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England's boxing star is expected to be elevated to world boxing champion after Oleksandr Usyk chose to vacate his championship belt

This development comes after Ukrainian fighter informed the World Boxing Organisation he would not proceed with a mandatory title defence against his mandatory opponent

Boxing Organization's Position

The WBO stated that the champion decided to give up his title after thoughtful consideration"

Usyk still holds the WBA, WBC and IBF heavyweight titles, having beaten his British opponent at Wembley Stadium in mid-year to become a repeat unified title holder

He originally secured the complete unified champion in May 2024 by defeating the British champion, before giving up the IBF title shortly after and choosing to avoid the obligatory contender

"Organization head Gustavo Olivieri praised the Ukrainian fighter in a official release"

"The WBO extends its sincere admiration and thanks to the Ukrainian champion, an unbeaten multi-division champion"

"His achievements mark one of the most impressive and memorable of the recent fighting history"

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

Belt Timeline

Usyk won the WBO belt in recently by defeating Anthony Joshua and went on to successfully defend multiple times

In July, the WBO had ordered negotiations for a required title defense against interim champion Joseph Parker, only for a Usyk's physical issue to cause the delay of the fight

Wardley's Rise

But Wardley, won the provisional belt from Parker with a significant shock in the 11th round at the famous London arena last month and was mandated to face Usyk before the September deadline

The boxing organization hasn't formally announced the British fighter's elevation but his manager Warren believes it is a done deal

"The UK has a fresh boxing champion and a rising boxing talent"

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

"Significant bouts in the future for the coming period as he protects his championship and builds his reputation in the fighting community"

The champion started fighting aged 20, developing through alternative boxing and has had a limited professional record

Future Prospects

• The anticipated title change signals a major shift in the weight class
• Usyk's decision to relinquish the title creates fresh possibilities for additional challengers
• The sport now awaits official confirmation from the WBO
• The champion's path from late starter to championship status continues to inspire many