Fabio Wardley has achieved the status of heavyweight world champion as Oleksandr Usyk voluntarily relinquished his title.
In a thrilling encounter last month, Wardley defeated Joseph Parker in the 11th round to claim the interim WBO championship. Despite being mandated to defend his four belts against Wardley, Usyk decided to forego the opportunity, avoiding what would have been his ninth bout against a British opponent.
Usyk, a former two-time undisputed world champion, had victories over Tyson Fury and Daniel Dubois. Initially planning to retire after one more fight, Usyk recently announced his intention to continue competing for an additional two years. Wardley’s ascent to the world championship marks a remarkable achievement in his career that commenced in the white-collar boxing circuit. While lacking amateur experience, Wardley has had a successful professional career since turning pro in 2017, with only one loss in his record.
With a remarkable record of 20 wins, one draw, and no losses, Wardley has secured 19 victories by knockout, defeating notable opponents such as Justis Huni, David Adeleye, Nick Gorman, and Nick Webb. The sole blemish on his record stems from a draw with Frazer Clarke in their initial encounter, which Wardley avenged with a first-round TKO in a rematch held the same year.
Despite expressing a strong desire to face Usyk, Wardley did not need to confront the current top-ranked heavyweight to realize his dream of becoming a world champion. This marks the second occasion in Usyk’s career where he has relinquished a title, having previously vacated his IBF championship to engage in a rematch with Fury instead of facing the mandatory challenger, Dubois.
Dubois, subsequently promoted to full IBF champion, successfully defended his title with a fifth-round knockout of Anthony Joshua at Wembley in September. However, Dubois lost his title to Usyk in July 2025 at the same venue, succumbing to a fifth-round stoppage.
Following Wardley’s championship victory, his promoter, Frank Warren, expressed pride in the new champion, highlighting the exciting opportunities that lie ahead for Wardley as he defends his WBO belt and aims to establish a lasting legacy in the sport.