A Former British and Commonwealth champion has had to announce his retirement from the ring following the results of his mandatory annual brain scan.
Chris Jenkins revealed to BBC Sport that his recent scan uncovered an “abnormality” compared to the previous year, which has forced him to prioritise his health and announce his retirement from the sport at the age of 35.
In a heartfelt social media post, he expressed the difficulty of this decision and acknowledged that he has no choice but to step away from the sport he has been involved in since the age of 12.
This decision came after discussions with his trainer, Gary Lockett, a former world-title challenger himself and someone who has worked with he likes of Nick Blackwell.
Explaining the rationale behind his retirement to the BBC, Jenkins highlighted the risks posed by continuing boxing, particularly in light of the potential for early dementia or Parkinson’s disease due to the detected abnormalities in his brain scan and emphasised that risking his health further is not an option.
“A hard fight or hard spar could result in greater risk of having early dementia or Parkinson’s. Having a young family, this is a risk I can’t even contemplate taking. I need to be there and provide for my family. It still hasn’t sunk in as of yet.”
Reflecting on his career, Jenkins recalled his professional journey that began in Swansea in 2012 and, over the course of 33 professional fights, saw him achieve notable victories including winning a light-welterweight version of Prizefighter in 2013 and becoming British and Commonwealth champion at welterweight, which he held until 2021.
He retires with a record of 23 wins, seven defeats, and three draws.