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The UK's Fabio Wardley is set to be promoted to heavyweight title holder after Usyk decided to relinquish his championship belt

This follows after Usyk informed the World Boxing Organisation he would not engage in a obligatory title fight against the British challenger

Boxing Organization's Position

The championship body announced that the champion decided to give up his title after thoughtful consideration"

The Ukrainian maintains the WBA, WBC and IBF heavyweight titles, having defeated Daniel Dubois at the famous London venue in mid-year to become a two-time undisputed heavyweight champion

He originally secured the complete unified champion in spring 2024 by defeating the British champion, before vacating another belt shortly after and choosing to avoid the mandatory challenger

"Organization head Gustavo Olivieri described Usyk as exceptional in a statement"

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

"His career stands as one of the most remarkable and significant of the contemporary boxing period"

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

Belt Timeline

The champion captured the championship in recently by beating the British star and went on to protect his title repeatedly

In mid-year, the championship body required discussions for a mandatory defence against temporary title holder Parker, only for a Usyk's physical issue to require rescheduling of the contest

Wardley's Rise

But Wardley, captured the temporary championship from the New Zealander with a significant shock in the 11th round at the famous London arena recently and was ordered to fight the champion before the month's conclusion

The boxing organization hasn't formally announced Wardley's promotion but his promoter Frank Warren believes it is a formality

"The UK has a recent title holder and a rising boxing talent"

"A truly extraordinary path during my long career as a boxing representative and I could not be more pleased for Wardley"

"Significant bouts in the future for next year as he maintains his title and builds his reputation in the sport"

Wardley entered the sport relatively late, coming through the unlicensed white-collar scene and has had only 21 pro bouts

What's Next

• The likely championship upgrade represents an important development in the weight class
• Usyk's decision to vacate the belt creates fresh possibilities for additional challengers
• The fighting community now anticipates verification from the WBO
• The British fighter's journey from late starter to title holder continues to motivate others