Riyadh Season and Sela reportedly have no interest in organizing a clash between undisputed heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk and his WBO mandatory challenger, Joseph Parker.
Riyadh Season Skips Usyk-Parker
The Ring Magazine stated on X that Riyadh Season and Sela have no interest in the Usyk-Parker fight. It’s understandable why they wouldn’t want to finance this fight. Fan interest would be low, as Parker (36-3, 24 KOs) isn’t popular and doesn’t have a world title to make him an appealing option.
Better Options for Usyk’s Next Fight
- Tyson Fury
- Moses Itauma
- Anthony Joshua
With this being Usyk’s final fight of his career before retiring, it would be a massive letdown for fans to have Parker as his send-off. There would be no buzz for a fight of this kind. Parker isn’t charismatic, and it would be a labor to promote a fight of this kind.
The New Zealand native Joseph would be a drag on the promotion, dead weight, not helping to create demand for the fight worldwide. It would be a nightmare for the promoters to try to artificially manufacture a narrative to sell the Usyk-Parker fight on PPV. I don’t see how they could sell it.
Parker Lacks Fan Interest
His fighting style has devolved into a Shakur-like style of movement, feints, and a lot of clinching. It’s not exciting enough to overcome his unengaging personality. For some, listening to Parker’s interviews is challenging to sit through without wanting to click away to something more engaging.
Usyk Trilogy: Fury Best Option
What Usyk needs is a trilogy with Fury. He would be a better option than Moses Itauma because he can speak, and fans worldwide are familiar with him. He has been carefully matched by his promoter and has yet to fight anyone in the top tier. If Fury can lose the weight and come up with some believable excuses for why he lost his last two fights against Usyk, a trilogy might bring in some decent PPV numbers.
Last Updated on 07/24/2025
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