It’s been just over 2 months, and Oleksandr Usyk‘s name is back on the scene. The 38-year-old now has 30 days to reach an agreement with Joseph Parker. Otherwise, the fight will move to a purse bid. Through emails, the World Boxing Organization (WBO) informed Teams Usyk and Parker. By virtue of his unanimous win over Fury, Usyk remains the unified champion. Parker, on the other hand, became interim titleholder last year. Last month, at the ‘Last Crescendo,’ he defended it commendably against Martin Bakole. Usyk was at ringside, closely observing the action.

While it intrigued several fans, the development came under the scanner for altogether different reasons. There’s a rousing curiosity. WBO is willing to take strong measures when it comes to mandatory challenges. But is the rule uniform? In ‘Animal Farm,’ George Orwell famously stated, ‘All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others.‘ So will the WBO maintain their stand even against Canelo Alvarez? The Mexican icon isn’t particularly known for keeping his mandatory obligations. Gustavo Olivieri has some answers, it seems.

Does the rule remain unchanged?

The WBO president shared an official message regarding the heavyweight mandatory challenge. “WBO is officially ordering the enforcement of the WBO Mandatory between Usyk & Parker to expeditiously terminate the Interim Champion status. This action aligns with our firm policy of maintaining only one champion per weight class,” read Olivieri’s tweet.

But one user found the post particularly intriguing. They asked, “Soooo, why not order Canelo to fight his real mandatories then? Only when it makes sense for yall though, huh?” The WBO president responded with a curt remark. When it is time to enforce the mandatory title defense in the 168-pound division, they will follow the necessary steps.

In other words, they are not taking any immediate action but will comply with the mandatory requirements when the governing body officially enforces them. It seems the poser encouraged a few others. Another one highlighted Caleb Plant‘s case. He is the interim champion, which basically means he should either fight the full titleholder or risk losing his status. “Is there no rule that he should try to fight the interim titlist or get stripped?” they asked. If the interim title doesn’t lead to a mandatory fight, what’s its real purpose?

“Oh wait, extracting those fees… almost forgot,” the user concluded with a parting shot. Despite Plant being the WBA interim title holder, to his credit, Gustavo Olivieri responded, “Interim titles must be sanctioned only under exceptional circumstances and terminated expeditiously.”

‘Canelo’ Alvarez and his mandatory tug-of-war

Fans may recall it was during the second half of 2023 that David Benavidez became Canelo’s mandatory challenger. But the fight between the two has yet to happen. Finally frustrated with the waiting game, ‘The Mexican Monster’ moved up a weight and now awaits a big fight with Dmitry Bivol.

This is one of the frequent problems associated with boxing. Fans will have to keep a close watch. In an attempt to become an undisputed champion, Canelo will face IBF champion William Scull. Later, as part of the four-fight deal with the Riyadh Season, he will face Terence Crawford in September. There are talks for a rematch with Bivol. The long-pending Benavidez duel may also receive due consideration. So, where does the WBO mandatory challenge fit in here?

What’s your take on the WBO president’s reply?