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England's Fabio Wardley will be upgraded to heavyweight title holder after the Ukrainian champion opted to give up his championship belt

This development comes after the champion notified the WBO he would avoid a required championship defense against his mandatory opponent

Official Announcement

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

Usyk continues to possess the WBA, WBC and IBF heavyweight titles, having defeated Daniel Dubois at Wembley Stadium in mid-year to become a repeat unified title holder

He originally secured the all-belt title holder in last year by defeating the British champion, before vacating another belt five weeks later and opting out of facing the obligatory contender

"Organization head Olivieri called Usyk "a champion of champions" in a announcement"

"Officials expressed its profound respect, admiration and gratitude 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 institution will continue to support the fighter and his management"

Belt Timeline

Usyk secured the WBO belt in two years ago by beating the British star and went on to protect his title repeatedly

In July, the WBO had ordered negotiations for a required title defense against temporary title holder Parker, only for a Usyk's physical issue to force the postponement of the fight

Wardley's Rise

But the 30-year-old British fighter, took the interim title from Parker with a major surprise in the later stages at the famous London arena in the previous month and was ordered to fight the champion before the September deadline

The boxing organization hasn't formally announced Wardley's promotion but his representative believes it is a done deal

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

"Among the most remarkable journeys during my long career as a boxing representative and I could not be prouder of Fabio Wardley"

"Some huge fights ahead for the coming period as he protects his championship and builds his reputation in the boxing world"

Wardley entered the sport at twenty years old, coming through the unlicensed white-collar scene and has had just 21 professional fights

What's Next

• The anticipated title change signals a major shift in the division
• Usyk's decision to give up the championship opens new opportunities for other contenders
• The sport now awaits official confirmation from the championship body
• Wardley's story from late starter to championship status continues to capture attention