The World Boxing Organisation has approved a three-month medical exemption for Oleksandr Usyk, allowing the undisputed heavyweight champion to postpone his mandatory title defence against Joseph Parker.
The 38-year-old Ukrainian cited ongoing back issues as the reason for requesting additional recovery time.
Following his dominant victory over Daniel Dubois at Wembley in July, Usyk was required to begin negotiations with New Zealand's Parker within 30 days.
The southpaw champion instead petitioned the WBO for an extension, which the sanctioning body has now granted.
Oleksandr Usyk was seen dancing on social media after claiming he had a back injury
|TikTok
The 90-day deferment pushes back the anticipated clash between Usyk and his mandatory challenger, who has recently secured impressive victories against Deontay Wilder, Zhilei Zhang and Martin Bakole.
Despite his medical exemption request, footage has emerged showing the champion energetically dancing on stage.
The video captures Usyk displaying enthusiastic moves that appear inconsistent with someone suffering from debilitating back problems.
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The timing of this footage raises questions about the severity of the injury cited in his WBO petition. The Ukrainian southpaw, known for his unconventional personality, was seen throwing energetic shapes during what appeared to be a public performance.
This apparent contradiction between his medical claims and his vigorous stage appearance has not gone unnoticed, though the WBO has already approved his three-month extension regardless of the circulating video evidence.
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Oleksandr Usyk has unified the heavyweight division
| ReutersParker has taken a diplomatic stance regarding the delay, expressing understanding for Usyk's situation.
"He's earned the right to have a dance and a rest and some time with his family," the New Zealander said.
The mandatory challenger acknowledged the champion's demanding schedule, noting his recent bouts against Tyson Fury twice and then Dubois. Parker emphasised that whilst Usyk has been consistently active in high-profile fights, he himself needs to maintain his own momentum.
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"I am the one who hasn't been busy, so it's down to me now to get fights and be busy, the more you are in the ring and fighting, the better you get," he told The Sun.
Parker remains philosophical about his postponed title opportunity, confirming he will face Fabio Wardley on 25 October at the O2 Arena. The Ipswich fighter provides an opportunity for him to stay sharp whilst awaiting his championship chance.
Jospeh Parker will be next to take on the Ukrainian
|GETTY
The New Zealander reflected on previous disappointments, particularly when Daniel Dubois withdrew from their scheduled February 2023 IBF title fight due to illness.
"It was a fight for the championship of the world and it was taken away from me just days before the fight," Parker recalled.
That cancellation led to a hasty replacement bout against Martin Bakole, whom Parker stopped in two rounds. Rather than rescheduling Parker's title opportunity, Dubois subsequently received an undisputed championship fight against Usyk instead.