Tony Bellew has weighed in on the fight ordered between Oleksandr Usyk and Joseph Parker.
Usyk is the unified WBO, WBA and WBC world champion and now has 30 days to negotiate with Parker for a mandatory shot at his title. Should they fail to agree terms, the fight will go to purse bids.
Usyk had designs on becoming an undisputed world heavyweight champion for a second time by facing Daniel Dubois, who he already knocked out once back in August 2023, as ‘DDD” is the current IBF ruler. The big-punching Brit was set to defend his own belt against Parker last month however pulled out ill days before, allowing the New Zealander to beat Martin Bakole and retain his WBO Interim belt.
The news isn’t ideal for Usyk given his desire to own all four belts in the division once more – if he can’t strike a deal with Parker, then there will now be at least one more fight before the undisputed bout.
The ordering of this fight is a boost for Parker, however, who is on a solid run of wins having beaten Bakole, Zhilei Zhang and Deontay Wilder in his last three. The former WBO champion is, in many people’s eyes, well deserving of another shot at a world title.
In a new post on X, former world champion Bellew revealed he is one of those people.
“They threw Joseph Parker to the wolves time after time and each time he came back leading the pack. After the problem with the Dubois fight he could have just waited and moved on but he didn’t! He fought the problem once again! FINALLY he’s been rewarded! Very well deserved in my honest opinion. [Well done] WBO for doing the right thing!
