Town-supporting boxer Fabio Wardley has been crowned the WBO world heavyweight champion after Oleksandr Usyk vacated the belt.
Ukrainian Usyk, 38, who had been the undisputed heavyweight champion, had been told he had to face the winner of the Wardley-Joseph Parker contest the 30-year-old Chantry-born fighter won last month. But Usyk has instead opted to vacate the title.
"The World Boxing Organisation announced today that it has received formal communication from Team Oleksandr Usyk regarding the future of the WBO heavyweight championship. After thoughtful consideration, Usyk has elected to relinquish his title,” a WBO statement reads.
"The WBO extends its profound respect, admiration, and gratitude to Oleksandr Usyk, an undefeated, two-division WBO undisputed world champion and a fighter who has earned and exemplified every right, privilege and honour associated with the WBO super champion distinction.
"His career stands as one of the most extraordinary and historic of the modern boxing era.”
Having knocked out Daniel Dubois in June and becoming a two-time undisputed heavyweight champion, the WBO instructed Usyk to fight Parker, then the interim champion.
Usyk was granted additional time to recover from an injury but in the meantime Wardley stunned the highly experienced Parker, stopping him in the 11th round at the O2.
That extended one-time white collar fighter Wardley’s record to 20 wins, 19 knockouts of those knockouts, and one draw.
He had hoped to fight Usyk for the WBO world heavyweight belt, with whom he sparred early in his career over in Ukraine, but will now look for a challenger of his own.
Meanwhile, Parker has denied taking any banned substance after traces of cocaine were found in a routine test on the day of the Wardley fight.
"I did not take any prohibited substance, I do not use performance enhancing drugs and do not support their use,” the 33-year-old insisted.
"I am cooperating fully with the process now under way, and I am confident the investigation will clear my name.”