Oleksandr Usyk has not entered into any negotiations with Joseph Parker regarding a WBO mandatory title fight, according to team sources. As of August 1, 2025, Usyk, who holds the WBO, WBA, WBC, and IBF titles following his fifth-round knockout of Daniel Dubois on July 19 at Wembley, has yet to engage Parker’s side in talks despite the WBO ordering a 30-day negotiation period starting July 24. Parker’s promoter, David Higgins, confirmed that “no engagement” had taken place and warned that if Usyk fails to negotiate, he risks being stripped of the WBO belt or forced into a purse bid with a minimum of $1 million.
This impasse has raised questions about Usyk’s intentions and has caught the attention of bettors and oddsmakers. As of August 1, 2025, Usyk is the favorite to win any potential match, with odds around 6/25. This implies roughly a 78% chance of victory. Parker, meanwhile, was listed at 13/4. In some betting pools, the odds are even wider. One provider showed Parker at 6.75 and Usyk at 1.13, hinting at just how few punters consider Parker a realistic threat if this match goes forward.
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This is particularly true during highly contested matches such as the recent fight between Ellis Badr Barboza and Shamil Adukhov, who faced off in Bangkok’s Lumpinee Stadium. The two engaged in a competitive strawweight Muay Thai bout, and Barboza secured a split-decision win in a three-round war. Though not in the heavyweight conversation, his performance drew attention to the competitive state of combat sports globally.
Despite the competitive nature of boxing, Usyk’s performance in claiming the IBF belt meant he solidified his status as the undisputed champion but also triggered the WBO’s mandatory defence clause. If no negotiation occurs by late August, the WBO will issue a purse bid, potentially stripping Usyk if he declines to fight Parker. Parker’s side urged Usyk to “honour” the mandatory defense, calling a refusal “a soft outcome” and asserting Parker would rather lose in the ring than accept a vacant title assignment.
Usyk’s next move is under intense scrutiny. At 38, undefeated, and already a two-time undisputed champion, some reports suggest he may fight only one or two more times and then retire. His camp has floated options including Fury (for a trilogy), Joshua, Chisora, or Parker, but Parker remains the only fighter with a formal WBO mandate. If Saudi backers like Turki Alaishikh and Riyadh Season decline to back Usyk vs Parker financially, he may elect to vacate the WBO belt, retire, or pursue a more lucrative bout with Fury instead.
As of early August 2025, and despite public expectations that negotiations would be underway, Usyk’s camp remains inactive. Parker stands by, his record and ranking calling for the shot, but boxing’s politics and economics may yet determine whether merit prevails or money dictates the champion’s path forward.