With the right steps taken, none of the sanctioning bodies intend to disrupt tentative plans to once again fully unify the heavyweight division.

As previously reported by BoxingScene, talks are ongoing for an Oleksandr Usyk-Daniel Dubois rematch, which is being eyed for this summer. The bout would not just represent a rematch of their August 2023 meeting; it would also come with all the heavyweight divisional hardware at stake.

The latter part is contingent upon the cooperation of the WBO and IBF, both of which are up against deadlines for separate mandatory title defenses.

Ukraine’s Usyk, 23-0 (14 KOs) – the unified Ring, WBA, WBC and WBO champion – was previously ordered on March 13 to next face interim WBO titlist Joseph Parker, 36-3 (24 KOs). A 30-day negotiation period was assigned for the title consolidation fight, but it was countered with a request by the reigning heavyweight king to move in a different direction.

“Team Usyk filed a petition to the WBO Championships Committee arguing that by allowing the Unification between Usyk/Dubois an Undisputed Champion would again be established in the Heavyweight for the benefit of the sport even more so when their first bout was highly controversial,” WBO president Gustavo Olivieri confirmed to BoxingScene. “In other words, that by allowing the Unification for Undisputed the best interests of boxing would be served.”

London’s Dubois, 22-2 (21 KOs), currently holds the IBF title, which carries a due mandatory title defense against Derek Chisora.

BoxingScene has confirmed that the IBF has not yet formally ordered the fight. However, that matter will come by April 21, 60 days out from the June 21 deadline for the match to take place.

Dubois’ team will be required to contact the IBF and gain approval for an exception to the mandatory, a step that BoxingScene confirmed hasn’t yet taken place.

Usyk previously defeated London’s Dubois via ninth-round knockout to defend the WBA, IBF and WBO titles in Wroclaw, Poland.

Controversy swirled from the fight, as Dubois was denied a fifth-round knockdown when referee Luis Pabón ruled a low blow as the cause for Usyk’s trip to the canvas. Usyk leveraged the situation and made nearly full use of the allotted five-minute recovery period.

It proved a pivotal moment in the fight, as Dubois was subsequently dropped twice and counted out in the ninth round.

Hall of Fame promoter Frank Warren’s Queensberry Promotions filed a protest on behalf of Dubois but was rejected.

Dubois has since rattled off three stoppage victories and currently holds the IBF heavyweight title. He re-entered the title picture courtesy of a June 1 technical knockout win over then-undefeated Filip Hrgovic to claim the interim IBF belt.

The fight took place at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. It came two weeks after the same site hosted Usyk’s historic split decision win over then-unbeaten lineal and WBC champ Tyson Fury to crown the first undisputed heavyweight champion of the 21st century.

However, Usyk knew he was on borrowed time as the call came to enter an IBF title consolidation bout with Dubois.

Usyk, the 2012 Olympic gold medalist and two-division undisputed champion – who previously reigned at cruiserweight – was already committed to a far more lucrative rematch with Fury. Usyk agreed to vacate the IBF belt and permit the full version of the title to be at stake for Dubois’ blockbuster clash with former two-time unified titlist Anthony Joshua. Dubois obliterated his countryman via fifth-round knockout last September 21 in front of a record-breaking announced crowd of 96,000 at London’s famed Wembley Stadium.

That very feat, coupled with Usyk’s repeat victory over Fury last December, created the perfect storm for a rematch.

Ironically, Dubois could have removed Parker from the equation in the ring. The two were due to meet on the February 22 super-card in Riyadh, but Dubois fell ill and was forced to withdraw late in fight week.

Parker proceeded to face late replacement Martin Bakole, whom he defeated via second-round knockout. Had he faced Dubois, Parker would have been relieved of his interim WBO title status because he would have challenged for the full version of the IBF title.

Instead, he maintained his place in line with the WBO, though the final ruling on Usyk’s appeal could force him to stand down for the moment.

“That petition is under consideration before the Committee,” acknowledged Olivieri. “We shall see what happens.”

Such an appeal would have to come with the blessing of all involved parties, including Parker.

All three fighters are connected to Riyadh Season, the ongoing high-profile series headed by Turki Alalshikh, chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority.

Given that, there exists the possibility – if not the expectation – that New Zealand’s Parker would receive due compensation to step aside. That step would allow the Usyk-Dubois rematch to proceed as far as the WBO is concerned, assuming the two sides can reach a deal.

“If the parties reach terms, including the Parker side, we would have no objection,” confirmed Olivieri.