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England's Fabio Wardley will be upgraded to heavyweight title holder after Oleksandr Usyk chose to vacate his championship belt

This follows after Ukrainian fighter notified the WBO he would not proceed with a mandatory title defence against his mandatory opponent

Official Announcement

The championship body announced that Usyk had "elected to relinquish his championship following careful thought"

The Ukrainian maintains the WBA, WBC and IBF heavyweight titles, having beaten his British opponent at the famous London venue in the summer month to become a double undisputed champion

He first became the complete unified champion in last year by beating Tyson Fury, before relinquishing one championship five weeks later and deciding not to fight the mandatory challenger

"WBO president Olivieri praised the Ukrainian fighter in a official release"

"The organization offers its sincere admiration and thanks to Oleksandr Usyk, an perfect record holder across weight classes"

"His achievements mark one of the most remarkable and significant of the recent fighting history"

The WBO added that its organization will always welcome the champion and his camp"

Championship History

Usyk secured the world title in two years ago by defeating Anthony Joshua and went on to protect his title repeatedly

In summer, the WBO had ordered negotiations for a required title defense against temporary title holder Parker, only for a Usyk's physical issue to require rescheduling of the fight

Wardley's Rise

But the 30-year-old British fighter, took the interim title from Parker with a major surprise in the later stages at the famous London arena in the previous month and was ordered to fight the champion before the month's conclusion

The WBO is yet to officially confirm Wardley's promotion but his representative believes it is a done deal

"The UK has a fresh boxing champion and a new star of the sport"

"One of the most incredible stories I've seen in my 45 years as a promoter and I could not be prouder of Fabio Wardley"

"Significant bouts in the future for 2026 as he maintains his title and creates a true legacy in the boxing world"

The champion started fighting aged 20, developing through alternative boxing and has had a limited professional record

What's Next

• The likely championship upgrade signals a major shift in heavyweight boxing
• The Ukrainian's move to give up the championship paves the way for more fighters
• The sport now awaits official confirmation from the championship body
• Wardley's story from alternative background to championship status continues to capture attention