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WBO Orders Oleksandr Usyk To Fight Joseph Parker

Originally posted on Dice City Sports | By Robert LaMar | Last updated Jul 25, 2025 12:49 PM ET

Oleksandr Usyk (24-0, 15 KOs), fresh off his historic fifth round TKO win over Daniel Dubois at Wembley Stadium on July 19, has been instructed by the World Boxing Organization to negotiate a defense of his WBO title. The Ukrainian champion now holds undisputed status for the second time in his career having previously unified the cruiserweight division and currently reigns as the WBA, WBO, and WBC heavyweight champion.

Joseph Parker (36-3, 24 KOs), who captured the WBO interim title in March 2024 with a decisive win over Zhilei Zhang, is now the mandatory challenger. The 32 year old New Zealander is enjoying one of the best stretches of his career, with notable wins over Zhang, Deontay Wilder, and Simon Kean. Parker is a former WBO heavyweight titleholder and now seeks to reclaim the belt against boxing’s most technically gifted big man.

The WBO have now officially ordered Oleksandr Usyk to defend his Ring and undisputed, WBA, WBC, IBF & WBO heavyweight world titles against Joseph Parker next. Both parties have 30 days to agree a deal, then purse bids. pic.twitter.com/f9ymsuG2la

— Ring Magazine (@ringmagazine) July 24, 2025

Usyk has options

Usyk has several options when it comes to opponents. Parker is the mandatory, but a trilogy fight between Usyk and Tyson Fury is also in the works according to Tyson Fury. So, will Usyk defend the WBO championship or will he just flat out vacate the title? As we know, the undisputed champion said that he wants to rest. So, I don’t think that he’s in a rush to finalize an opponent right now. Usyk is running out of opponent as he’s cleaned out the heavyweight division. Parker is the biggest name that he’s not fought yet. But he is certainly on the clock when it comes to the WBO.

This article first appeared on Dice City Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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