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Britain's Fabio Wardley will be upgraded to world boxing champion after Oleksandr Usyk decided to relinquish his title

This development comes after the champion informed the World Boxing Organisation he would not proceed with a mandatory title defence against his mandatory opponent

WBO Statement

The WBO stated that the champion decided to give up his title after thoughtful consideration"

Usyk continues to possess the three major championship belts, having defeated Daniel Dubois at the famous London venue in July to become a double undisputed champion

He first became the all-belt title holder in May 2024 by defeating the British champion, before giving up the IBF title a month afterwards and opting out of facing the required opponent

"Boxing official Gustavo Olivieri called Usyk "a champion of champions" in a official release"

"Officials expressed its sincere admiration and thanks to the Ukrainian champion, an undefeated, two-division WBO undisputed world champion"

"His record represents one of the most impressive and memorable of the contemporary boxing period"

The boxing body stated that its doors "will always remain open Usyk and his team"

Belt Timeline

Usyk secured the world title in recently by overcoming Joshua and went on to successfully defend multiple times

In mid-year, the championship body required discussions for a obligatory championship fight against temporary title holder Parker, only for a Usyk's physical issue to cause the delay of the bout

Wardley's Rise

But the 30-year-old British fighter, won the provisional belt from Parker with a huge upset in the later stages at the famous London arena in the previous month and was required to challenge Usyk before the September deadline

The championship body still needs to verify the British fighter's elevation but his promoter Frank Warren believes it is a formality

"Britain has a recent title holder and a rising boxing talent"

"A truly extraordinary path throughout my decades as a promoter and I could not be more pleased for Wardley"

"Some huge fights ahead for the coming period as he maintains his title and builds his reputation in the sport"

The champion started fighting relatively late, emerging from the amateur circuit and has had only 21 pro bouts

Future Prospects

• The anticipated title change signals a major shift in the division
• The Ukrainian's move to vacate the belt paves the way for additional challengers
• The fighting community now expects formal announcement from the WBO
• The British fighter's journey from unconventional beginning to title holder continues to capture attention