Frank Warren confirms negotiations for fight between Usyk and Wardley
Frank Warren explained that if Usyk does not accept the fight, Wardley will be declared the undisputed champion of the World Boxing Organization
Promoter Frank Warren confirmed that Oleksandr Usyk and Fabio Wardley, the official challenger, are already negotiating the fight for the undisputed heavyweight championship.
At the Joshua Buatsi-Zach Parker press conference, Warren explained that if Usyk does not accept the fight, Wardley will be declared the undisputed champion of the World Boxing Organization of Boxing (WBO).
“At the moment, the agreement is that Usyk must defend his WBO title against Fabio. We are in negotiations, and if we don't reach an agreement, there will be an auction. Whoever wins the auction will be able to determine the venue and date of the fight. The contracts will have to be signed, and then Mr. Usyk will decide whether to sign them or not. If he signs them, we'll have the fight. If not, Fabio will be declared WBO champion and will fight another boxer,” he said.
Recall that Fabio Wardley knocked out Joseph Parker in the eleventh round and won the interim WBO championship. After the fight, the British fighter wasted no time and immediately challenged the Ukrainian champion.
Oleksandr Usyk had already stated that he was interested in facing the winner of this fight, so Wardley could be the next one to face him. According to Fran Warren, the fight will take place in March 2026.
Recall that Usyk is coming off a dominant victory over Daniel Dubois in their rematch, knocking him out with a left hook that left him lying on the canvas. With this win, the Ukrainian regained the International Boxing Federation (IBF) belt and once again became the undisputed heavyweight champion, reaffirming his place among the greats of boxing today.
Fabio Wardley, 30, became the WBO interim champion by defeating Joseph Parker and is now the official challenger to the Ukrainian champion. The British fighter remains undefeated after 20 fights, 19 by knockout, and one draw.
Meanwhile, Oleksandr Usyk, 37, became the undisputed heavyweight champion for the second time, continuing to build his legacy in the sport. The Ukrainian fighter maintains his immaculate record after 24 fights, 15 of them by knockout.