Oleksandr Usyk has been urged to stick to his word and grant Fabio Wardley a fight.
Unbeaten British contender Wardley won a thrilling fight against Joseph Parker in London on Saturday night to edge a step closer to challenging Usyk.
Wardley captured Parker's WBO interim belt and mandatory status to the full championship, which Usyk holds among his collection.
Usyk could opt to vacate the WBO title if he prefers another fight but, to remain as undisputed, he must grant Wardley an opportunity.
"I hope he's a man of his word and it comes off," Wardley told Sky Sports.
"It has been mandated by the WBO. I know his team came out and said they were keeping an eye on the fight and were happy to take on the winner.
"I believe him to be a man of his word. In 2026, hopefully we will see Usyk."
The undefeated Usyk has sensationally become undisputed at cruiserweight and heavyweight, and memorably beat Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury twice each.
"It can't be understated how good he is as a boxer, how much of a talent he is," Wardley admitted.
"But ultimately I have self-belief. I don't care who he is. The bare bones of it are that he's just a man across the ring with two arms, the same as me.
"Any man that steps in the ring me I can defeat."
Wardley knows he would enter a fight against Usyk as a sizable underdog.
"I don't know if that tag will ever leave me," he said. "Between being the underdog, the next fight being a step too far, and the white collar thing, those things I won't ever shake off.
"That's fine. I wear them as a badge of honour as opposed to a negative."
Wardley stopped Parker in the 11th round of their heavyweight battle on Saturday when the referee jumped in to halt his flurry of unanswered punches. Parker -- who did not go down -- later insisted he was okay to continue.
Wardley defended the referee's decision: "I think it was right. It could have come a little bit earlier. You saw it in the second round -- I was shipping punches on him, there was a long time waiting for the ref to step in.
"In the 10th again, a similar scenario, then in the 11th. At the third time of asking I think the ref thought: 'I can't let this happen again'."
- Wardley shocks Parker with late stoppage, calls out Usyk
- Heavyweight fights we want to see in 2026: Fury-Joshua, more
Wardley credited Parker: "Huge opponent, huge heart from Joe. Credit to him for taking the fight. It was a risky fight, and not one he had to take. It proves how much of a warrior he is.
"He was very problematic in moments. Ebbs and flows, he had good moments and I had good moments. At this end of the division it will always be like that, it will never be plain sailing.
"There were some hurdles, some things to overcome, things he was doing which we had to figure out. It was all a learning experience."