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Britain's boxing star is set to be promoted to WBO heavyweight champion after Oleksandr Usyk decided to relinquish his title

This follows after Ukrainian fighter notified the WBO he would not engage in a mandatory title defence against the British challenger

Boxing Organization's Position

The championship body announced that the champion decided to give up his championship following careful thought"

The Ukrainian maintains the multiple world titles, having defeated Daniel Dubois at Wembley Stadium in the summer month to become a two-time undisputed heavyweight champion

He first became the complete unified champion in last year by beating Tyson Fury, before vacating another belt shortly after and opting out of facing the required opponent

"Boxing official Gustavo Olivieri praised the Ukrainian fighter in a announcement"

"The WBO extends its sincere admiration and thanks to Oleksandr Usyk, an undefeated, two-division WBO undisputed world champion"

"His achievements mark one of the most impressive and memorable of the modern boxing era"

The boxing body stated that its institution will continue to support Usyk and his team"

Title Reign

Usyk won the championship in recently by beating the British star and went on to defend it four times

In summer, the WBO had ordered negotiations for a obligatory championship fight against temporary title holder Parker, only for a champion's back problem to force the postponement of the fight

British Fighter's Journey

But Wardley, took the interim title from the New Zealander with a major surprise in the 11th round at London's O2 Arena last month and was required to challenge Usyk before the end of September

The boxing organization hasn't formally announced the title change but his promoter Frank Warren believes it is a done deal

"England has a fresh boxing champion and a emerging fighting personality"

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

"Significant bouts in the future for the coming period as he protects his championship and builds his reputation in the sport"

The champion started fighting at twenty years old, emerging from the amateur circuit and has had only 21 pro bouts

What's Next

• Wardley's expected promotion signals a major shift in the division
• The Ukrainian's move to relinquish the title paves the way for more fighters
• The fighting community now awaits official confirmation from the boxing organization
• The champion's path from late starter to world champion continues to inspire many