Frank Warren explains why Usyk said no to Wardley bout
Warren explained why Usyk doesn’t want to fight Wardley (photo: Getty Images)
Ukrainian heavyweight world champion Oleksandr Usyk, who vacated the WBO title, approaches fights from a financial risk perspective. For this reason, he does not want to face Fabio Wardley, promoter Frank Warren told talkSPORT Boxing in an interview.
Why Usyk declined the mandatory defense
Oleksandr Usyk, who has held the status of undisputed champion in two weight classes during his career, vacated the WBO heavyweight title in November 2025. As a result, he lost his undisputed champion status but retained the WBC, WBA, and IBF belts.
According to Frank Warren, the promoter of the new WBO champion Fabio Wardley, Usyk deliberately avoided the mandatory defense against his fighter to focus on financially more lucrative fights.
"And he's a smart operator, Alex is, and he's done everything that's been, and he's looking at fights now for risk and reward. And I just feel that he thinks that the risk for the reward is not justified," Warren said, explaining Usyk's decision.
The promoter emphasized that Usyk had previously shown interest in a fight with Deontay Wilder, but not with Wardley.
Warren is confident, however, that the fight could have been a huge event.
"If he's in with Usyk, you'd do a Tottenham all day long," he added, referring to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, which has a capacity of 62,000 spectators.
What's next for Wardley
After Usyk vacated the title, Fabio Wardley (20 wins, 19 by knockout) became the official WBO champion. He won the interim belt after knocking out Joseph Parker in the 11th round.
According to Warren, 30-year-old Wardley plans to make his first defense of the WBO title in April 2026, with Anthony Joshua considered the most likely opponent.
