We’re nine months deep into 2026, and the sport’s pound-for-pound elite are barely throwing punches. Guys like Naoya Inoue and Oleksandr Usyk? They’ve only boxed once this year. The same goes for David Benavidez, Shakur Stevenson, Jesse Rodriguez, Dmitry Bivol, and Jaron Ennis, all top-tier names. Only one boxer in Uncrowned’s top ten rankings, Jai Opetaia, has fought more than once, and Benavidez and Bivol are the *only* others looking at a second fight before the year is out. What is going on?
King Ry Just Reminded Everyone What Fighting Means
Contrast that ghosting act with Ryan Garcia, the current WBC welterweight champion. After a second-round stoppage of Conor Benn in Vegas that was quick and undemanding, Garcia was not content. Forget just one fight, especially after a recent spell of inactivity from a drugs ban. He’s trying to make up for lost time. He wasn’t even done with the Benn blowout, telling “The Ariel Helwani Show” he had another bare-knuckle “brawl in the room” with his “homie” 24 hours later. “Easy work,” he called it, coming away with just a sore hand. Garcia is already plotting his next fight for December. Some might call that a crazy quick turnaround, but for Garcia, it’s just common sense. “Why not?” he asked. “I don’t want to wait until May to fight. Why do I have to wait until May? I have no bruises, no hits to the head. Why can’t I fight? I’ll give the fans a little treat.” He gets it! Three fights in a calendar year, hitting February, September, and December, would be a massive statement of activity compared to the rest of the game. He’s delivering the treats we all crave.
The Real Reasons Our Fave Fighters Are Disappearing
So why are the sport’s biggest names chilling out while Garcia is practically begging for more action? Hall-of-Fame matchmaker Brad Goodman, who’s been around since 1983 with Top Rank, says it’s flat-out “getting worse and worse.” He says matchmaking is harder, there are fewer opponents, and the fighters just aren’t as good as they were in the ’80s and ’90s. He even links this decline in quality to the inactivity itself. Ouch. Goodman points to the fading TV interest. Boxing is a “streaming-service sport” now, so no more weekly fights, which means fewer opportunities for guys to step into the ring. And then there’s the money. Fighters are making “a ton of money” now, and they’re “protecting their zeroes,” meaning their unbeaten records. Back in the day, with more activity, defeats were inevitable. Now, nobody wants that ‘L’ on their perfect sheet, so they sit on their cash and their records. It’s a sad state of affairs when the best in the business are just… not fighting.
With Ryan Garcia pushing for a December bout, he’s setting himself apart. He’s showing that a true champ wants to fight, wants to challenge himself, and wants to give the fans what they paid for. It’s a reminder of what boxing used to be and what it desperately needs to be again. Will other elite fighters get the message and step up, or will King Ry remain the lone wolf actually fighting for the fans?
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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