World Boxing Organization President Paco Valcarcel has confirmed the status of the heavyweight mandatory to World Boxing News.
Addressing the situation WBN wanted to divulge due to fan and media confusion, Valcarcel attempted to clear up the WBO’s place in line.
WBN sought clarity after speaking exclusively to Oleksandr Usyk’s promoter, Alexander Krassyuk, this week. Krassyuk had outlined that the IBF stimulation would follow the undisputed clash between Usyk and Tyson Fury on May 18.
“One more thing that makes their third fight [Usyk vs Joshua] less probable is the sequence of the mandatories. As we all know, the next stop of the carousel is IBF, not the WBC.
“No matter who wins, the rematch goes next as we will enforce it. And even if the IBF let it [the mandatory] go, after the second fight – the IBF is next in line, not the WBC,” Krassyuk told WBN.
Therefore, the question was, who would follow the IBF, and would it be the WBC or the WBO?
Asked by WBN when the WBO would enforce its next challenger, Valcarcel gave a surprising answer.
“The Usyk vs Fury undisputed unification will be sanctioned as a WBO Mandatory [See Section 7 of the WBO Regulations of World Championship Contests],” Valcarcel exclusively explained to WBN.
“Notwithstanding the foregoing and respecting the contractual agreements set forth by the parties [Team Usyk/Team Fury], and for the benefit of boxing fans worldwide, the WBO has reserved its right to sanction a rematch. Following the rematch, the WBO Champion must face the Interim Champion to terminate the interim champion status.”
Even with that final part of the order, as the WBO placed its mandatory into the two-fight saga, the IBF would undoubtedly be next. The WBC would follow that. However, the WBO will need some indication that the unified champion intends to fight the interim ruler, currently Joseph Parker.
But here’s where it gets complicated. If Fury wins, he’s vowed to drop the IBF like a hot brick due to a previous grievance over being stripped by the organization after his win over Wladimir Klitschko almost a decade ago. Once official, the second fight won’t be for all the belts anyway.
If Fury vs Usyk II loses its undisputed status, the WBO could revoke its claim to the second fight. Parker would then be free to fight for the vacant title, as Filip Hrgovic would for the IBF.
Judging by past loyalties, the WBC and WBA would stick by Fury and Usyk and stay with any return fixture.
If Usyk wins, Fury could retire after the first or second fights, depending on the results. That would leave Usyk facing Hrgovic first [possibly December] before Parker [spring 2025] and then the holder of the WBA’s secondary title [currently the injured Mahmoud Charr in the latter part of 2025].
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