BoxRec

'Now's the time' ... boxer Lee Appleyard retires as newly-crowned champion

LEE Appleyard became a two-weight champion at the weekend and then announced he was hanging up his gloves.

The Rotherham fighter beat Dan Booth on points at the Doncaster Dome on Saturday to win the Central Area super lightweight title, adding to the English title he won as a lightweight five years ago.

Speaking to the Advertiser last week, Appleyard had said he would retire if he failed to beat Manchester's Booth, but has decided to make the move now.

He said: "It's been some ride but everything has to come to an end.

"Before the fight it wasn't the desire (to retire) but afterwards I just thought 'now's the time'. It was a cracking night and the atmosphere was unbelievable. I'm 35. I don't want to just keep going and keep going. It's a hard game.

"I'm finishing on a high as a two-weight champion."

Appleyard, from Bramley, made his debut back in 2014 and had 28 pro fights, winning 19 of them and losing seven.

His promoter, Stefy Bull, was among many who paid tribute on social media.

He said: "Small hall boxing isn't easy and I don't have a big team.

"I do every job single-handedly but tonight was about Lee Appleyard becoming a two-weight champion in front of a sold-old venue with over 1,000 in attendance and then announcing his retirement.

"Dream ending."

Here's to a very interesting, happy and enjoyable retirement from boxing. Well earned. Appleyard has a very brave and exciting fighter to watch.

Good for him! So few go out on a high.

Gutsy guy, always fit to fight, never boring.
He achieved his peak, maybe more, I did pick him to win the tournament last year, and only just got edged out by Cory Gibbs.

Good to see someone get everything they can from the sport and walk away on a high note. It's not all about world titles, only a small percentage of fighters in this country ever win English or Area titles.

chinarich wrote: ↑05 Sep 2022, 15:55 Good to see someone get everything they can from the sport and walk away on a high note. It's not all about world titles, only a small percentage of fighters in this country ever win English or Area titles.

CORRECT , Its all about being the best you can , and getting the most out of it you can , world titles and riches are for the few ,, good nights and memories are for everyone..

Got a mate who comes around and catches up with me quite often , he loves to talk boxing , loves to talk about his times in the gym , and his sparring sessions with other better known boxers , he has great memories , and loves too talk about them he boxed has an ameteur , and loved his carreer ,, Only problem is when he gets carried away , with his storys especielly his sparring stories ,, he forgets , I was his trainer ,, when asked by others how was he , was he any good ,, i always answer , he was bracve enough to have a go , and he was the best he could off been , he reached his full potential ,,, he actually trained for about 12 months , had 3 bouts won first 2 lost his last 1

He thinks he won world titles though and why not he acheived a milestone in his life got memories that not many others have , like you say its not all about being world champ

coneye wrote: ↑06 Sep 2022, 03:58

chinarich wrote: ↑05 Sep 2022, 15:55 Good to see someone get everything they can from the sport and walk away on a high note. It's not all about world titles, only a small percentage of fighters in this country ever win English or Area titles.

CORRECT , Its all about being the best you can , and getting the most out of it you can , world titles and riches are for the few ,, good nights and memories are for everyone..

Got a mate who comes around and catches up with me quite often , he loves to talk boxing , loves to talk about his times in the gym , and his sparring sessions with other better known boxers , he has great memories , and loves too talk about them he boxed has an ameteur , and loved his carreer ,, Only problem is when he gets carried away , with his storys especielly his sparring stories ,, he forgets , I was his trainer ,, when asked by others how was he , was he any good ,, i always answer , he was bracve enough to have a go , and he was the best he could off been , he reached his full potential ,,, he actually trained for about 12 months , had 3 bouts won first 2 lost his last 1

He thinks he won world titles though and why not he acheived a milestone in his life got memories that not many others have , like you say its not all about being world champ

Matey sounds like he’s the kind of guy who always speaks about his boxing ‘career’ down the pub and exaggerates everything…… probably says he went ‘semi-pro’ too lol

JamesPhilips wrote: ↑06 Sep 2022, 12:01

coneye wrote: ↑06 Sep 2022, 03:58

chinarich wrote: ↑05 Sep 2022, 15:55 Good to see someone get everything they can from the sport and walk away on a high note. It's not all about world titles, only a small percentage of fighters in this country ever win English or Area titles.

