Josh Warrington has changed his mind about retiring, Tyson Fury insists he has left the sport, and Team GB Olympian Delicious Orie ended his professional boxing career almost before it began.
Boxing is a tough profession, but stepping away from it completely can be even more challenging.
Warrington himself has been contemplating whether to hang up his gloves or continue fighting.
Immediately after his defeat to Anthony Cacace last year, Warrington felt he had reached the end. However, that feeling only lasted a few weeks. The former IBF featherweight champion has since reconsidered quitting and believes he has one more significant phase left in his career.
“The sport is addictive,” he commented. “It`s incredibly addictive. There`s no feeling quite like fight night, the preparation in training camp leading up to it, and then obviously getting your hand raised at the end. Naturally, when things don`t go your way, it`s the worst feeling in the world. But I still feel I`m good enough to further enhance my legacy.”
He thinks Tyson Fury might take longer to return, but is convinced the former heavyweight world champion will eventually come back to the sport. Warrington also believes boxing needs Fury`s return.
“The thing about Tyson is, he`s a fantastic showman, and boxing clearly needs showmen. Boxing is a beautiful sport, an art and a science, featuring compelling and brilliant fights. It`s also entertainment, it`s theatre, and sometimes people enjoy the build-up as much as anything,” he stated. “Tyson excels at that – the trash talk, the bizarre outfits, getting under people`s skin. Always entertaining.”
“At one point he genuinely seemed retired,” Warrington added. “But I have a feeling he will make a comeback. People will reach a point where they think he`s completely finished, and then, bam, `I`m back.`”
Delicious Orie had a highly successful amateur career in the super-heavyweight division. Besides winning the national Elite title, he secured gold medals at the Commonwealth and European Games before becoming an Olympian. However, after participating in just one professional fight, Orie unexpectedly announced his retirement.
“It might have been enough for him. That one fight might have been sufficient,” Warrington remarked. “For me, speaking personally, I always had goals and targets, and that`s what kept me going. When I first started, I wanted to win a British title and save for a mortgage deposit. I gave myself 12 years to achieve it; I was 18 and planned to be done by 30. I did it in three years. Then I set new challenges… I kept progressing and became a world champion twice.”
“I still believe I am capable of winning another world title,” he concluded. “If my career is indeed nearing its end, I want to conclude it on my own terms.”
Murray Blackwood