Oleksandr Usyk defied orders to fight his mandatory challenger, despite the WBO ruling on the champion’s next match.
The Heavyweight world champion is set to defend his title at Wembley Stadium on July 19.
Usyk will take on Daniel Dubois in a rematch of their 2023 clash, where the Ukrainian knocked out his British opponent in Poland.
That fight came before Usyk’s two victories over Tyson Fury, although it is not the bout that the governing body wants to see the Ukrainian take part in.
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WBO ruled that Oleksandr Usyk must face Joseph Parker in his next fight
Usyk should have been battling Joseph Parker instead of Dubois in his next fight, having defied WBO orders to book the fight with the Englishman.
New Zealand’s Parker is the interim WBO Heavyweight champion, a title he has held since 2024.
Usyk has held the WBO Heavyweight title since beating Anthony Joshua in 2021, and a match between the two would unify both Heavyweight belts after two years of separation.
In March this year, the WBO ordered Usyk to begin negotiations with Parker to schedule his next title defense, giving him 30 days to agree on a fight with the interim champion.
However, despite the order, his fight with Dubois is still scheduled to go ahead, with a future bout with Parker expected, but not confirmed.
Usyk will not be sanctioned for not fighting Parker, however, as a WBO rule allowed him to sidestep the interim champion to face Dubois at Wembley Stadium.
A unification fight with Daniel Dubois was allowed ahead of Oleksandr Usyk’s mandatory title defense
Despite Parker being the mandatory challenger for Usyk’s title, the unification bout with Dubois has taken precedence after a ruling by the WBO.
They allow a unification fight, which will occur between Usyk and the IBF Heavyweight champion, to occur before a mandatory challenger gets his title fight.
However, Parker’s status as the mandatory challenger has been upheld, so he should secure his own title fight once the Wembley Stadium bout is over and done with.
WBO President Gustavo Olivieri confirmed the ruling on social media.
“Having carefully considered the arguments presented by all relevant parties regarding the WBO Mandatory,” he said,
“It is the WBO’s position that the best interests of boxing and, most importantly, the fighters themselves are best served by allowing the unification bout to proceed prior to discharging the mandatory obligation.
“In doing so, the division will once again crown an undisputed champion, elevating the sport and its athletes to the highest standard.
“It is further clarified that Joseph Parker’s mandatory status is upheld, and he remains next in the rotation system following the unification.
Given that Usyk seems likely to take on Fury in a trilogy fight in 2026, it is still up in the air when he will take on Parker to decide the true WBO Heavyweight champion.