Joseph Parker

[jamieson2]

a unification takes precedence over a mandatory for the WBO.

Sorry, don't agree. If the WBO says JP is the mandatory, and Usyk has to fight him for the belt, the WBO would look pretty stupid to backtrack and say that the unification trumps what they've already declared in the media and to JP and Usyk.

Disagree all you want. You'll only be disagreeing with the WBO's own rules that state a unification can take precedence over a mandatory. The WBO has ordered the mandatory, they haven't said Usyk MUST fight Parker for the belt. The WBO won't look stupid & they won't be backtracking because their own rules state that a unification can take precedence over a mandatory. What the WBO have declared in the media & to Parker & Usyk is that the mandatory has been ordered.

If Usyk refuses to fight JP

No one has mentioned anything about Usyk refusing to fight Parker. That is a strawman argument you are creating that I haven't made. I stated that if a unification is agreed to it can take precedence over a mandatory.

of course they can strip him, and have done so before. The WBO came out and says "them's the rules we live by as the WBO."

The sanctioning bodies can strip a champion for numerous reasons. That doesn't disqualify the fact that their own rules state that a unification can take precedence over a mandatory. All the sanctioning bodies are not consistent at times with their own rules.

They want one champion, and want to remove JP from the Interim status (why they put him there in the first place is beyond me).

The WBO might want one champion & might want to remove Parker as interim. That doesn't disqualify the fact that their own rules state that a unification can take precedence over a mandatory.

It would not hurt the WBO at all to fight for a JP/Usyk clash, and if Usyk refuses, have a box-off for the title while DDD/Usyk do their thing. Or just list JP as the WBO champ by default.

I'm not sure if the WBO would make less in sanctioning fees for Usyk vs. Parker but I think the purses would be higher for a Usyk vs. Dubois rematch, so the WBO might get a bigger cut. Again Usyk would not be refusing to fight Parker, he would be agreeing to a unification over a mandatory. There would be no need for a box off because the WBO's rules state that a unification can take precedence over a mandatory. Titles should be won in the ring.

The question that should be being asked is: Where is Parker's promoter? Why aren't they calling for an immediate purse bid to avoid the potential of a unification being agreed to?