Fabio Wardley won’t have too much time to cherish his new world title.

On Monday, the WBO announced Oleksandr Usyk had informed them that he would be vacating his heavyweight belt. In the immediate aftermath, Fabio Wardley, who won the interim version thanks to his victory over Joseph Parker on October 25 via 11th-round stoppage, has been elevated to full champion.

According to Gustavo Olivieri, president of the sanctioning body, the newly crowned champion will be mandated to fight Moses Itauma if he beats Jermaine Franklin on January 24.

“Itauma would become the mandatory contender for Wardley by beating Jermaine Franklin,” Olivieri told The Ring. “Beating Franklin, who's a top contender, would put him in a strong position.”

It’s unclear why Usyk (24-0, 15 KOs), who still holds The Ring, IBF, WBA, and WBC straps, opted to drop his WBO trinket. However, for Itauma, he could have more incentive.

Already ranked No. 1 in the WBO, the 20-year-old could fight for a world title in 2026. The Ring ranks Itauma ninth.

At the moment, however, Itauma (13-0, 11 KOs) and Wardley (20-0-1, 19 KOs) are trained by Ben Davison. To make matters even more complicated, Wardley, just recently, said in an interview that if he were forced to face his stablemate, he would rather it be with multiple titles on the line.