Wardley To Be World Champion As Usyk Gives Up Belt

Britain's Fabio Wardley is expected to beryllium elevated to WBO heavyweight champion aft Oleksandr Usyk decided to relinquish his title.

It comes aft Ukrainian combatant Usyk informed nan World Boxing Organisation (WBO) he would not proceed pinch a mandatory title defence against Wardley.

The WBO said Usyk had "elected to relinquish his title aft thoughtful consideration".

Usyk still holds nan WBA, WBC and IBF heavyweight titles, having beaten Daniel Dubois astatine Wembley Stadium successful July to go a two-time undisputed heavyweight champion.

He first became nan four-belt undisputed champion successful May 2024 by beating Tyson Fury, earlier giving up nan IBF title 5 weeks later and deciding not to conflict nan mandatory challenger.

WBO president Gustavo Olivieri called Usyk "a champion of champions" successful a statement.

"The WBO extends its profound respect, admiration and gratitude to Oleksandr Usyk, an undefeated, two-division WBO undisputed world champion," Olivieri said.

"His profession stands arsenic 1 of nan astir bonzer and historical of nan modern boxing era."

The WBO added that its doors "will ever stay unfastened to Usyk and his team".

Usyk won nan WBO loop successful 2021 by defeating Anthony Joshua and went connected to take sides it 4 times.

In July, nan WBO had ordered negotiations for a mandatory defence against interim champion Joseph Parker of New Zealand, only for a backmost wounded sustained by Usyk to unit nan postponement of nan fight.

But Wardley, 30, took nan interim title from Parker pinch a immense upset successful nan 11th information astatine London's O2 Arena past period and was mandated to look Usyk earlier nan extremity of September.

The WBO is yet to officially corroborate Wardley's promotion but his promoter Frank Warren believes it is simply a formality.

"Britain has a caller heavyweight world champion and a caller prima of nan sport," Warren posted connected X.

"One of nan astir unthinkable stories I've seen successful my 45 years arsenic a promoter and I could not beryllium prouder of Fabio Wardley.

"Some immense fights up for 2026 arsenic he defends his WBO loop and creates a existent bequest successful nan sport."

Wardley only began boxing aged 20, coming done nan unlicensed white-collar segment and has had conscionable 21 master fights.