WBO Orders Usyk to Defend Title vs Parker

The WBO has officially ordered undisputed heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk to defend his title against mandatory challenger Joseph Parker, after Usyk's fifth-round knockout of Daniel Dubois at Wembley which unified all four major belts for the second time. Both fighters have 30 days to negotiate, after which a purse bid with a $1 million minimum will be held if no deal is reached. Parker, a former WBO champion and current interim titleholder, is on a six-fight win streak including victories over Zhilei Zhang, Deontay Wilder, and most recently Martin Bakole in February. If negotiations fail, Usyk would be required to vacate the WBO title. While Usyk has named Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua as potential future opponents, the WBO insists Parker is the mandatory challenger. The bout offers Usyk a chance to further cement his legacy or Parker an opportunity to regain world champion status.