One of the most talented middleweights of the current generation, the popular Andy Lee has decided to call time on his stellar career.
The man who was once led and lived in the same home as the legendary trainer Emmanuel Steward in Detroit, USA. Lee cultivated his craft under the stewardship of Manny and went on to achieve world champion status.
He had been out of the ring for almost a full year since March 2017. He had warned that a retirement plan was looming if he could not secure a high profile match up which would fire him up mentally.
— Andy Lee (@AndyLeeBoxing) October 25, 2017
Lee announced his retirement on Wednesday on Irish radio broadcaster Newstalk’s “Off The Ball” show.
“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,” Lee began.
“I’m 33 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.”
Here's a throw back for you @ryanburnett01 Congratulations, Champion of the World!! pic.twitter.com/neP10ZpRnU
— Andy Lee (@AndyLeeBoxing) June 11, 2017
“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.”
There was talk that Andy Lee was looking at securing a fight with America’s Daniel Jacobs. However, that fell through after he decided to sign to fight Maciej Sulęcki in April.
“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,” said Lee.
“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.
This is the fight I want @DanielJacobsTKO@EddieHearnhttps://t.co/6TYADdM51u
— Andy Lee (@AndyLeeBoxing) January 16, 2018
“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.”
READ MORE:
GGG trainer fires shots at Canelo – “he was a runner”
Mikey Garcia: I would rather fight Errol Spence Jr opposed to Vasyl Lomachenko!