CORRECT , Its all about being the best you can , and getting the most out of it you can , world titles and riches are for the few ,, good nights and memories are for everyone..

Got a mate who comes around and catches up with me quite often , he loves to talk boxing , loves to talk about his times in the gym , and his sparring sessions with other better known boxers , he has great memories , and loves too talk about them he boxed has an ameteur , and loved his carreer ,, Only problem is when he gets carried away , with his storys especielly his sparring stories ,, he forgets , I was his trainer ,, when asked by others how was he , was he any good ,, i always answer , he was bracve enough to have a go , and he was the best he could off been , he reached his full potential ,,, he actually trained for about 12 months , had 3 bouts won first 2 lost his last 1

He thinks he won world titles though and why not he acheived a milestone in his life got memories that not many others have , like you say its not all about being world champ

Matey sounds like he’s the kind of guy who always speaks about his boxing ‘career’ down the pub and exaggerates everything…… probably says he went ‘semi-pro’ too lol

Paticular guy does'nt actually drink , but your correct , he always talks about his boxing carreer , never says he was pro or anything , but does love to talk about when he went and sparred such and such and how well he done , but like i said he FORGETS , i was actually his coach , i know excatly who how and when he sparred , and he was'nt really sparring the guys he's talking about i just invited him down to have a move around with some other good lads who took it easy on him he was a raqw novice compared to them and was treated like one , , good bloke though , should be proud of himself , he started the sport at around 25 had about probab;y 18 months in it , was never going anywhere but at least he went from a fat podgy 25 year old to 3 fights ,,, all at a level 20 times lower than he remembers ,, but llike i say boxings just about good times and good memorys for most ,

Just wait 20 years Hearn will be talking about dropping Frank Smith with a body shot and if he is still with Eubanks daughter it will go to when he dropped one of the Eubanks

coneye wrote: ↑06 Sep 2022, 12:47

JamesPhilips wrote: ↑06 Sep 2022, 12:01

coneye wrote: ↑06 Sep 2022, 03:58

CORRECT , Its all about being the best you can , and getting the most out of it you can , world titles and riches are for the few ,, good nights and memories are for everyone..

Got a mate who comes around and catches up with me quite often , he loves to talk boxing , loves to talk about his times in the gym , and his sparring sessions with other better known boxers , he has great memories , and loves too talk about them he boxed has an ameteur , and loved his carreer ,, Only problem is when he gets carried away , with his storys especielly his sparring stories ,, he forgets , I was his trainer ,, when asked by others how was he , was he any good ,, i always answer , he was bracve enough to have a go , and he was the best he could off been , he reached his full potential ,,, he actually trained for about 12 months , had 3 bouts won first 2 lost his last 1

He thinks he won world titles though and why not he acheived a milestone in his life got memories that not many others have , like you say its not all about being world champ

Matey sounds like he’s the kind of guy who always speaks about his boxing ‘career’ down the pub and exaggerates everything…… probably says he went ‘semi-pro’ too lol

Paticular guy does'nt actually drink , but your correct , he always talks about his boxing carreer , never says he was pro or anything , but does love to talk about when he went and sparred such and such and how well he done , but like i said he FORGETS , i was actually his coach , i know excatly who how and when he sparred , and he was'nt really sparring the guys he's talking about i just invited him down to have a move around with some other good lads who took it easy on him he was a raqw novice compared to them and was treated like one , , good bloke though , should be proud of himself , he started the sport at around 25 had about probab;y 18 months in it , was never going anywhere but at least he went from a fat podgy 25 year old to 3 fights ,,, all at a level 20 times lower than he remembers ,, but llike i say boxings just about good times and good memorys for most ,

Just wait 20 years Hearn will be talking about dropping Frank Smith with a body shot and if he is still with Eubanks daughter it will go to when he dropped one of the Eubanks

Lol I know the type. Harmless but deluded. Also don’t forget Eddeh has 4 wins at heavy with 3 stoppages

Lee himself has posted on the forums.. he said he isn't retiring.

viewtopic.php?p=5795781#p5795781

maybe he got a good offer ....

margaret thatcher wrote: ↑08 Sep 2022, 14:04 maybe he got a good offer ....

Who knows..