Liam Williams Announces Retirement

[Ruthless-RKO]

Just seen on BBC

Because of ‘several concussions’

[Noxy]

Yes, I've just seen that too. I thought you might have posted about it! Best of luck to the guy. He was a very good fighter and he was obviously smart enough to face up to the reality of boxing.

[olij999]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/boxing/arti ... 9ngjrw3qdo

Very worrying to hear him saying he didn't disclose his previous concussions at his pre-fight medical for the Eubank fight. I know it was a fighter's pride and it was a big purse, but that basically means that the Board insurance that is intended to compensate his dependants in the event of death or serious injury would likely have been void.

But good luck to him in retirement - hopefully he will stay in the sport.

[black panther]

Cracking fighter clearly wasn't at his best against Eubank and Sheeraz.

Wishing him all the very best for the future and pray he has good health.

[Flump]

Good fighter in his pomp with a nasty streak in the ring. Wishing him well.

[Boxerbeetle]

Had a good career, saw him a few times live. Highlight was definitely the Corcoran fight which was a proper war

[Ruthless-RKO]

"I know that boxing is brutal," Williams told Michael Pearlman for the BBC. "I came back to my dressing room (after the Sheeraz fight) feeling down and feeling bad for myself. I was devastated at how I had performed.


"I trust the people around me and, when they are telling you it’s over, you have to listen. It was very hard to hear.

“I’d had some problems with concussions. I had three or four in 18 months.

“I don’t want to box just for money and get a hit to the head you can never come back from.

“I’ve got a lovely family, a lovely partner. If I can’t enjoy my life with them because of damage to my brain, what would it be for?”

“I probably shouldn’t say this,” he said, “but a doctor told me not to fight Eubank as I had been concussed again.

“I’d had the concussion from an elbow in the (Demetrius) Andrade fight, (and also) sparring. I probably knew I shouldn’t box Eubank, but there was a lot of money on the table.

"The fight was in Cardiff and I had sold a lot of tickets. I sold £200,000 worth of tickets from my house. It was crazy.

"I didn’t want to let people down, so I didn’t say anything.

“I had no punch resistance against Eubank. Obviously I should have listened about not fighting.”

“Because of concussions I’ve had to retire,” Williams, 25-5-1 (20), said. “It’s the right decision, but I did have a blip recently. I watched a fight, I can’t even remember which one, and I immediately messaged my manager and said, ‘Get me a fight.’

“Then I rang him back the next day and told him to forget I’d said anything.”

“Because of concussions I’ve had to retire,” Williams, 25-5-1 (20), said. “It’s the right decision, but I did have a blip recently. I watched a fight, I can’t even remember which one, and I immediately messaged my manager and said, ‘Get me a fight.’

“Then I rang him back the next day and told him to forget I’d said anything.”

[Ruthless-RKO]

He’s 32.. my age..

He’s putting his health first..

He can get into another hobby.

Surely he’s earned a decent pay over the years

[joshj909]

He’s 32.. my age..

He’s putting his health first..

He can get into another hobby.

Surely he’s earned a decent pay over the years

I honestly thought you would be double that

[joshj909]

I can see him going into coaching and commentating/pundit work. It's the family business so I'd be surprised if he left the sport entirely for good. He can probably also set up a business or two with his earnings.

[JamesPhilips]

I can see him going into coaching and commentating/pundit work. It's the family business so I'd be surprised if he left the sport entirely for good. He can probably also set up a business or two with his earnings.

Lol every time a fighter retires people say the same things… there just isn’t enough work there for all these ex fighters to become pundits / commentators. Punditry doesn’t carry much money either and appearances ante spiradic. And Liam Williams isn’t a big name. Some posters were even suggesting Frazer Clarke should also become a pundit. It’s ludicrous.

There’s also no money in training unless you have a major name. It might be satisfying to train amateurs at a local club but it’s not a living.

The best hope is he has paid for his house fully, but if he has a trade he should return to that.

[Ruthless-RKO]

He’s 32.. my age..

