Oleksandr Usyk has vacated the WBO heavyweight title, making Fabio Wardley the new champion after his win over Joseph Parker.
Wardley recently stopped Joseph Parker in the 11th round to win the WBO interim belt, and with Usyk choosing not to go ahead with the mandatory defence, Wardley has now been upgraded to full WBO world champion.
The WBO stated that they respect Usyk’s decision, calling it a “pause, not a farewell”, meaning the door is open for him if he wants to return to challenge for the belt again.
For Wardley, it’s another huge step in his incredible rise from white-collar boxing to becoming Britain’s newest world heavyweight champion, joining names like Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua, and Daniel Dubois.
Wardley now sits at 20 wins, 19 knockouts and 1 draw, proving he’s one of the most dangerous finishers in the division.
Usyk has not announced his next move yet, after citing injury issues — and fans are already wondering if this could lead to bigger opportunities, including another fight with Tyson Fury.
Image: Oleksandr Usyk training (2015), by Andriy Makukha / CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
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