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

This follows after Ukrainian fighter informed the World Boxing Organisation he would avoid a obligatory title fight against the British challenger

WBO Statement

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

Usyk continues to possess the three major championship belts, having overcome Daniel Dubois at the national stadium in the summer month to become a repeat unified title holder

He first became the complete unified champion in May 2024 by defeating the British champion, before giving up the IBF title shortly after and opting out of facing the obligatory contender

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

"Officials expressed its deep appreciation and respect to Usyk, an undefeated, two-division WBO undisputed world champion"

"His career stands as one of the most impressive and memorable of the contemporary boxing period"

The organization continued that its institution will continue to support the champion and his camp"

Belt Timeline

The champion captured the championship in recently by beating the British star and went on to successfully defend multiple times

In mid-year, the boxing organization mandated talks for a mandatory defence against New Zealand's Parker, only for a champion's back problem to cause the delay of the bout

Wardley's Rise

But the 30-year-old British fighter, captured the temporary championship from the New Zealander with a significant shock in the championship rounds at the capital's venue recently and was required to challenge Usyk before the end of September

The championship body still needs to verify Wardley's promotion but his manager Warren believes it is a done deal

"The UK has a new heavyweight world champion and a rising boxing talent"

"One of the most incredible stories during my long career as a sports manager and I could not be happier for the British fighter"

"Some huge fights ahead for the coming period as he defends his WBO belt and builds his reputation in the fighting community"

The champion started fighting relatively late, coming through the unlicensed white-collar scene and has had just 21 professional fights

Future Prospects

• The anticipated title change signals a major shift in the weight class
• The champion's choice to vacate the belt paves the way for more fighters
• The fighting community now expects formal announcement from the WBO
• The British fighter's journey from alternative background to championship status continues to capture attention