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Britain's boxing star will be upgraded to heavyweight title holder after Usyk opted to give up his title

This situation arises after Usyk told boxing authorities he would not engage in a mandatory title defence against his mandatory opponent

Official Announcement

The championship body announced that Usyk chose to vacate his title after thoughtful consideration"

Usyk continues to possess the WBA, WBC and IBF heavyweight titles, having defeated Daniel Dubois at the famous London venue in the summer month to become a double undisputed champion

He initially achieved the all-belt title holder in spring 2024 by defeating the British champion, before vacating another belt five weeks later and deciding not to fight the obligatory contender

"WBO president Gustavo Olivieri described Usyk as exceptional in a official release"

"Officials expressed its deep appreciation and respect to Oleksandr Usyk, an unbeaten multi-division champion"

"His achievements mark one of the most extraordinary and historic of the recent fighting history"

The organization continued that its doors "will always remain open Usyk and his team"

Title Reign

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

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

British Fighter's Journey

But the 30-year-old British fighter, took the interim title from Parker with a huge upset in the later stages at London's O2 Arena in the previous month and was required to challenge Usyk before the September deadline

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

"The UK has a new heavyweight world champion and a emerging fighting personality"

"A truly extraordinary path throughout my decades as a boxing representative and I could not be happier for the British fighter"

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

Wardley only began boxing at twenty years old, coming through the unlicensed white-collar scene and has had a limited professional record

Future Prospects

• Wardley's expected promotion signals a major shift in the weight class
• Usyk's decision to give up the championship paves the way for additional challengers
• The boxing world now awaits official confirmation from the championship body
• The champion's path from alternative background to title holder continues to inspire many