He’s putting his health first..

He can get into another hobby.

Surely he’s earned a decent pay over the years

I honestly thought you would be double that

I am shocked!

[JamesPhilips]

He’s 32.. my age..

He’s putting his health first..

He can get into another hobby.

Surely he’s earned a decent pay over the years

I honestly thought you would be double that

I am shocked!

Well you do seem to have a lot of spare time to post might’ve been retired

[Ruthless-RKO]

I honestly thought you would be double that

I am shocked!

Well you do seem to have a lot of spare time to post might’ve been retired

Fair enough. To think I’ve been on these forums for 8 years

[big lennox]

He was a very good fighter and can be extremely proud of his career. Here's to his good health and a happy retirement from boxing

[joshj909]

I can see him going into coaching and commentating/pundit work. It's the family business so I'd be surprised if he left the sport entirely for good. He can probably also set up a business or two with his earnings.

Lol every time a fighter retires people say the same things… there just isn’t enough work there for all these ex fighters to become pundits / commentators. Punditry doesn’t carry much money either and appearances ante spiradic. And Liam Williams isn’t a big name. Some posters were even suggesting Frazer Clarke should also become a pundit. It’s ludicrous.

There’s also no money in training unless you have a major name. It might be satisfying to train amateurs at a local club but it’s not a living.

The best hope is he has paid for his house fully, but if he has a trade he should return to that.

He was a roofer before boxing. Could return to that but you'd think he might want more. I obviously don't think everyone should go into coaching and punditry, I definitely don't think Clarke should yet, but some seem more suited to it.

[joshj909]

I am shocked!

Well you do seem to have a lot of spare time to post might’ve been retired

Fair enough. To think I’ve been on these forums for 8 years

I'm 30 and pushing 7 years on here now which doesn't seem to add up in my head

[Cask]

He had speed, reflexes, excellent technique, power, punch variety ,balance and all of the combinations

He just had a bit of a tendency to fall apart as a fight went on, he looked phenomenal as a prospect

[tonyevs]

Best of luck to Liam Williams. From my neck of the woods (don't think he is still down the bay anyway) but I don't see much money in the personal training side of things in the Rhondda.

I'd like to think he has earned enough and been clever enough to invest it properly too; 32 is still very young.

[Frostieballs]

He’s 32.. my age..

He’s putting his health first..

He can get into another hobby.

Surely he’s earned a decent pay over the years

I honestly thought you would be double that

He’s too speedy with the fingers to be that old!

[margaret thatcher]

with william's eye tick he'd be one very awkward pundit

[Alba]

He’s 32.. my age..

He’s putting his health first..

He can get into another hobby.

Surely he’s earned a decent pay over the years

Your 32? I thought you were younger going by yer posts

[Ruthless-RKO]

He’s 32.. my age..

He’s putting his health first..

He can get into another hobby.

Surely he’s earned a decent pay over the years

Your 32? I thought you were younger going by yer posts

Is 32 not young?

What you mean by posts?

[SeanBrennan]

good luck to him, was in some good fights, fought well vs Smith both times.

[TheLeprechaun]

A really likeable guy and good servant to the game. Ahead on the cards vs Liam in the first fight and it would have went to the cards if the trainers had been reversed because Joe Gallagher would have been making a meal out of it. Lockett just accepted it in the corner. I always thought he did Williams a disservice there. Not being able to convincingly beat Liam Smith in the rematch told me his level though. I had him as better than Smith but was wrong. Good performance against Andrade but it was one of those where he got outboxed and had to resort to just going on the front foot taking punches but still a great effort and that was his last 'good' performance if you can call getting comfortably outboxed a good performance. The Eubank fight was a big effort but it was clear that his chin was gone. He might have won that fight if his chin wasn't gone though. The Sheeraz fight was just sad. We'd seen him getting hurt by jabs and he was looking very worryingly hurt after a jab again. You couldn't really step back into the ring after that. He hopefully got some good paydays and invested wisely. Maybe Lockett will have a place for him in the training set up in Wales.