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Britain's heavyweight contender is set to be promoted to WBO heavyweight champion after Usyk chose to vacate his title

This situation arises after the champion notified the WBO he would avoid a obligatory title fight against his mandatory opponent

Official Announcement

The WBO stated that Usyk chose to vacate his championship following careful thought"

The Ukrainian maintains the three major championship belts, having overcome Daniel Dubois at Wembley Stadium in mid-year to become a double undisputed champion

He first became the four-belt undisputed champion in spring 2024 by overcoming Tyson Fury, before giving up the IBF title five weeks later and opting out of facing the mandatory challenger

"Boxing official the WBO leader praised the Ukrainian fighter in a official release"

"The organization offers its profound respect, admiration and gratitude to Usyk, an perfect record holder across weight classes"

"His record represents one of the most impressive and memorable of the modern boxing era"

The boxing body stated that its doors "will always remain open the champion and his camp"

Belt Timeline

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

In July, the WBO had ordered negotiations for a required title defense 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, took the interim title from Parker with a huge upset in the championship rounds at the capital's venue recently and was required to challenge Usyk before the month's conclusion

The boxing organization hasn't formally announced Wardley's promotion but his manager Warren believes it is a certainty

"Britain has a fresh boxing champion and a new star of the sport"

"A truly extraordinary path throughout my decades as a promoter and I could not be more pleased for Wardley"

"Some huge fights ahead for next year as he maintains his title and establishes his place in the boxing world"

Wardley entered the sport relatively late, coming through the unlicensed white-collar scene and has had just 21 professional fights

Future Prospects

• Wardley's expected promotion signals a major shift in the weight class
• The Ukrainian's move to vacate the belt creates fresh possibilities for other contenders
• The sport now anticipates verification from the championship body
• The champion's path from late starter to world champion continues to capture attention