When is the best time to say goodbye?

By Michael Vena - 10/09/2015 - Comments

1-MAYPAC WEIGH IN-TRAPPFOTOS-3996By Yannis Mihanos: Time and time again I have seen great champions continuing their careers for far too long risking their health and ruining their reputation.

I have also seen good champions retiring earlier than they should be, leaving their legacy incomplete and their fans disappointed. So when is really the best time to say goodbye from the sport of Boxing? I am going to try to give an answer in this article.

Last September we watched for the last time Floyd Mayweather Jr (49-0, 26 KOs) fighting, he has decided to take the road of no return, the lonely road to retirement.

Of course you can never say never in boxing especially when there is so much money involved.

Now the speculation about retirement runs fast also for Manny Pacquiao (57-6-2, 38 KOs) who wants to join the next elections in his country and become a Senator.

But this article is not about Mayweather or Pacquiao, far from it.

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This article is about those who think about retirement but are already way past it. Still to realize that the glory days are gone.

The article is also for those who should never ever retire from the world of boxing.

Today there are many fighters who continue fighting over their prime, there are a few exceptions who can still be excellent even as they get older just like vintage wine.

Of course the signals for someone close to retirement are many and become even more when he is way past it.

Saying goodbye to a successful career is not always an easy thing to do. In fact there are fighters who go on far beyond their physical limits.

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Sometimes this is good because it breaks false beliefs. Who knows really what is our true capacity and potential? That’s why we always need to have an open mind and accept even the impossible as possibility.

Bernard Hopkins 50, has resisted father time’s call and he is now the oldest champion ever in boxing, he has definitely changed the map of boxing.

But not everyone is like Hopkins, for some it is better if they retire right on the spot.

Roy jones Jr and Antonio Tarver both at the sweet age of 46 are trying to follow his steps. And I say trying because obviously they are not doing so well, they are just surviving by fighting lesser opponents, their best looks way back.

The biggest signal of retirement is the absence of love. Someone might say that when the body breaks there isn’t much to do and that this is the biggest signal and I agree to a certain degree. Still, when there is strong desire, strong motivation even this can resist the decay. Even father time can wait…

But when love is gone then everything begins to break down: the commitment, the motive, the hunger….what’s left is only some memories and hurt pride.

Fighters who come only as professionals find it tough to stay for too long because let’s face it, boxing is not for the weak at heart.

So they come as journeymen and finish as journeymen…

Those who come only for the money are the first to go. A good paycheck and off they go. Paper champs are the first to go. Then as they enjoy their retirement into the sunset with cocktails and singing cumbaya, they let themselves go and become almost unrecognizable completely out of shape.

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This happens because they never really loved sports, they never loved what they did and yes, in front of cameras they might have said the complete opposite because it’s good to say, but the hard truth is that they came to the sport only for the wrong reasons.

They stuck with it for as possible enough and as safe enough to get a financial secure future. That’s all they wanted.

And to them I am asking: If you are successful then money can be excellent but how far can you go without losing yourself along the way?

In my opinion money should be only the icing on the cake and that’s all. Forget anything about greatness if you are after only money…

Often lucrative agreements tie fighters in long-term contracts that stretch their already limited capacity.

I remember a few years ago watching Miguel Cotto talking in front of camera and expressing his desire to retire and spent more time with his family, now look at him… he has signed a new contract with a TV company that ties him for a number of fights and years.

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Some fighters often believe that there is still unfinished business within them, that there is still something left in the basement. Unlike in the Hollywood film Rocky, 9 out of 10 times this is called hurt pride. It is this damned ,false ego that tells to the fighters not to retire, to give it at least one more try and then one more and one more and before you know it you have in front of you a sad spectacle, a has been fighter. Very, very sad.

Look for example what happened to Mike Tyson, his last couple of years of fighting were a complete disaster, a sad spectacle for the man who was once known as Iron Mike, his heart was definitely not there.

Evander Hollyfield too, went for far too long with his career putting in danger his own health.

Pride can indeed blind fighters and make them deny father’s time call.

Some like to finish on top and they do it in style even if they could still make it for a few good fights, some others wish also to finish on top but because they can’t, go on hoping that in time they will finish the way they want.

I believe that going out your way means finishing strong whether losing or winning. It is also called respect. If you respect yourself and the others then you don’t let down yourself, your integrity remains untouched.

To end this article on a positive note I would refer to those who really love the world of boxing and urge them to stay at it indefinitely not of course as fighters because decline at some point is inevitable but in different roles.

The important is to stay close to the sport they love, this will make retirement not a big deal.

Remember my article title? When is the best time to say goodbye?

Well here is my answer: Those who love boxing never say goodbye they stay loyal until the end, those who are not, better for them to go away as soon as possible because Boxing doesn’t need them.



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