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Why Joseph Parker may be left in limbo over Oleksandr Usyk heavyweight title fight
Joseph Parker has been named as the next mandatory challenger for undisputed heavyweight king Oleksandr Usyk – but a fight is far from being made.
It is not the first time this year that Usyk has been ordered to face Parker by the World Boxing Organisation (WBO), with the two given 30 days to negotiate terms, before the bout goes to a purse bid thereafter.
However, according to The Ring, Riyadh Season and Sela are not interested in making the fight.
As such, it appears that Parker may be left on the wayside by boxing once again. In February he was due to face then-IBF world champion Daniel Dubois, only for the Brit to fall ill during fight week.
Here are the reasons why Parker may not get his shot at Usyk.
Big-money fights on the table for Usyk
At 38, Usyk will be casting his eyes towards maximising the remainder of his career. Headlining at Wembley against Daniel Dubois certainly earned the Ukrainian a penny or two, whilst bouts with big names such as Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua have been guaranteed money spinners in the past.
It is no surprise then that in the ring after his knockout of Dubois, Usyk was discussing facing Fury or Joshua for a third time.
Having already beaten both men twice, Usyk would be confident of adding another win to his record whilst being paid handsomely to do so.
Richard Pelham/Getty Images
Fury certainly would be game to fight Uysk once more – ‘The Gypsy King’ announcing his latest retirement from the sport would end in 2026 to face the Ukranian at Wembley.
No one else aside from Fury has confirmed that the fight will go ahead, but those involved in boxing know just how much money could be made with a trilogy bout between the pair.
‘The Gypsy King’ will also argue that his fights with Usyk have been the most competitive – in fact, Fury, still claims that he was ‘robbed’ by the judges in both fights, a view not particularly shared by many in the world of boxing.
Moses Itauma on the rise
In a similar vein, the financial backings of others may dictate who fights Usyk next.
Turki Alalshikh has made it clear that he would like to see rising star Moses Itauma face the Ukrainian, despite other fighters being ahead of the young Brit in terms of merit.
Itauma is in contention for a world title shot thanks to the fact that he is ranked in the top 10 of all four sanctioning bodies.
Ironically, he is highest ranked with the WBO, where he is the organisation’s number one contender – behind interim champion Joseph Parker, and full title holder Usyk.
Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing
The WBO have made it clear that when it comes to their belt, Usyk must face Parker as a mandatory challenger, having already shirked one order from the sanctioning body to face Dubois.
As the fight with Dubois was a unification bout, there was little resistance from the WBO in allowing the match to go ahead, as per their rules.
However, rejecting a second order from the WBO, and insteadtaking a voluntary defence would probably see Usyk stripped of the organisation’s belt.
Usyk has shown that he is willing to relinquish a belt in order to pursue a more lucrative fight; a bout against Itauma out in Saudi Arabia would likely blow any offer Parker could make out of the water.
It could also intrigue Usyk in a sporting way, youth vs experience, potential against a proven champion.
If Itauma develops into the star he is touted to become, many will wonder what a fight between Usyk and the Brit would have looked like.
Although a loss to Usyk would dent his star quality for a bit, it could age into a fine win for the Ukrainian if Itauma still went on to become a dominant force in the heavyweight division.
Will the styles of Joseph Parker and Oleksandr Usyk gel?
Capable of ending fights on his own terms, Parker’s jab has kept many powerful punchers at bay, including Deontay Wilder, Zhilei Zhang, and Martin Bakole.
His movement and footwork also lend well to navigating knockout artists, but Usyk would be an entirely different kettle of fish.
Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing
Unfortunately for Parker, whilst he is clearly an elite-level heavyweight fighter, his standout skills are shared, and pretty much bettered by Usyk.
That could potentially lead to a subdued contest, a tactical affair for the boxing purist. Unfortunately for Parker, that would be a hard sell for a promoter, especially when combined with the Kiwi’s smaller profile.
Oleksandr Usyk eyeing retirement
Boxers are prone to saying contradicting things, so it is hard to take their words seriously at times. Usyk has previously hinted that he was looking at ending his career sooner rather than later; leading to speculation that his rematch with Dubois was the penultimate fight of his career.
If that is the case, fighting for the biggest purse available would be the obvious choice, strengthening the two reasons above.
Richard Pelham/Getty Images
Simply, fighting one of Fury, Joshua, or Itauma will allow Usyk to sail off into the sunset with an even healthier bank account, or at least enjoy a bigger number than if he fought Parker.
The Ukrainian’s legacy as one of the best heavyweights in history of the sport is relatively secure. Whilst defeating Parker would add another former world champion he has vanquished to his list, it would hardly move the needle when looking at Usyk’s career as a whole.
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