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England's boxing star will be upgraded to world boxing champion after Oleksandr Usyk chose to vacate his championship belt

This development comes after the champion informed the World Boxing Organisation he would not proceed with a obligatory title fight against Wardley

Official Announcement

The championship body announced that the champion decided to give up his title after thoughtful consideration"

Usyk still holds the multiple world titles, having beaten his British opponent at the famous London venue in mid-year to become a repeat unified title holder

He initially achieved the all-belt title holder in last year by beating Tyson Fury, before giving up the IBF title five weeks later and choosing to avoid the required opponent

"WBO president the WBO leader called Usyk "a champion of champions" in a official release"

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

"His record represents one of the most extraordinary and historic of the recent fighting history"

The boxing body stated that its organization will always welcome the champion and his camp"

Title Reign

The champion captured the WBO belt in recently by defeating Anthony Joshua and went on to defend it four times

In summer, the championship body required discussions for a mandatory defence against temporary title holder Parker, only for a back injury sustained by Usyk to cause the delay of the contest

New Champion's Path

But Wardley, 30, captured the temporary championship from Parker with a significant shock in the championship rounds at London's O2 Arena last month and was ordered to fight the champion before the month's conclusion

The championship body still needs to verify Wardley's promotion but his representative believes it is a formality

"The UK has a recent title holder and a new star of the sport"

"Among the most remarkable journeys throughout my decades as a sports manager and I could not be happier for the British fighter"

"Major contests coming up for 2026 as he maintains his title and builds his reputation in the boxing world"

Wardley only began boxing aged 20, emerging from the amateur circuit and has had only 21 pro bouts

Coming Challenges

• The likely championship upgrade represents an important development in heavyweight boxing
• Usyk's decision to vacate the belt paves the way for more fighters
• The boxing world now awaits official confirmation from the boxing organization
• The champion's path from late starter to championship status continues to capture attention