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England's Fabio Wardley is expected to be elevated to WBO heavyweight champion after Usyk chose to vacate his title

This situation arises after the champion told boxing authorities he would avoid a mandatory title defence against Wardley

Official Announcement

The championship body announced that Usyk had "elected to relinquish his belt after deep reflection"

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

He originally secured the four-belt undisputed champion in May 2024 by overcoming Tyson Fury, before relinquishing one championship shortly after and choosing to avoid the required opponent

"Boxing official Gustavo Olivieri described Usyk as exceptional in a statement"

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

"His record represents one of the most impressive and memorable of the contemporary boxing period"

The organization continued that its organization will always welcome Usyk and his team"

Belt Timeline

Usyk won the world title in 2021 by defeating Anthony Joshua and went on to defend it four times

In summer, the championship body required discussions for a mandatory defence against interim champion Joseph Parker, only for a champion's back problem to require rescheduling of the fight

Wardley's Rise

But Wardley, 30, won the provisional belt from the New Zealander with a significant shock in the 11th round at London's O2 Arena last month and was ordered to fight the champion before the end of September

The WBO is yet to officially confirm the title change but his manager Warren believes it is a formality

"Britain has a recent title holder and a rising boxing talent"

"A truly extraordinary path throughout my decades as a sports manager and I could not be prouder of Fabio Wardley"

"Significant bouts in the future for the coming period as he defends his WBO belt and creates a true legacy in the fighting community"

Wardley only began boxing at twenty years old, emerging from the amateur circuit and has had just 21 professional fights

Future Prospects

• Wardley's expected promotion signals a major shift in heavyweight boxing
• The Ukrainian's move to vacate the belt paves the way for more fighters
• The sport now awaits official confirmation from the championship body
• The champion's path from late starter to world champion continues to inspire many