Heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk has been instructed to begin negotiations for a mandatory defense of his World Boxing Organization (WBO) heavyweight title against Joseph Parker, effectively ending Daniel Dubois’ hopes for an immediate rematch with the Ukrainian.
The WBO confirmed on Thursday that Usyk, who also holds the WBC and WBA belts, must come to terms with Parker within 30 days. If an agreement is not reached, the governing body will call for purse bids.
Parker, the former WBO heavyweight titleholder, successfully defended his interim title in Riyadh last month with a dominant second-round stoppage over Martin Bakole, who replaced Dubois on short notice due to illness.
While Dubois had been hoping to secure a rematch with Usyk after suffering a ninth-round knockout to the Ukrainian in August 2023, the WBO’s latest order throws a wrench in those plans. Dubois had been on a redemption path, having re-established himself in the heavyweight division with notable wins over Jarrell Miller, Filip Hrgovic, and most recently, Anthony Joshua at Wembley in September.
The 27-year-old Dubois, whose record stands at 22-2-21 with 21 knockouts, was believed to be in negotiations for a title unification bout against Usyk. A showdown that would have seen all four major heavyweight belts on the line, but the WBO’s latest ruling has complicated the situation.
Usyk, who became the first undisputed world heavyweight champion in almost 25 years after defeating Tyson Fury in May 2024, vacated his IBF title prior to the rematch, elevating Dubois to full champion status. Despite this, Usyk retained his unified WBC, WBA, and WBO belts after a rematch victory over Fury in December.
Usyk’s plans for the future remain focused, with the 38-year-old Ukrainian hinting in February that he intends to have two more bouts before retiring from the sport. But for now, it seems that Parker, who held the WBO title from 2016 to 2018 and is currently on a six-fight win streak, will be the next challenger for Usyk’s crown.
