The boxing world awaits the next move of heavyweight king Oleksandr Usyk and with Daniel Dubois at the front of the queue, where does that leave Joseph Parker, Agit Kabayel and co? Whatever happens, Frank Warren’s Queensberry Promotions and their ever-expanding army of heavyweights are on the brink of a complete takeover.

What next for Oleksandr Usyk?

It appears just a matter of time before IBF beltholder Daniel Dubois is confirmed as the next opponent for world heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk, with London’s Wembley Stadium the venue on July 12. BoxingScene understands that negotiations have been ongoing for several weeks but, according to a source close to the situation, "we haven't got it done yet". The Ring today published a report stating the rematch was close to being finalized.

Frank Warren’s Queensberry Promotions – Dubois’ promoters – are set to stage without any assistance from Saudi Arabia though Riyadh Season could yet be confirmed as one of the event’s sponsors. Even so, given how heavily involved Turki Alalshikh’s General Entertainment Authority has been in all recent heavyweight blockbusters, the staging of Usyk-Dubois II as a largely independent venture is a huge statement of intent for Queensberry, an organization who have long been investing in the heavyweight market.

Where does that leave Joseph Parker?

Also represented by Queensberry, New Zealand’s Joseph Parker will have to add at least one more victory to a run that includes wins over Deontay Wilder, Zhilei Zhang and Martin Bakole if he’s to secure that elusive – and deserved – world title chance. It is expected that Parker will fight in the summer against rated – but likely beatable – opposition. The intention is that Parker will then fight the winner of Usyk-Dubois II, though it seems unlikely that Usyk would enter a rematch with Dubois without the guarantee of a third fight should he come unstuck.

So why Dubois and not Parker at this juncture?

BoxingScene understands that terms are close to being agreed by both Usyk, who holds the WBC, WBA and WBO titles, and Dubois, the current owner of the IBF strap, for their summer showdown. Usyk won their first encounter in 2023 when he rose from a low blow in the seventh to halt Dubois in the ninth. Subsequent appeals from Team Dubois, claiming the punch that sent Usyk down for several minutes was a legal blow, were later rejected. That moment is the only asterisk to be found anywhere within Usyk’s otherwise spotless career. He will be keen to remove it.

Furthermore, Dubois has won three on the bounce, stopping Jarrell Miller, Filip Hrgovic and Anthony Joshua, with each victory more impressive than the last. The destructive victories over Hrgovic and Joshua, both upsets, leave “DDD” regarded as the most dangerous man in the division and arguably the most marketable.

And there’s the not so small matter of ‘undisputed’

Usyk defeated Tyson Fury last May in a bout heavily marketed as the first undisputed heavyweight title fight of the century. It would only be weeks after the Ukrainian won on points, however, before the IBF demanded that Usyk then fight their ‘interim’ titlist, a status Dubois achieved with victory over Hrgovic. With Usyk already committed to a Fury return in December, one he would again win on points, he had little choice but to relinquish the belt.

Dubois was quickly upgraded to IBF champion, an honor he defended with aplomb when he savaged Anthony Joshua in September. Now all that’s left to do is match Usyk with Dubois and, hey presto, we have an undisputed champion again.

But for how long?

The notion of undisputed champions in the current era is largely a falsehood and nearly always a one-fight only deal – such is the impossibility of appeasing all four ranking bodies for any length of time. Yet there is little sign of the industry’s fascination with the term relenting any time soon so here we are.

There is an unwritten mandatory process in place that all four alphabets are supposed to follow. It stipulates the order in which titles are defended when owned by one fighter. The IBF actioned their spot in the order of things last year when they demanded Usyk fight Dubois and next in line is the WBO, with the WBC to follow, then the WBA (more on them in a bit), before we head back to the IBF – presuming, hoping, dreaming – that an undisputed champion is still in place.

If Parker is the WBO’s leading contender, why is he not forcing his shot? 

