Tim Bradley thinks Oleksandr Usyk is done chasing greatness. Now he’s just chasing checks.
The Hall of Famer believes Usyk’s decision to vacate three heavyweight titles is the clearest sign yet that the Ukrainian has entered the final, business-first stage of his career. He pointed to Usyk’s grueling win over kickboxer Rico Verhoeven as the turning point, speaking on the Inside Ring Show.
I think that the Rico Verhoeven fight was an eye-opener for him to be honest with you. He struggled with him, right, but then he was able to pull it off at the end.
Relinquishing the titles, for me, you see the white smoke. He is done. He has left the sport of boxing. He is going to fight [again], but he has left the sport of boxing. He is in the business of boxing now.
Bradley isn’t saying Usyk, 25-0 (16 KOs), is retiring. His point is that the days of chasing undisputed status are over. Usyk stopped Verhoeven in the 11th round in May, then last month vacated the WBC, WBA, and IBF titles, keeping only his lineal Ring Magazine crown and leaving the division to sort out new champions. He has said he wants one final fight, with a showdown against former WBC titleholder Deontay Wilder among the names floated.
