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England's Fabio Wardley is set to be promoted to world boxing champion after the Ukrainian champion chose to vacate his championship belt

This follows after Ukrainian fighter told boxing authorities he would not engage in a mandatory title defence against Wardley

Official Announcement

The championship body announced that the champion decided to give up his belt after deep reflection"

The Ukrainian maintains the three major championship belts, having overcome Daniel Dubois at Wembley Stadium in July to become a repeat unified title holder

He first became the all-belt title holder in last year by overcoming Tyson Fury, before giving up the IBF title shortly after and opting out of facing the obligatory contender

"WBO president Gustavo Olivieri called Usyk "a champion of champions" in a official release"

"Officials expressed its sincere admiration and thanks to Usyk, an perfect record holder across weight classes"

"His career stands as one of the most extraordinary and historic of the contemporary boxing period"

The WBO added that its institution will continue to support the fighter and his management"

Title Reign

Usyk secured the WBO belt in two years ago by defeating Anthony Joshua and went on to protect his title repeatedly

In July, the WBO had ordered negotiations for a obligatory championship fight against interim champion Joseph Parker, only for a Usyk's physical issue to force the postponement of the fight

British Fighter's Journey

But the 30-year-old British fighter, took the interim title from his opponent with a major surprise in the later stages at London's O2 Arena in the previous month 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 recent title holder and a new star of the sport"

"One of the most incredible stories I've seen in my 45 years as a boxing representative and I could not be prouder of Fabio Wardley"

"Significant bouts in the future for the coming period as he maintains his title and builds his reputation in the boxing world"

Wardley only began boxing at twenty years old, emerging from the amateur circuit and has had a limited professional record

Future Prospects

• Wardley's expected promotion signals a major shift in the weight class
• The champion's choice to vacate the belt opens new opportunities for more fighters
• The boxing world now expects formal announcement from the WBO
• Wardley's story from alternative background to title holder continues to motivate others