Article by Rick Mohamed

WBO heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua, who also holds the WBA & IBF heavyweight titles, was ordered by the WBO to defend his title against mandatory challenger Oleksandr Usyk

WBO heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua has been ordered by the WBO to fight mandatory challenger Oleksandr Usyk for the title. Joshua, who also holds the WBA & IBF titles, has only 10 days to reach an agreement through negotiations. 

If he fails to do so, then the WBO will enter into a purse bid in order to schedule and stage the fight. 

Earlier in the week, the WBO had ordered Joshua’s promoter, Eddie Hearn of Matchroom, to come up, by Wednesday, May 18, with proof that Joshua was in fact signed to fight the WBC champion Tyson Fury on Aug. 14 in Saudi Arabia. This was due to the shocking decision by federal arbitrator Judge Weinstein, saying that former champion Deontay Wilder’s claim that Fury was in breach of their contract, and ordered that the fighters must fight by Sept. 15. 

The contract was referring to Fury vs. Wilder II in Feb 2020, which Fury won by a 7th round TKO. The contract allowed for the loser of the fight to call for a third fight in their series. 

The fighters had seemingly agreed to that third fight, which was to be fought in Dec 2020 @ Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. However, the deal fell through, prompting Wilder’s filing for arbitration. 

The arbitrator awarded the decision to Wilder, but denied him any monetary damages, and allowed Fury to avoid the mandatory fight as long as he & Wilder mutually agreed to do so. This would have allowed the Fury vs. Joshua fight to take place, with Wilder fighting the winner in November or December. 

Wilder stood to be paid a very large “step aside” fee, which could’ve been as low as $14 million and as high as $20 million plus. This was rejected, and thus the Fury vs. Wilder fight became a new reality. 

Promoter Bob Arum and his company, Top Rank, has reserved Allegiant Stadium for July 24 for the fight. It seems that fight will actually take place.

Hearn asked for an extension of the deadline until at least Friday, but he was rejected. 

Now, Oleksandr Usyk (18-0, 13 KOs) has been elevated into the heavyweight championship conversation all of a sudden. The former undisputed cruiserweight champion from the Ukraine last fought last Oct. 31, 2020, when he defeated the UK’s Derek Chisora by unanimous decision, capturing the WBO’s Intercontinental championship. 

Now, he’s going for the biggest single title in individual sports: heavyweight champion of the world. They have 10 days to reach agreement, or else! 

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