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England's boxing star will be upgraded to heavyweight title holder after Usyk opted to give up his world title

This follows after Ukrainian fighter told boxing authorities he would not proceed with a mandatory title defence against the British challenger

WBO Statement

The championship body announced that the champion decided to give up his title after thoughtful consideration"

The Ukrainian maintains the WBA, WBC and IBF heavyweight titles, having beaten his British opponent at the famous London venue in July to become a repeat unified title holder

He first became the complete unified champion in last year by beating Tyson Fury, before giving up the IBF title a month afterwards and deciding not to fight the mandatory challenger

"Boxing official Olivieri called Usyk "a champion of champions" in a statement"

"Officials expressed its sincere admiration and thanks 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 institution will continue to support Usyk and his team"

Championship History

The champion captured the world title in two years ago by overcoming Joshua and went on to protect his title repeatedly

In summer, the boxing organization mandated talks for a obligatory championship fight against New Zealand's Parker, only for a Usyk's physical issue to force the postponement of the fight

New Champion's Path

But the 30-year-old British fighter, won the provisional belt from his opponent with a significant shock in the later stages at London's O2 Arena recently and was ordered to fight the champion before the end of September

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

"Britain has a fresh boxing champion and a rising boxing talent"

"One of the most incredible stories throughout my decades as a boxing representative and I could not be happier for the British fighter"

"Significant bouts in the future for next year as he defends his WBO belt and creates a true legacy in the sport"

Wardley entered the sport relatively late, 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 heavyweight boxing
• Usyk's decision to give up the championship creates fresh possibilities for other contenders
• The boxing world now expects formal announcement from the boxing organization
• The British fighter's journey from alternative background to world champion continues to inspire many