Ukrainian boxing star Oleksandr Usyk has revealed why he chose to give up his WBO heavyweight world title rather than defend it against Britain’s Fabio Wardley.
Usyk, who previously held all four major heavyweight belts, relinquished the WBO strap after being ordered to face Wardley, who has since been promoted to full champion and is set to make his first defence in 2026.
According to Usyk’s camp manager, Sergey Lapin, the former undisputed champion decided to allow younger fighters the opportunity to compete for the belt.
“Oleksandr vacated the belt to give young boxers a chance to fight for it. Let’s see how everything develops from here,” Lapin told Pro Boxing Fans.
Usyk also expressed interest in seeing Wardley face stablemate Moses Itauma, describing it as a potentially thrilling matchup. “Fabio Wardley vs. Moses Itauma would be a wonderful fight for both, and it would be very interesting to see who comes out on top,” Lapin added.
The move underscores Usyk’s continued focus on fostering competition within the heavyweight division while maintaining his own strategic path as a pound-for-pound elite boxer.
