Two moments fighters held up a division as Usyk’s future hangs in the balance

After 24 straight victories, an Olympic gold medal, and becoming a two-time undisputed heavyweight champion of the world, there can be no denying that Oleksandr Usyk is, without question, the greatest boxer of his generation. The undefeated Ukrainian has taken on all comers in his glittering career, beginning with an Olympic gold medal at London 2012 before going on to take the professional ranks by storm. After conquering the cruiserweights, the technical master then moved to heavyweight, gatecrashing the status quo to claim the division as his own. 

Nothing says dominance quite like beating all of your biggest rivals, not once, but twice. That is exactly what Usyk has done, twice defeating British heavyweight champions Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua, and, most recently, Daniel Dubois. The latter was the Ukrainian’s most recent victim, with Usyk dominating before brutally knocking out Dynamite in their clash at Wembley Stadium back in July. However, since that punishing performance, the undisputed champion has yet to return to the ring. 

Oleksandr Usyk’s Future 

Perhaps that shouldn’t be cause for concern. A fighter going three months without a bout is by no means something to worry about, with most fighters at the very top of the sport fighting twice per year at best. However, it’s the sheer lack of news, rumors, or anything at all regarding Oleksandr Usyk’s next challenger that has set alarm bells ringing. 

The champ will turn 39 in January and has made no secret of the fact that retirement is a very real possibility. But for some contenders at the top of the division, such an announcement should come sooner, rather than later. One of those contenders is Joseph Parker. 

Joseph Parker Left Out in the Cold 

The former WBO heavyweight champion has positioned himself as the mandatory challenger with impressive wins against the fearsome Deontay Wilder, Zhilei Zhang, and Martin Bakole. However, with purse bids ordered, Usyk sought to delay his mandatory title defense, citing a back injury. The question many have asked since is whether Usyk is actually injured, or whether he’s stalling until he decides on his future. If a recent viral social media video of him dancing is anything to go by, it could well be the latter. 

Much like at the blackjack table, Parker opted to double down on his position as mandatory challenger. Rather than waiting around, he looked to cement his position as the undisputed next in line for Usyk by facing the dangerous Fabio Wardley. Insights from the popular Ignition Casino US suggest that doubling down can be the perfect tactic on occasion, but that’s on the casino floor, not in the boxing ring. 

In a bitter twist of fate, the undefeated Brit bludgeoned Parker from pillar to post before securing a tenth-round TKO victory. Now, it is he who will face Usyk next, with the Ukrainian’s inactivity costing his would-be Kiwi opponent dearly. 

While the undisputed champion may well feel he has earned the right to a prolonged break after clearing out the division twice over, it does raise the question of the fairness of one fighter holding up an entire division. Usyk, however, isn’t the only one to do this. Here are two other fighters who held their divisions hostage while they decided on their future. 

Lennox Lewis

Start here: Lennox Lewis, lion of the ring, standing atop the world after turning Mike Tyson into a broken relic in 2002. That night was supposed to ignite a renaissance. Instead, the Brit drifted into virtual hibernation, his WBC title gathering dust while fresh challengers—Chris Byrd most notably—saw their hopes fizzle out. 

Nearly a year ticked by (357 days, to be precise), with the heavyweight scene hanging in the balance. When Lewis finally re-emerged to face Vitali Klitschko, the fight erupted in violence and finished in controversy—a blood-soaked TKO victory due to a cut over the Ukrainian’s eye, despite the younger challenger leading on the scorecards at the time. Following that, even more silence. 

Klitschko’s rematch was rumored but never came to fruition. After a further 13 months— one month removed from Vitali securing his position as mandatory challenger to Lewis’ throne and guaranteeing a rematch—The Lion would retire unscathed. In total, he claimed just that one controversial victory across a nearly two-year stint, clinging on to the undisputed heavyweight title all the while. 

Floyd Mayweather Jr. 

Every era has its maestro, and Floyd Mayweather Jr. conducted boxing’s chaos with a billionaire’s wand. Crowned WBC welterweight king after outclassing Carlos Baldomir in late 2006, ‘Money’ refused to look back at the chasing pack. Instead, he sprinted up the scales for a megafight payday with Oscar De La Hoya—a move commercially shrewd, but disastrous for a hungry 147-pound division.

Mayweather’s 14-month absence from the welterweight drama left Antonio Margarito, Miguel Cotto, and a parade of prime contenders stalled in traffic. The division’s pulse slowed to a crawl, and thrilling matchups faded into the “what-if” ether as Mayweather played the main-stage conductor. When he briefly retired in 2007, the sense of abandonment was complete. Welterweight greatness, it seemed, only existed at Floyd’s convenience.