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England's Fabio Wardley is expected to be elevated to WBO heavyweight champion after Usyk chose to vacate his championship belt

This follows after Usyk told boxing authorities he would not proceed with a obligatory title fight against Wardley

WBO Statement

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 overcome Daniel Dubois at the famous London venue in July to become a repeat unified title holder

He first became the complete unified champion in May 2024 by beating Tyson Fury, before relinquishing one championship a month afterwards and deciding not to fight the obligatory contender

"Boxing official Olivieri called Usyk "a champion of champions" 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 impressive and memorable of the recent fighting history"

The boxing body stated that its organization will always welcome Usyk and his team"

Title Reign

Usyk secured the world title in two years ago by defeating Anthony Joshua and went on to protect his title repeatedly

In July, the championship body required discussions for a mandatory defence against temporary title holder Parker, only for a back injury sustained by Usyk to cause the delay of the contest

New Champion's Path

But Wardley, took the interim title from Parker with a major surprise in the later stages at London's O2 Arena recently and was required to challenge Usyk before the September deadline

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

"The UK has a recent title holder and a new star of the sport"

"Among the most remarkable journeys throughout my decades as a boxing representative and I could not be happier for the British fighter"

"Significant bouts in the future for the coming period as he protects his championship and establishes his place in the fighting community"

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

What's Next

• The anticipated title change marks a significant moment in heavyweight boxing
• Usyk's decision to give up the championship opens new opportunities for more fighters
• The boxing world now expects formal announcement from the boxing organization
• Wardley's story from alternative background to title holder continues to inspire many