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

This follows after the champion notified the WBO he would not engage in a required championship defense against his mandatory opponent

WBO Statement

The boxing organization confirmed that Usyk chose to vacate his title after thoughtful consideration"

The Ukrainian maintains the WBA, WBC and IBF heavyweight titles, having defeated Daniel Dubois at the national stadium in mid-year to become a repeat unified title holder

He originally secured the all-belt title holder in last year by beating Tyson Fury, before giving up the IBF title a month afterwards and choosing to avoid the obligatory contender

"Organization head Gustavo Olivieri described Usyk as exceptional in a statement"

"The WBO extends its deep appreciation and respect to the Ukrainian champion, an unbeaten multi-division champion"

"His career stands as one of the most remarkable and significant of the modern boxing era"

The organization continued that its institution will continue to support the champion and his camp"

Belt Timeline

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

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

New Champion's Path

But the 30-year-old British fighter, won the provisional belt from his opponent with a huge upset in the 11th round at London's O2 Arena 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 promoter Frank Warren believes it is a certainty

"The UK has a fresh boxing champion and a emerging fighting personality"

"A truly extraordinary path during my long career as a promoter and I could not be happier for the British fighter"

"Major contests coming up for 2026 as he defends his WBO belt and establishes his place in the boxing world"

Wardley entered the sport relatively late, coming through the unlicensed white-collar scene and has had a limited professional record

Future Prospects

• The anticipated title change signals a major shift in heavyweight boxing
• The Ukrainian's move to vacate the belt opens new opportunities for other contenders
• The boxing world now awaits official confirmation from the boxing organization
• Wardley's story from unconventional beginning to title holder continues to motivate others