Britain's Fabio Wardley Set to Become World Boxing Champion as Usyk Relinquishes Title

The UK's heavyweight contender will be upgraded to heavyweight title holder after the Ukrainian champion decided to relinquish his championship belt

This follows after Usyk informed the World Boxing Organisation he would not engage in a obligatory title fight against his mandatory opponent

Boxing Organization's Position

The championship body announced that Usyk had "elected to relinquish his title after thoughtful consideration"

The Ukrainian maintains the WBA, WBC and IBF heavyweight titles, having defeated Daniel Dubois at the national stadium in July to become a double undisputed champion

He originally secured the complete unified champion in May 2024 by beating Tyson Fury, before relinquishing one championship five weeks later and choosing to avoid the required opponent

"Organization head Gustavo Olivieri praised the Ukrainian fighter in a announcement"

"The WBO extends its profound respect, admiration and gratitude to the Ukrainian champion, an unbeaten multi-division champion"

"His achievements mark one of the most remarkable and significant of the modern boxing era"

The WBO added that its doors "will always remain open the champion and his camp"

Championship History

Usyk won the championship in recently by overcoming Joshua and went on to defend it four times

In summer, the championship body required discussions for a mandatory defence against New Zealand's Parker, only for a champion's back problem to cause the delay of the fight

Wardley's Rise

But Wardley, 30, took the interim title from the New Zealander with a significant shock in the championship rounds at London's O2 Arena in the previous month and was mandated to face Usyk before the September deadline

The championship body still needs to verify the title change but his manager Warren believes it is a formality

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

"One of the most incredible stories during my long career as a sports manager and I could not be more pleased for Wardley"

"Major contests coming up for the coming period as he maintains his title and creates a true legacy in the sport"

Wardley only began boxing relatively late, emerging from the amateur circuit and has had a limited professional record

What's Next

• Wardley's expected promotion represents an important development in the weight class
• The champion's choice to relinquish the title creates fresh possibilities for additional challengers
• The boxing world now expects formal announcement from the WBO
• The champion's path from unconventional beginning to championship status continues to motivate others