England's boxing star is expected to be elevated to WBO heavyweight champion after the Ukrainian champion opted to give up his championship belt
This follows after Usyk told boxing authorities he would not engage in a obligatory title fight against Wardley
The championship body announced that the champion decided to give up his title after thoughtful consideration"
Usyk still holds the multiple world titles, having defeated Daniel Dubois at Wembley Stadium in July to become a repeat unified title holder
He initially achieved the complete unified champion in spring 2024 by defeating the British champion, before vacating another belt a month afterwards and deciding not to fight the required opponent
"WBO president Olivieri praised the Ukrainian fighter in a official release"
"Officials expressed its sincere admiration and thanks to Usyk, an perfect record holder across weight classes"
"His achievements mark one of the most remarkable and significant of the modern boxing era"
The organization continued that its doors "will always remain open Usyk and his team"
Usyk won the WBO belt in 2021 by beating the British star and went on to successfully defend multiple times
In mid-year, the championship body required discussions for a required title defense against New Zealand's Parker, only for a back injury sustained by Usyk to require rescheduling of the fight
But Wardley, took the interim title from Parker with a significant shock in the later stages at the famous London arena last month and was ordered to fight the champion before the end of September
The boxing organization hasn't formally announced the British fighter's elevation but his promoter Frank Warren believes it is a formality
"Britain has a recent title holder and a emerging fighting personality"
"A truly extraordinary path I've seen in my 45 years as a sports manager 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 boxing world"
The champion started fighting relatively late, developing through alternative boxing and has had only 21 pro bouts
Elara Vance is a tech journalist with over a decade of experience covering emerging technologies and consumer electronics.