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To quote wrestling legend Rick Flair, “To be the man, you gotta beat the man.” That is the mindset of the professional athlete. Fans on the other hand often find themselves questioning whether or not a competitor is fearful of having a strong teammate or opponent. The reality is they relish the chance to prove they are the best. Putting yourself up against the best and handing them defeat is the ultimate validation. It quiets the naysayers, boosts your legend, and most of the time comes with some pretty nice financial perks.

That’s the amazing thing about sports. Athletes get to put up or shut up. I mean how many times have you wanted to prove how much better you are at your job than Jimmy from accounting, but there’s no direct competition that proves you would crush his soul with a dominant performance? You have to be satisfied with simply knowing your Microsoft Excel skills would embarrass him to the point of retiring. But in sports we get to see that fantasy play out. Yes, sometimes athletes get their asses handed to them and reach into the bucket of excuses, but most times when they are just supremely outmatched there’s nothing to do but tip their cap to the victor.

I found this all extremely relevant at the start of the 2025 MotoGP season as Marc Marquez joined the factory Ducati team to pair with two time class champion Pecco Bagnaia. There were a couples questions in everyone’s mind: 

1. Is Marc Marquez really back to peak form? 

2. Can Pecco handle the pressure of having Marc as his teammate?  

To Pecco’s credit he’s never been scared of Marc. He goes about his business, and tries to pull the best out of himself and doesn’t worry too much about the critics or keyboard warriors like myself. But I also don’t think he was really ready to face the absolute monster that moved into the garage beside him.

Don’t get me wrong. Pecco has gone up against some phenomenal competition. His two championship runs were well deserved against reigning champion Fabio Quartararo in 2022, and soon to be champion Jorge Martin in 2023. No one handed him anything. Every time he was challenged he dug deep and found a way to grind out enough points to win. But battling Marc is a different ballgame.

Now, let me first say that I haven’t always been a fan of Marquez. If you’ve seen my podcast or content online you know exactly where I stand in the Rossi v. Marquez debate. Even after Rossi was no longer competitive at the front I spent far too much time cheering against MM93 victories. But what was once bitter resentment for his brash and unapologetically aggressive riding style has softened into a respect over the past few seasons. I’ve seen what Marc has gone through. The toll it’s taken on him physically and mentally. How easy it would have been for him to simply retire. With 8 world titles on the shelf at home his legacy is poured in the most solid of concrete. But the greats in any sport have a very hard time calling it quits because there’s always one question lingering in the back of their minds: Can I become even greater?

We see it in every sport. There’s a difference between great athletes and “the greats.” Let’s face it, if you are able to make a long career playing professional sports you are elite at your discipline. But “the greats” have something different. Greats not only win, but make their opponents feel forgotten. And in MotoGP this season it was obvious very early on, that barring injury, the rest of the paddock was fighting for second place well behind Marc Marquez. What else does he really have to prove? He won championships against Rossi, Pedrosa, and Lorenzo. He went up against the best. He beat the best. He’s one of “the greats” if not “the GOAT.” But no matter how good you are, you can always be better. It seems to me that this year Marc Marquez is sending a clear message to every rider he currently competes with, and those he tussled with at the start of his career: There’s me, and there’s everyone else.

Every athlete thinks they want to test themselves against the best, because dethroning the king is the fastest way to stand on top of the mountain. I learned that on a playground in 5th grade. But measuring yourself against generational talent can also be a humbling experience because sometimes no matter how good you are, how hard you work, how deep you dig, there’s just nothing you can do.  

How may great swimmers looked across the Olympic pool at the end of the race and realized that if half-man-half-fish Michael Phelps wasn’t the competition, they’d have gold medals around their neck? How many great NFL quarterbacks have stood on the sideline and watched the ageless wonder Tom Brady pry the Lombardi Trophy from their grasp? And I could keep going: Michael Jordan, Wayne Gretsky, Usain Bolt, Serena Williams, Garry Kasparov (you didn’t think I was going to forget about Chess, did you?). So we have to ask the same question here. How many riders would have their name on the Tower of Champions if they didn’t have to compete against a rider who doesn’t seem human? Would we be talking about Andrea Dovizioso’s legacy as a multi year champion. Dani Pedrosa? Maybe Rossi wins that 10th title. We’ll never know.

As for this year in MotoGP, for the riders that longed to test themselves against the very best our sport has to offer, it may be a case of “be careful what you wish for.” Does the fact that Marc wasn’t at the sharp end for the last few years negate the championships of Joan Mir, Fabio Quartararo, Pecco Bagnaia and Jorge Martin? Absolutely not. Does a tiny part of them wish Marc was in the mix so they could say that they dethroned the king? I’m guessing yes. But looking at what he’s doing this year on a competitive motorcycle, are they a little bit relieved he wasn't in the fight? Maybe.

Watching Marc Marquez this year go about his business dominating every single Sprint, and nearly every Grand Prix, I often recall the famous quote from Armen Keteyian in the Tiger Woods HBO documentary: “These young players want a piece of Tiger from his prime on a Sunday in a major… The fuck you do. You have no idea what you’re getting into.”