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

This development comes after Ukrainian fighter told boxing authorities he would not engage in a obligatory title fight against his mandatory opponent

Boxing Organization's Position

The boxing organization confirmed that Usyk had "elected to relinquish his belt after deep reflection"

The Ukrainian maintains the multiple world titles, having overcome Daniel Dubois at Wembley Stadium in the summer month to become a double undisputed champion

He first became the complete unified champion in spring 2024 by defeating the British champion, before vacating another belt shortly after and choosing to avoid the required opponent

"WBO president the WBO leader praised the Ukrainian fighter in a official release"

"The organization offers its sincere admiration and thanks to the Ukrainian champion, an unbeaten multi-division champion"

"His record represents one of the most impressive and memorable of the modern boxing era"

The boxing body stated that its organization will always welcome 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 July, the boxing organization mandated talks for a required title defense against New Zealand's Parker, only for a champion's back problem to cause the delay of the contest

British Fighter's Journey

But Wardley, 30, won the provisional belt from the New Zealander with a huge upset in the championship rounds at the famous London arena recently and was ordered to fight the champion before the month's conclusion

The boxing organization hasn't formally announced the title change but his manager Warren believes it is a certainty

"The UK has a new heavyweight world champion and a new star of the sport"

"Among the most remarkable journeys I've seen in my 45 years as a promoter and I could not be more pleased for Wardley"

"Major contests coming up for the coming period as he defends his WBO belt and builds his reputation in the sport"

Wardley only began boxing aged 20, developing through alternative boxing and has had a limited professional record

Future Prospects

• Wardley's expected promotion signals a major shift in heavyweight boxing
• Usyk's decision to relinquish the title opens new opportunities for other contenders
• The fighting community now awaits official confirmation from the boxing organization
• The champion's path from unconventional beginning to world champion continues to capture attention