BoxRec

The rarest of the rare --- those with the courage to call it a day when at, or near to, the top of their game. Let's face it, that's virtually no one in this sport, from the clubfighters, to the legends, & everyone in-between.

Who had that rarest form of courage --- the kind permitting them to make the choice to walk away, while the walking was good? They don't have to have been champs, or on top of the Boxing world --- just still in or near their peaks.

Ingemar Johansson
Lennox Lewis
Rocky Marciano
Floyd Mayweather (Temporarily, so I suppose this is really rather hollow)
Gene Tunney

Sal Sanchez had plans to exit Boxing not too long before his untimely death.

Joe Calzaghe

Which reminds me of Sven Ottke, who also fits the bill.

Kostya Tszyu goes pretty close, if you go by his last fight. He had some injuries, & had slowed a bit since his halcyon days, but he was always better as an aged fighter (like a less extreme version of his contemporaries, Hopkins & Lewis), although, he didn't officially retire until '08, so maybe not. Still, at the time of his last fight, he was a heavy favourite going in, & with good reason.

A borderline case, perhaps?

Nope I'd say KT fits the definition perfectly. If you give a guy like Sven credit who ran out the back door at night I think you need to count the folks that walked out the front door during the day.

Though I'd have no problem with stretching the definition to those who retired with all there senses fully intact such as George Foreman and Oscar. Winning or losing not being as important a question as were you still seriously competitive at the top level and could you process sharply with the noggin. Especially if you talk about Lennox who certainly was not at the top of his game curve when he left, but boxing had not yet compromised his sensibilities.

Carlos Monzon would fit this as well. Would Hagler fit this? He may have gotten out hustled last time out like Tszyu but I'd think he probably qualifies.

Barry McGuigan. Could have went on, but stepped out at the right time.

Jack McAuliffe was another who retired at the right time.

How about the flip side? Guys who stayed on for too long?

HomicideHenry wrote:How about the flip side? Guys who stayed on for too long?

Duran, Chavez

alexpaterson wrote:

HomicideHenry wrote:How about the flip side? Guys who stayed on for too long?

Duran, Chavez

IMHO Sam langford takes the cake on this one. He fought til he was legally blind and into his 40's.

HomicideHenry wrote:

alexpaterson wrote:

HomicideHenry wrote:How about the flip side? Guys who stayed on for too long?

Duran, Chavez

IMHO Sam langford takes the cake on this one. He fought til he was legally blind and into his 40's.

Is that right I hate to see great champions getting beat and looking a ghost of themselves like Duran did against Leonard or Chavez did against ODLH and Tyszu. I cant even imagine how bad Langford looked.

Yeah, in his last fight he was stopped in one round. He retired and ended up with no prospects, no money, and lived in someones basement for years. Sad way to go.

I can't believe that nobody has mention Ricardo Lopez. I think he could have done at least 10 more fights.

HomicideHenry wrote:Yeah, in his last fight he was stopped in one round. He retired and ended up with no prospects, no money, and lived in someones basement for years. Sad way to go.

Very sad ending for Langford, i seem to remember hearing that a group of his fans banded together and supported him financially after retirement, i found it comforting that regular people had done that for the great man

Tinnie wrote:

HomicideHenry wrote:Yeah, in his last fight he was stopped in one round. He retired and ended up with no prospects, no money, and lived in someones basement for years. Sad way to go.

Very sad ending for Langford, i seem to remember hearing that a group of his fans banded together and supported him financially after retirement, i found it comforting that regular people had done that for the great man

In an interview I believe Langford said "I still have my memories", when they asked him how he felt when he ended up with no prospects, blind, despite being considered she greatest fighter that ever lived.

HomicideHenry wrote:How about the flip side? Guys who stayed on for too long?

That's fucken everyone, mate. That's why I created the thread. LOL

Johnny Famechon. 60 odd fights by 25 then he simply walked away happily