Oleksandr Usyk (24-0, 15 KO), previously the absolute world champion in heavyweight, vacated the World Boxing Organization title. He still holds the WBC, WBA, and IBF belts but lost his status as the undisputed champion. Instead, a fighter without an amateur career has ascended the throne, coming to boxing from the "white collars."
“The UK has a new world heavyweight champion and a new star in this sport. One of the most incredible stories I've seen in my 45 years of promotion,” Frank Warren, Wardley's promoter, proudly stated.
In the previous WBO rankings, which had not been updated for two months, Moses Itauma (13-0, 11 KO) led the list of contenders, followed closely by Filip Hrgovic (19-1, 14 KO). They were followed by Zhilei, Okolie, Dubois, Anderson, Joshua, and Chisora.