‘Undisputed’ fights – the matching of two fighters who between them hold all four belts to create one champion – take precedence over any sanctioning body’s mandatory requirements. As such, should Usyk fight IBF belt-holder Dubois, he will be permitted to do so by the WBO. Parker, therefore, will be next in line to face the winner. However, if Usyk-Dubois negotiations break down then the Ukrainian must defend against Parker to keep his belt. Also, should there be a need for an immediate third fight between Usyk and Dubois, the WBO might be forced to strip Usyk and present Parker, as interim champion, with the title.

What happens to Dubois if Usyk negotiations fall at final hurdle?

In February, Parker had been set to challenge Dubois in Saudi Arabia but the bout was cancelled with days to spare. The Englishman’s illness meant an underprepared Martin Bakole stepped in only to be knocked out in two rounds. Prior to that, Bakole had been expected to face Efe Ajagba later in the year in an IBF eliminator. That organization has since confirmed that British veteran Derek Chisora, another Queensberry fighter who recently outpointed Otto Wallin, is now next in line. So, if it isn’t Usyk in an undisputed fight for Dubois, he will be ordered to defend against Chisora.

It is understood, however, that those negotiating for 41-year-old Chisora, who claims his next fight will be his last, would prefer the veteran to face someone less demanding than Dubois at this late stage of his long and punishing career.

Where does all that leave the status of the WBC belt?

Like the WBO, they have created a secondary strap to compensate for their world belt being tied up with unification/undisputed commitments. The owner of that bauble – the pesky interim title – is Agit Kabayel. The German is widely regarded as the fourth best heavyweight on current form – behind Usyk, Dubois, and Parker – after wins over Frank Sanchez and Zhilei Zhang. He is also another Queensberry fighter whom the promotional group must keep happy.

With that in mind, he might be lined up for a lucrative summer showdown, in his native Germany, with former cruiserweight beltholder and the No. 1 WBC heavyweight contender, Lawrence Okolie. It’s almost needless to say at this juncture but Okolie, from England, is also on the books of Queensberry.

The winner of that fight should then be next in line after Dubois and Parker to challenge Usyk. However, with Usyk only planning on having two more fights, the winner of Kabayel-Okolie might ultimately decide the next WBC champion.

And the WBA?

The WBA, as always, seem to be making it up as they go along. Not content with one secondary championship, the belt known as the ‘regular’ title, they have reintroduced the wholly unnecessary interim belt to take their grand total to three. 

That secondary title is currently owned by the aging Kubrat Pulev and it was expected that he would defend against Britain’s No. 1-ranked Fabio Wardley, another Queensberry fighter, in June.

However, the promotional group’s efforts to secure Pulev’s signature proved futile so, keen to keep the June 7 date they’d reserved at Ipswich Town Football Club’s Portman Road Stadium, they approached the WBA with a request for Wardley to clash with Jarrell Miller, who is ranked No. 4, with the defunct interim title to be reborn to mark the occasion. The WBA accepted the proposal.

Pulev, meanwhile, is now expected to defend against the No. 2-ranked Michael Hunter with the winner to be ordered to meet the Wardley-Miller victor before the end of the year. Whoever comes out on top of that merry go round should then be in place to take their place in the queue for the real heavyweight king. However, in yet another twist, the WBA recently stated that they will not enforce a mandatory on Usyk for two years so he can focus on “worthwhile” fights - which kind of says it all.

Regardless, Queensberry’s Wardley will be a short favorite to emerge as the WBA’s leading man.

Anyone else to keep an eye on?

Anthony Joshua is weighing up his options while hoping that the retired Tyson Fury comes back out to play. The declining Deontay Wilder, if he shows enough of his old self against Tyrell Herndon in June, could also snare a money-spinning showdown with Joshua later in the year. But we turn to Queensberry again for the division’s most valuable asset in the long term: 20-year-old Moses Itauma is currently sitting pretty with the WBO (No. 2), the WBA (No. 3) and the IBF (No. 9). Should Warren’s plans to match him with Jermaine Franklin end in another impressive victory for the youngster, he too will be calling for a title shot. Considering his age and potential, Itauma is likely the best bet to reunite the belts when they inevitably drift apart in the coming months.