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Britain's Fabio Wardley will be upgraded to WBO heavyweight champion after Oleksandr Usyk opted to give up his championship belt

This situation arises after the champion told boxing authorities he would not proceed with a obligatory title fight against the British challenger

Official Announcement

The championship body announced that the champion decided to give up his championship following careful thought"

Usyk still holds 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 originally secured the all-belt title holder in spring 2024 by defeating the British champion, before vacating another belt five weeks later and opting out of facing the obligatory contender

"WBO president Gustavo Olivieri praised the Ukrainian fighter in a announcement"

"The organization offers its deep appreciation and respect to the Ukrainian champion, an perfect record holder across weight classes"

"His achievements mark one of the most remarkable and significant of the modern boxing era"

The WBO added that its doors "will always remain open the champion and his camp"

Championship History

Usyk won the championship in recently by defeating Anthony Joshua and went on to successfully defend multiple times

In July, the championship body required discussions for a obligatory championship fight against interim champion Joseph Parker, only for a Usyk's physical issue to require rescheduling of the bout

Wardley's Rise

But Wardley, took the interim title from his opponent with a huge upset in the 11th round at the famous London arena in the previous month and was ordered to fight the champion before the September deadline

The championship body still needs to verify the title change but his representative believes it is a done deal

"The UK has a fresh boxing champion and a emerging fighting personality"

"Among the most remarkable journeys I've seen in my 45 years as a sports manager and I could not be prouder of Fabio Wardley"

"Some huge fights ahead for 2026 as he protects his championship and builds his reputation in the boxing world"

Wardley only began boxing at twenty years old, developing through alternative boxing and has had just 21 professional fights

Coming Challenges

• Wardley's expected promotion represents an important development in heavyweight boxing
• The champion's choice to relinquish the title paves the way for other contenders
• The fighting community now expects formal announcement from the WBO
• Wardley's story from unconventional beginning to title holder continues to capture attention