Former World Boxing Association Super World Super Middleweight Champion George Groves has announced his retirement at the still tender age of 30 years old.
“After taking a little time to reflect on the recent events in my career, I have decided that it is time for me to retire as a professional fighter,” Groves said in a statement released.
Groves will hang up his gloves with a record of 28 wins, 4 losses and 20 wins via knockout. Groves won the WBA Super Title against Fedor Chudinov in May of 2017 and successfully defended the title two times before losing to Callum Smith this last September in the World Boxing Super Series finale.
George Groves said becoming the WBA super middleweight champ in 2017 fulfilled his childhood dream.
“In 2017, I boxed in front of a home crowd in Sheffield and became the WBA super middleweight world champion. After four attempts I had finally fulfilled my childhood dream, and the experience was as great as I had always imagined it would be. It was without doubt the best moment of my career.”
Groves further added “Some of you may think it’s odd that I’m choosing this time to retire. I’m still young, still fit and healthy, and there are still some big fights out there for me. But it’s for these reasons that I am choosing to retire now. I have a young family at home; it’s time to spend some of my better days with them. I don’t want there to be a time where I’m ‘too old’ to box on, or where an injury retires me in or out of the ring.
Over the years I have seen and sadly known the dangers of the sport, and I want to respectfully bow out while I’m at the top of my game. I’ve learned that doesn’t always mean coming off the back of a win. I’ve boxed at the highest level, all over the world, I’ve been a champion and I’ll be leaving the sport (relatively!) intact.”
The WBA congratulates George Groves on an illustrious career, where despite taking some losses in big fights – such as against Carl Froch – the fights he partook in defined a generation and were some of the most memorable ones of his era that will never be forgotten in boxing history.
