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England's Fabio Wardley is expected to be elevated to heavyweight title holder after Oleksandr Usyk chose to vacate his world title

This follows after Ukrainian fighter notified the WBO he would not engage in a obligatory title fight against Wardley

Official Announcement

The boxing organization confirmed that Usyk had "elected to relinquish his title after thoughtful consideration"

The Ukrainian maintains the three major championship belts, having overcome Daniel Dubois at the national stadium in mid-year to become a repeat unified title holder

He initially achieved the complete unified champion in last year by beating Tyson Fury, before vacating another belt five weeks later and choosing to avoid the obligatory contender

"Boxing official the WBO leader praised the Ukrainian fighter in a statement"

"The WBO extends its profound respect, admiration and gratitude to the Ukrainian champion, an undefeated, two-division WBO undisputed world champion"

"His record represents one of the most extraordinary and historic of the contemporary boxing period"

The WBO added that its doors "will always remain open the fighter and his management"

Belt Timeline

The champion captured the WBO belt in 2021 by beating the British star and went on to defend it four times

In summer, the WBO had ordered negotiations for a obligatory championship fight against temporary title holder Parker, only for a back injury sustained by Usyk to cause the delay of the bout

New Champion's Path

But Wardley, 30, captured the temporary championship from the New Zealander with a huge upset in the championship rounds at the capital's venue last month and was ordered to fight the champion before the September deadline

The boxing organization hasn't formally announced Wardley's promotion but his manager Warren believes it is a formality

"Britain has a new heavyweight world champion and a emerging fighting personality"

"Among the most remarkable journeys throughout my decades as a boxing representative and I could not be more pleased for Wardley"

"Some huge fights ahead for 2026 as he protects his championship and builds his reputation in the boxing world"

The champion started fighting relatively late, emerging from the amateur circuit and has had a limited professional record

What's Next

• Wardley's expected promotion marks a significant moment in the weight class
• The Ukrainian's move to relinquish the title creates fresh possibilities for other contenders
• The fighting community now expects formal announcement from the boxing organization
• The champion's path from alternative background to world champion continues to capture attention