Oleksandr Usyk has been ordered by the World Boxing Organisation (WBO) to defend his heavyweight world title against Joseph Parker. Both parties have 30 days to agree terms, or the WBO will proceed to a purse bid.
Parker, a former world champion, is on a five-fight winning streak, including impressive victories over Deontay Wilder, Martin Bakole and Zhilei Zhang. His performances earned him a title shot against Daniel Dubois in February, but Dubois withdrew due to an infection two days before the bout. Parker instead fought Bakole, winning by second-round knockout.
The fight against Dubois was not rescheduled, and the British fighter later signed to fight Usyk, leaving Parker waiting longer for his world title opportunity. Parker’s form has been aided by his coach Andy Lee, who has also helped Hamzah Sheeraz and Ben Whittaker earn stoppage victories.
Usyk, the unified WBA, WBC, IBF and WBO champion, mentioned the possibility of defending against Parker on Saturday, with Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua also in contention. Fury has insisted the judges were wrong to award Usyk victory in their two previous fights and has claimed he is next in line, posting on Instagram that a fight is set for April 2026.
