Fabio Wardley has been officially named WBO heavyweight champion after Oleksandr Usyk chose to vacate the title rather than defend it against the unbeaten Briton.
Wardley captured the interim title last month with an 11th-round stoppage of Joseph Parker and was scheduled to face Usyk before the end of September. The WBO confirmed on Monday that Usyk, who unified the world titles by defeating then-IBF champion Daniel Dubois in July, had formally relinquished the belt “after thoughtful consideration.”
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Following the announcement, Wardley’s promoter Frank Warren celebrated the milestone on X: “Britain has a new heavyweight world champion and a new star of the sport. One of the most incredible stories I’ve seen in my 45 years as a promoter and I could not be prouder of Fabio Wardley.”
Wardley began his professional career in 2017 and built an undefeated record before claiming the interim WBO title. With this achievement, he becomes the sixth Briton to hold the WBO heavyweight title, joining Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua, Henry Akinwande, Herbie Hide, and Michael Bentt.