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Britain's boxing star is expected to be elevated to WBO heavyweight champion after the Ukrainian champion opted to give up his title

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

Official Announcement

The boxing organization confirmed that the champion decided to give up his belt after deep reflection"

The Ukrainian maintains the WBA, WBC and IBF heavyweight titles, having overcome Daniel Dubois at the national stadium in July to become a double undisputed champion

He initially achieved the all-belt title holder in spring 2024 by overcoming Tyson Fury, before vacating another belt shortly after and choosing to avoid the obligatory contender

"Organization head the WBO leader described Usyk as exceptional in a statement"

"The organization offers its sincere admiration and thanks to Usyk, an perfect record holder across weight classes"

"His record represents one of the most remarkable and significant of the recent fighting history"

The boxing body stated that its institution will continue to support Usyk and his team"

Championship History

Usyk won the WBO belt in 2021 by overcoming Joshua and went on to successfully defend multiple times

In mid-year, the boxing organization mandated talks for a required title defense against interim champion Joseph Parker, only for a back injury sustained by Usyk to cause the delay of the bout

New Champion's Path

But the 30-year-old British fighter, took the interim title from the New Zealander with a major surprise in the 11th round at London's O2 Arena last month and was mandated to face Usyk before the month's conclusion

The championship body still needs to verify the title change but his manager Warren believes it is a formality

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

"Among the most remarkable journeys throughout my decades as a promoter and I could not be prouder of Fabio Wardley"

"Some huge fights ahead for next year as he defends his WBO belt and creates a true legacy in the sport"

Wardley only began boxing relatively late, developing through alternative boxing and has had just 21 professional fights

Coming Challenges

• The likely championship upgrade represents an important development in heavyweight boxing
• The Ukrainian's move to give up the championship creates fresh possibilities for other contenders
• The fighting community now awaits official confirmation from the championship body
• The champion's path from alternative background to world champion continues to motivate others