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England's Fabio Wardley will be upgraded to heavyweight title holder after Oleksandr Usyk opted to give up his world title

This development comes after the champion told boxing authorities he would not engage in a required championship defense against the British challenger

Boxing Organization's Position

The boxing organization confirmed that Usyk had "elected to relinquish his title after thoughtful consideration"

Usyk still holds the three major championship belts, having beaten his British opponent at Wembley Stadium in the summer month to become a repeat unified title holder

He originally secured the complete unified champion in spring 2024 by beating Tyson Fury, before giving up the IBF title shortly after and choosing to avoid the obligatory contender

"WBO president the WBO leader called Usyk "a champion of champions" in a official release"

"The organization offers its sincere admiration and thanks to the Ukrainian champion, an perfect record holder across weight classes"

"His career stands as one of the most extraordinary and historic of the contemporary boxing period"

The organization continued that its organization will always welcome Usyk and his team"

Championship History

The champion captured the WBO belt in 2021 by overcoming Joshua and went on to defend it four times

In mid-year, the boxing organization mandated talks for a mandatory defence against interim champion Joseph Parker, only for a Usyk's physical issue to require rescheduling of the contest

Wardley's Rise

But the 30-year-old British fighter, took the interim title from his opponent with a huge upset in the later stages at London's O2 Arena recently and was mandated to face Usyk before the September deadline

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

"England has a fresh boxing champion and a rising boxing talent"

"Among the most remarkable journeys throughout my decades as a sports manager and I could not be more pleased for Wardley"

"Significant bouts in the future for next year as he defends his WBO belt and creates a true legacy in the boxing world"

The champion started fighting relatively late, developing through alternative boxing and has had just 21 professional fights

What's Next

• Wardley's expected promotion represents an important development in the division
• The champion's choice to vacate the belt opens new opportunities for additional challengers
• The sport now anticipates verification from the championship body
• The British fighter's journey from alternative background to world champion continues to capture attention