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England's Fabio Wardley will be upgraded to heavyweight title holder after the Ukrainian champion decided to relinquish his title

This development comes after Ukrainian fighter informed the World Boxing Organisation he would not engage in a mandatory title defence against his mandatory opponent

Boxing Organization's Position

The boxing organization confirmed that the champion decided to give up his title after thoughtful consideration"

The Ukrainian maintains the three major championship belts, having defeated Daniel Dubois at the famous London venue in mid-year to become a repeat unified title holder

He first became the all-belt title holder in May 2024 by overcoming Tyson Fury, before giving up the IBF title five weeks later and opting out of facing the required opponent

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

"The WBO extends its sincere admiration and thanks to Usyk, an undefeated, two-division WBO undisputed world champion"

"His career stands as one of the most impressive and memorable of the modern boxing era"

The organization continued that its institution will continue to support Usyk and his team"

Title Reign

Usyk won the world title in 2021 by overcoming Joshua and went on to successfully defend multiple times

In summer, 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 fight

New Champion's Path

But Wardley, took the interim title from the New Zealander with a major surprise in the championship rounds at the famous London arena in the previous month and was ordered to fight the champion before the end of September

The boxing organization hasn't formally announced the British fighter's elevation but his representative believes it is a certainty

"Britain has a new heavyweight world champion and a new star of the sport"

"A truly extraordinary path during my long career as a promoter and I could not be prouder of Fabio Wardley"

"Major contests coming up for the coming period as he protects his championship and establishes his place in the sport"

Wardley only began boxing relatively late, developing through alternative boxing and has had a limited professional record

What's Next

• Wardley's expected promotion represents an important development in the division
• Usyk's decision to give up the championship creates fresh possibilities for additional challengers
• The boxing world now expects formal announcement from the championship body
• Wardley's story from unconventional beginning to world champion continues to inspire many