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England's heavyweight contender is set to be promoted to heavyweight title holder after Usyk opted to give up his title

This development comes after the champion notified the WBO he would not proceed with a mandatory title defence against his mandatory opponent

WBO Statement

The WBO stated that Usyk chose to vacate his title after thoughtful consideration"

Usyk continues to possess the three major championship belts, having defeated Daniel Dubois at Wembley Stadium in mid-year to become a repeat unified title holder

He initially achieved the complete unified champion in May 2024 by beating Tyson Fury, before giving up the IBF title a month afterwards and choosing to avoid the required opponent

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

"Officials expressed its profound respect, admiration and gratitude to the Ukrainian champion, an unbeaten multi-division champion"

"His achievements mark one of the most extraordinary and historic of the modern boxing era"

The organization continued that its institution will continue to support Usyk and his team"

Belt Timeline

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

In mid-year, the WBO had ordered negotiations for a obligatory championship fight against New Zealand's Parker, only for a Usyk's physical issue to cause the delay of the contest

New Champion's Path

But Wardley, 30, took the interim title from the New Zealander with a huge upset in the 11th round at the capital's venue in the previous month and was required to challenge Usyk before the month's conclusion

The WBO is yet to officially confirm the British fighter's elevation but his representative believes it is a done deal

"England has a fresh boxing champion and a emerging fighting personality"

"A truly extraordinary path I've seen in my 45 years as a boxing representative and I could not be more pleased for Wardley"

"Some huge fights ahead for 2026 as he maintains his title and establishes his place in the boxing world"

The champion started fighting relatively late, coming through the unlicensed white-collar scene and has had just 21 professional fights

What's Next

• The likely championship upgrade represents an important development in the weight class
• The champion's choice to give up the championship creates fresh possibilities for additional challengers
• The boxing world now anticipates verification from the championship body
• The British fighter's journey from late starter to championship status continues to motivate others