Latest news with #WorldBoxingOrganisation
The Guardian
4 days ago
- Sport
- The Guardian
Oleksandr Usyk ordered to defend WBO heavyweight title against Joseph Parker
Oleksandr Usyk has been ordered by the World Boxing Organisation to defend his heavyweight world title against Joseph Parker. Saturday's spectacular knockout of Daniel Dubois in front of more than 80,000 people at Wembley ensured the Ukrainian was crowned undisputed world champion once again. Both parties have 30 days to agree terms or the WBO will proceed to a purse bid. Parker, the former world champion, is on a five-fight winning streak, including impressive wins over the former WBC world champion Deontay Wilder, Martin Bakole and Zhilei Zhang. Parker's impressive performances had earned him his first chance to win a world title in seven years against Dubois in February. However, Dubois withdrew because of an infection two days before the bout. Instead, Parker fought Bakole, winning with a second-round KO. The fight against Dubois was not rescheduled and the British fighter then signed to fight Usyk, leaving Parker waiting even longer for his world title opportunity. Parker's scintillating form has been much aided by his coach Andy Lee, who has also helped Hamzah Sheeraz and Ben Whittaker earn breakthrough stoppage victories against Edgar Berlanga and Liam Cameron respectively. Usyk, the WBA, WBC, IBF and WBO champion, mentioned the possibility of defending his titles against Parker on Saturday, with Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua being other possibilities. Sign up to The Recap The best of our sports journalism from the past seven days and a heads-up on the weekend's action after newsletter promotion Fury has insisted that the judges were wrong to award Usyk the victory in their two previous fights in Riyadh last year. Fury has claimed he is next in line, even posting on Instagram that the fight was set for April 2026.
TimesLIVE
14-05-2025
- Sport
- TimesLIVE
Phumelela Cafu excited for day of ‘Truth' to unify titles
World Boxing Organisation (WBO) junior-bantamweight world champion Phumelela Cafu says he never thought one day he would fight to unify world titles. Nicknamed 'The Truth', Cafu will put his belt on the line against World Boxing Council (WBC) titlist Jesse Rodriquez in a winner-takes-all contest at the Star Frisco in Dallas, Texas, on July 19. On the same day but at London's Wembley Stadium, Oleksandr Usyk and Daniel Dubois will battle it out for their undisputed heavyweight title fight. Usyk, from Ukraine, holds the WBA (Super), WBC, WBO, IBO and The Ring belts, while his English dance partner will put his IBF title on the line. 'I am so excited my fight against Rodriquez happens on the same day as the heavyweight championship, which means that weekend will be about unification fights and I am part of it,' said Cafu.
Telegraph
20-02-2025
- Sport
- Telegraph
Major blow for Daniel Dubois as he pulls out of Joseph Parker showdown through illness
Daniel Dubois has withdrawn from defending his International Boxing Federation heavyweight title against Joseph Parker in Riyadh on Saturday night after falling ill. Dubois, 27, who stopped Anthony Joshua in five rounds last September at Wembley Stadium, was struck from the card in Saudi Arabia after being assessed by a doctor. Parker will now face dangerous puncher Martin Bakole, ranked the seventh best heavyweight in the world by The Ring magazine. The fight week drama follows American Floyd Schofield's withdrawal from his world title clash with compatriot Shakur Stevenson, after Schofield was hospitalised through a mystery illness. Parker, 33 was a former World Boxing Organisation heavyweight champion, losing his title by decision to Joshua in Cardiff in 2018 and has a record of 35 victories, and three defeats. Bakole, who is Congolese and trains in Scotland, has 22 victories with 16 knockouts. This represents a major opportunity for the 31-year-old heavyweight who was due to fight Efe Ajagba in May in the United States as a final eliminator for Dubois' world championship title. Frank Warren, Dubois' promoter, confirmed that Dubois was undergoing medical examinations at Thursday's press conference. 'Unfortunately, at this moment in time, Daniel is being evaluated by a doctor and when we have more news, we will share it with you and update you.' said Warren before Dubois' withdrawal was confirmed. Spencer Brown, Parker's manager, said that contingencies had been drawn up once Dubois' illness first came to light. 'There will be a fight. Whoever we're going to fight on Saturday, Joe's up for it,' said Brown. 'He doesn't care. He's one of those fighters. He'll fight anybody.'
