Who did you get compared to? If the bench is Sugar Ray Robinson, the answer is simple: he hasn’t. Robinson remains the gold standard for how an all-time champion builds a career. He didn’t stop after defeating a handful of elite opponents and decided he had nothing left to prove.
Sugar Ray fought relentlessly, taking on the best opponents year after year, and finishing with over 200 professional fights. He built a resume so deep that generations later he is still considered by many historians to be the greatest boxer who ever lived. Modern boxing is different, but size doesn’t have to come with a discount.
Holding modern fighters to that mythical level is exactly how we prevent the dilution of what the “greatest of all time” really is. Robinson often gave dangerous opponents their shot instead of looking for an exit strategy.
At that rate, going with less than 30 fighters while young, hungry lions roam is definitely leaving unfinished business on the table. It’s easy to see why bypassing a newly promoted champion like Agit Kabayel or a potential powerhouse like Moses Itauma looked like a safe bet rather than a fantasy.
Forcing the public to watch an obscure big-name match, like Deontay Wilder, instead of real competitive threats is exactly what frustrates bullies who missed out on an era when champions swept the entire division.
If Usyk chose the comfortable route, it strengthens the argument that he didn’t want to risk everything against the next generation.
Champions today operate as high value companies. When a fighter achieves all that Usyk has, the business side often takes the fire of competition. Giving up all belts just to arrange a “last dance” against the late Deontay Wilder or a crossover opponent is about the 39-year-old fighter realizing that the modern environment allows him to take the biggest reward for the least risk.
Usyk’s record stands at only 23 fights. His wins over Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury and Daniel Dubois are impressive, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t significant challenges ahead. They are.
Agit Kabayel earned his chance with a string of quality victories and has developed into one of the most complete heavyweights in the division. Meanwhile, Moses Itauma is considered the brightest heavyweight in the sport. If he defeats Filip Hrgović, his case against Usyk becomes even stronger. These are the fights that could add to Usyk’s history.
A clash with Deontay Wilder will do the opposite. Wilder is still one of the biggest names in the division, but he is no longer the destroyer who dominated the WBC heavyweight title for years. At this stage, attraction is built more on recognition than on competitive edge.
The financial argument is not particularly convincing. With Saudi Arabia investing heavily in boxing, it’s hard to believe that Usyk would have to give up life-changing money to face Itauma or Kabayel instead. Those fights will still cost the biggest purses while providing the most value for the sport.
That is what separates the good works from the popular ones. Great fighters didn’t spend their last years looking for the safest or most marketable exit. They continue to pursue the toughest challenges available because that is how lasting legacies are built.
Syk has had an impressive career, but if he is to be compared to Robinson and other immortals, he should be held to the same standard. There are still dangerous rivals waiting for their turn. If he retires after beating them, no one can question his decision.
To the old-school student, that calculated business move seems almost impossible to avoid. Robinson fought the worst men alive because that was the only way to eat and stay fit. Usyk can leave as he has taken out the top team in the division, Joshua, Fury and Dubois of his special generation, leaving the next crop to fight for his lost titles while he pursues a more lucrative, low-risk exit.
