Oleksandr Usyk’s decision to relinquish the WBO heavyweight title has dramatically reshaped the division, clearing a direct path for 20-year-old Moses Itauma to potentially become its next champion. Usyk, still holding three other belts, declined the sanctioning body’s order to face England’s Fabio Wardley and instead shifted his focus toward legacy fights to close out his storied career.
For the WBO, the split comes at an opportune moment. Itauma, already the organization’s No. 1 contender and considered by many a generational heavyweight talent, is now one victory away from fighting for the belt. He must first defeat Jermaine Franklin Jr. on January 24 in Manchester, with promoter Frank Warren already indicating that a win would position Itauma for a title shot.
Watch Itauma vs. Wight highlights.
Franklin, riding a three-fight win streak, is expected to be elevated into the WBO top 15, making him a qualifying opponent for an interim title bout. Warren’s confidence in Itauma’s trajectory was voiced even before Usyk’s announcement, which arrived after a complicated year marked by scheduling disputes, medical exemptions, and the Ukrainian star’s eventual decision to step away from the WBO belt.
Usyk, a two-time undisputed champion across two divisions, exits the WBO landscape with his legacy intact after consecutive victories over Tyson Fury and a fifth-round knockout of Daniel Dubois. Yet his refusal to proceed with the Parker-ordered defense, and his apparent interest in other major fights including potential bouts with Fury or Anthony Joshua made his WBO departure inevitable.
WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman has already noted that he feels no obligation to coordinate mandatories among sanctioning bodies going forward, a stance that further frees the landscape. Within the WBO, the mood is clear: the organization sees Itauma as the future. As one official put it, “We have a new heavyweight champion coming.”
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