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

This situation arises after Ukrainian fighter told boxing authorities he would not engage in a required championship defense against his mandatory opponent

Boxing Organization's Position

The WBO stated that Usyk had "elected to relinquish his belt after deep reflection"

Usyk still holds the three major championship belts, having overcome Daniel Dubois at the famous London venue in July to become a double undisputed champion

He originally secured the complete unified champion in spring 2024 by beating Tyson Fury, before relinquishing one championship a month afterwards and choosing to avoid the mandatory challenger

"Boxing official Gustavo Olivieri praised the Ukrainian fighter in a official release"

"The WBO extends its deep appreciation and respect to the Ukrainian champion, an perfect record holder across weight classes"

"His achievements mark one of the most impressive and memorable of the modern boxing era"

The organization continued that its doors "will always remain open the champion and his camp"

Belt Timeline

Usyk won the championship in two years ago by overcoming Joshua and went on to protect his title repeatedly

In mid-year, the championship body required discussions for a required title defense against New Zealand's Parker, only for a Usyk's physical issue to require rescheduling of the fight

British Fighter's Journey

But the 30-year-old British fighter, won the provisional belt from Parker with a significant shock in the championship rounds at London's O2 Arena last month and was ordered to fight the champion before the September deadline

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

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

"One of the most incredible stories during my long career as a boxing representative and I could not be prouder of Fabio Wardley"

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

The champion started fighting relatively late, emerging from the amateur circuit and has had only 21 pro bouts

Coming Challenges

• The anticipated title change represents an important development in heavyweight boxing
• The champion's choice to give up the championship opens new opportunities for other contenders
• The boxing world now awaits official confirmation from the boxing organization
• The champion's path from late starter to championship status continues to capture attention