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Andy Lee: "It's the right time to call it a day"

Irish boxing legend Andy Lee announced his retirement from boxing on Tuesday's Off the Ball. The ...
Newstalk
Newstalk

20.39 20 Feb 2018


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Andy Lee: "It'...

Andy Lee: "It's the right time to call it a day"

Newstalk
Newstalk

20.39 20 Feb 2018


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Irish boxing legend Andy Lee announced his retirement from boxing on Tuesday's Off the Ball.

The former WBO Middleweight World Champion revealed he had achieved everything he wanted to in the sport and his family life was now a major part in his decision to hang up the gloves. 

"Yeah I was a little bit nervous coming in here tonight," he told Joe Molloy, "And I'm not quite sure how to say it but I've come to the decision to retire from professional boxing. 

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"It's a good decision, it's a good moment and to go out on my own terms and not be retired in the ring - a lot of fighters lose it that way but it's time now - it's the right time. 

Andy Lee: "It's the right time to call it a day"

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"I'm thirty-three years old. I've achieved everything I've wanted to in the game - I've had an amazing career and an amazing life through boxing. 

"It has defined my life, it has defined who I am but it's the right time to call it a day. 

"It has been on my mind for a while. Over the last two years I've kept myself available. I fought in March of last year, I won that fight and I just kept myself available to see what my options were if a fight came along that would entice me back. 

"None of the fights and none of the offers were good enough or big enough to get me to go back and I have responsibilities now as a father - to leave my wife and my daughter, it would take a big fight to get me to do that, to leave them, to go away training and to put myself through all that. 

"If I was single with no child - I probably would have been back in the gym straight away after the fight with Billy Joe Saunders but I took a decision to take some time off and then we had the baby so that's been the best thing and that's really my priority right now."


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