Oleksandr Usyk Relinquishes WBO World Heavyweight Title
The heavyweight champion, Oleksandr Usyk, has relinquished his WBO world title. This decision has led to the Briton Fabio Wardley being promoted to full world champion. The WBO confirmed that Wardley, 30, will take Usyk’s belt, becoming the full champion. This announcement comes after Usyk’s decision to vacate the title. Usyk, who defeated Daniel Dubois in June, to become undisputed heavyweight champion, held the four category belts. The WBO had ordered Usyk to defend his title against the interim champion at that time, Joseph Parker. Due to an injury, Usyk requested more time to recover. Meanwhile, Parker opted to fight Wardley to stay active. On October 25th in London, Wardley surprised Parker, winning by technical knockout in the eleventh round and obtaining the interim title. This resulted in the English boxer being elevated to full world champion.The WBO also expressed its respect and admiration for Usyk, highlighting his career as undisputed champion in two divisions and his status as WBO Super Champion. After his victory over Parker, Wardley challenged Usyk, and his team was confident that the fight would take place. However, Usyk’s decision to vacate the title suggests that he might not face Wardley next. Usyk, who was also undisputed at cruiserweight before moving up to the heavyweight division, has mentioned that he will fight in 2026, but his next move is still unclear.“The World Boxing Organization (WBO) announced today that it has received formal communication from Oleksandr Usyk’s team regarding the future of the WBO Heavyweight Championship. After careful consideration, Usyk has chosen to relinquish the title,” the WBO stated in a statement.
WBO
