Will the WBO appoint Wardley as a contender for Itauma?

If the Ukrainian provides medical reasons confirming that he will not be able to conduct his mandatory defense of his world champion title within the next 120 days, Wardley will be appointed as a contender to fight Itauma, who holds the top spot in the World Boxing Organization rankings.

Itauma is also obliged to fight Kubrat Pulev for the WBA heavyweight world title. Given that Wardley and Itauma are both under promoter Frank Warren, it's unlikely their paths will cross at this stage of their career.