Oleksandr Usyk has vacated the WBO heavyweight title, ending his second run as an undisputed champion and clearing the way for interim titleholder Fabio Wardley to be elevated to full champion status. The WBO confirmed it received official communication from Team Usyk today, with the Ukrainian star electing to relinquish the belt rather than proceed with an ordered title consolidation bout.
Usyk was mandated to face Wardley following the Briton’s dramatic 11th-round stoppage of Joseph Parker on October 25 in London. That fight was staged with the understanding that the winner would become Usyk’s next mandatory challenger, after Usyk filed an injury exemption that originally allowed Parker to fight for interim status. For Parker, the loss was compounded further: the former WBO champion now faces investigation after testing positive for Benzoylecgonine, the primary metabolite of cocaine.
Monday’s decision marks the second time in two years that Usyk has surrendered a title after fully unifying the division. Last summer, just weeks after his first win over Tyson Fury in Riyadh, Usyk vacated the IBF belt to allow Daniel Dubois and Anthony Joshua to compete for a full title rather than an interim version. Usyk then defeated Fury again in December and later reclaimed the IBF belt by knocking out Dubois at Wembley Stadium to become a three-time undisputed champion across cruiserweight and heavyweight.
Usyk’s career remains one of the most accomplished in modern boxing, having unified all four major belts at cruiserweight after defeating three unbeaten champions - Krzysztof Glowacki, Mairis Briedis, and Murat Gassiev - on the road. WBO president Gustavo Olivieri praised Usyk as a “champion of champions,” noting the organization’s respect for his decision and emphasizing that the WBO’s doors “will always remain open.”
Wardley, now recognized as the sole WBO heavyweight champion, awaits next steps as the division enters a new chapter. Usyk’s future plans were not disclosed at the time of publication.
Image Credit: The Ring