Oleksandr Usyk's 'strange' decision offers pause for thought as new champion elevated

Fabio Wardley was surprised by Oleksandr Usyk's decision to vacate the WBO heavyweight championship, calling it "strange" from the Ukrainian.

The two-time undisputed champion confirmed he would relinquish one of his four belts amid expectations he would face the Briton in early 2026.

Wardley earned mandatory contender status against the star after claiming the WBO interim title in an upset over Joseph Parker last month in London.

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Now, he has been elevated to full champion, becoming the first new major belt holder since Daniel Dubois - but he admits the decision caught him out.

"I don't necessarily know if I can [understand Usyk's decision]," he told Sky Sports News. "I don't know what he may be planning for himself,

"Whether that be retirement, whether it be a different fight, whether it be another alternative. Obviously, we're seeing loads of variations with fighters

"[You see] what they're doing with their careers at the moment, whether they're pivoting into different sports, or taking breaks and then coming back.

"It was a strange one. He was allowed an absence, an extension on the belt. To give it up just seems a strange move. I'm not too sure what he was thinking."

Wardley reaches summit but left bereft of opportunity

DAZN News correspondent Andrew Steel

There's only one man who might feel as conflicted as Fabio Wardley right now, and that will be Joseph Parker over his decision to take the Briton on last month.

Now, the latter is world champion after earning the New Zealander's prime interim belt and mandatory status, having already been the WBA interim holder too.

But the manner in which Wardley has found himself elevated to the throne will likely leave mixed emotions in its wake, with plenty of things for him to consider.

On the one hand, he is a bona fide heavyweight superstar. Not too many men have been officially sanctioned at the top in history, and he is now one of them.

But on the other, his hopes to earn the belt in the ring in a career-defining showdown with Usyk have been scotched, with the Ukrainian ducking away from a bout.

Did the incumbent champion fear Wardley? Or did he feel there were bigger paydays to be had? Either way, both men now head into 2026 with different destinations.

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