Oleksandr Usyk has been instructed by the World Boxing Organisation to defend his heavyweight world title against Joseph Parker. The Ukrainian secured the undisputed world championship once again after a decisive stoppage of Daniel Dubois in front of over 80,000 spectators at Wembley on Saturday.
Both sides now have 30 days to finalize terms, or the WBO will move forward with a purse bid. Parker, a former world champion, has won his last five bouts, including notable victories against former WBC titleholder Deontay Wilder, Martin Bakole, and Zhilei Zhang.
Parker was initially set to challenge for a world title for the first time in seven years against Dubois in February. However, Dubois pulled out due to an illness just days before the match, leading Parker to instead face Bakole, whom he stopped in the second round.
The bout with Dubois was never rearranged, as the British boxer later secured a fight with Usyk, delaying Parker’s chance at another world title opportunity.
Parker’s recent performances have been bolstered by his trainer Andy Lee, who has also guided Hamzah Sheeraz and Ben Whittaker to significant stoppage wins against Edgar Berlanga and Liam Cameron, respectively.
Usyk, who holds the WBA, WBC, IBF, and WBO belts, acknowledged the possibility of facing Parker in his next defense. Other potential opponents include Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua.
Fury has maintained that the judges erred in awarding Usyk the win in their two previous clashes in Riyadh last year. He has insisted he is next in line for a title shot, even stating on social media that the fight was scheduled for April 2026.
Read next
Andreeva's French Open victory highlights the impact of Martínez and women coaches
Conchita Martínez was describing her player’s journey to a maiden grand-slam title when Mirra Andreeva interrupted. Accompanied by officials and a staff member holding the Coupe Suzanne-Lenglen, the new French Open champion entered the room to cause mischief.
Andreeva asked, “What is the best thing about working with Mirra
Lewis Hamilton confident he is nearing first victory with Ferrari
Lewis Hamilton believes a victory for Ferrari is possible following his second-place finish at the Monaco Grand Prix. The seven-time champion is determined to pursue Kimi Antonelli, the current Formula One leader who secured another win in Monte Carlo.
Driving for Mercedes, Antonelli dominated the race, maintaining his lead through
Hodgkinson: Shock loss will fuel my pursuit of 800m world record this summer
In a dramatic event in Stockholm, Audrey Werro recorded the fastest 800m time seen since the Cold War era, defeating Olympic champion Keely Hodgkinson. Werro finished in 1min 53.98sec, marking the third fastest time in history. She now trails only Jarmila Kratochvilova’s 1983 world record of 1:53.