Britain’s Fabio Wardley is set to be elevated to WBO heavyweight champion after Oleksandr Usyk chose to relinquish the belt rather than proceed with a mandatory defence.
The Ukrainian notified the World Boxing Organisation that he would not face Wardley, prompting the WBO to announce that Usyk had “elected to relinquish his title after thoughtful consideration”.
Usyk retains the WBA, WBC and IBF belts, having defeated Daniel Dubois at Wembley Stadium in July to reclaim undisputed heavyweight status for the second time.
He first achieved four-belt supremacy in May 2024 by beating Tyson Fury, then surrendered the IBF title weeks later after opting not to meet its mandatory challenger.
WBO president Gustavo Olivieri hailed Usyk as “a champion of champions”, praising his undefeated run and remarkable achievements across two divisions.
The organisation added that its doors “will always remain open” to the Ukrainian, who won the WBO belt from Anthony Joshua in 2021 and defended it four times.
The WBO had initially ordered Usyk to negotiate a mandatory defence against interim champion Joseph Parker, but a back injury forced postponement.
Wardley, 30, then seized the interim title with a stunning 11th-round stoppage of Parker at London’s O2 Arena, making him the mandatory challenger due before the end of September.
Although the WBO has yet to officially confirm Wardley’s elevation, promoter Frank Warren says it is merely procedural.
“Britain has a new heavyweight world champion and a new star of the sport,” Warren posted on X, calling Wardley’s rise “one of the most incredible stories” in his 45-year career.
Wardley’s ascent is all the more extraordinary given he only began boxing at 20, emerging from the unlicensed white-collar circuit and amassing just 21 professional bouts to date.
