing match for Usyk, and he’ll have to show that he can still deal with that style at 38. In the last few years, Usyk has beaten the bigger heavyweights Anthony Joshua x 2, Tyson Fury x 2 and Daniel Dubois.
The former WBO heavyweight champion Parker was seen as washed up after being knocked out by Joe Joyce in the 11th round on September 24, 2022. Since that fight, Parker has won his last six contests, with wins coming against Deontay Wilder, Zhilei Zhang and Bakole.
Stopping Martin was really impressive, showing that Parker can still bang like he did earlier in his career before he was beaten in consecutive fights by Anthony Joshua and Dillian Whyte in 2018. Parker lost his WBO belt against Joshua, and he’s still trying to get back to where he was seven years later.
