WBO Ruling: Usyk Ordered to Defend Title Against Parker

The World Boxing Organization (WBO) has officially ordered its champion Oleksandr Usyk to make a mandatory title defense against WBO interim champion Joseph Parker.

The decision was announced by WBO President Gustavo Olivieri:

"The WBO officially mandates a mandatory defense between Usyk and Parker to eliminate the interim champion status. This action aligns with our clear policy of having only one champion per weight division."

The teams have 30 days to negotiate and reach an agreement. If they fail to do so, the WBO will schedule a purse bid.

Previously, there were reports of negotiations between Usyk’s team and Daniel Dubois, with even a potential venue being discussed.