Undisputed heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk has been ordered to start talking about defending his WBO title against New Zealand’s Joseph Parker, a move that could spell the end for Daniel Dubois’ dreams of a rematch with the Ukrainian star, MySportDab Reports.
On Thursday, the World Boxing Organization (WBO) formally instructed Usyk to finalize a mandatory title defense against Parker in 30 days. If an accord isn’t reached in that time frame, purse bids will be called.
The announcement changes the complexion of the heavyweight division landscape, leaving Dubois uncertain of how he can regain a title.
Parker bolstered his own case as the WBO’s No. 1 challenger last month by defending his interim title in impressive fashion with a second-round stoppage of Martin Bakole in Riyadh. The New Zealander had originally been scheduled to face Dubois, but the Brit pulled out through illness.
Rather than try to reschedule, Dubois had targeted a far higher-profile rematch with Usyk, who defeated him by ninth-round knockout in August 2023.
Since then, Dubois rebuilt his name with brutal stops of Jarrell Miller and Filip Hrgovic before a shock knockout win against Anthony Joshua in September. With 22 wins (21 KOs) and two losses, he seemed set for another shot at Usyk in a fight for the undisputed crown.
But Usyk’s determination to fulfil his WBO debts means Parker is now at the top of the priority list. The 38-year-old Ukrainian, who became the first undisputed heavyweight champion in almost 25 years after defeating Tyson Fury in May 2024, improved his perfect record to 23-0 (14 KOs) by beating Fury again in December.
Although Dubois called out Usyk in the ring afterwards for a rematch, the WBO’s decision makes Parker the mandatory challenger.
Parker, a former WBO heavyweight champion (2016-2018), has rebuilt his career since a 2022 loss to Joe Joyce, going on a six-fight winning streak.
And with Usyk already having confirmed he intends to fight twice again before hanging them up, a battle with Parker could go down as one of the final pages of his storied career.
Now all but eliminated from the title picture, Dubois has to rethink his options as the landscape of the heavyweight division continues to change.
