How does a boxer know when to retire?

Sadly most of them don't.

 

I recall it being an interview with Steward. It came up when the topic of a rematch with Vitali came up. I recall Steward saying that Lewis felt like he owed it to Vitali to give him a rematch and would have done it, but his wife put the squeeze on him to retire. Which, I want to say, good on her if true. Was he supposed to hang on until age got the best of him and someone did to him what he'd just done to Vitali, when he had nothing left to prove and had enough money to never work again?

For humor value, I'm trying to imagine the conversations that Foreman and Holmes had to have with their wives as they got older. At some point, you know both of them got the "you're a grandfather and we don't need more money, WTF are you doing?!"

 

Let's be a little fair to Douglas. He didn't take a dive. While he didn't look like he trained at all, he DID show up and actually try to fight Holyfield. The knockdown was real. I just think he chose not to get up when he could have. Probably a quick thought of "I just earned $20mil, **** this sport and **** this guy".

 

Interesting thread. Retiring on top is such a rarity and, in many ways, a skill in itself.
I think it's so hard for these fighters as they've spent their entire careers believing in themselves and relying on their own skills to endure. So when they lose they have to tap into that same winners mentality - only now it's detrimental to them. Plus boxing is often all they've known.
I salute the ones who got out in time (Lewis, Calzaghe, Ward etc). But we've all had our hearts broken by fighters who seemed like Gods - only to see them suffer, in old age, like mortals. Ali and Roy Jones come to mind easily.

 

I think the answer to that question is different for every fighter

 

It differs with every fighter. Some boxers stick around and overstay their welcome due to financial reasons or they just love to fight for a living. Perhaps some boxers come out of retirement and fight again due to wanting to relive their glory days and getting back into the spotlight.

When it comes to retiring from the sport boxers may retire due to ongoing injuries, taking too many punishment in the ring, or they just don't love to fight anymore due to the mental and physical toll on them. Some boxers retire at a timely manner where they feel content that they've accomplished enough and they are financially set in life without needing to continue fighting. Some boxers may even retire out of disgust due to boxing politics. It all varies with different circumstances to the fighters.

 

When a boxer retires at the right time, we'll ask him.

 

Usually it’s right after smelling salts and wondering where the hell they are.

 

According to trainer Robert Garcia, it's when a fighter feels like something is there that they don't feel full strength anymore, a doubt or a feeling. He was completely satisfied with Marcos Maidana leaving the game when he did, albeit he wished Marcos would continue to train because it's good for the body, good for circulation. He was asked if Maidana should make a comeback? He said no, because el Chino would have to lose 40 pounds and then after that he would have to lose another 40 pounds. I still remember Robert Garcia in the margarito- Cotto fight 2; "c'mon give us one more round! Give us one more round!"

 

Unfortunately, the very attributes that drive fighters (and for which they are celebrated), are often the same attributes that see them fight well beyond their use by dates.

One could argue for a degree of irrationality already being in place in the very election of a career in boxing.

Boxing well beyond one’s physical best could be framed as simply being a stoic and unwavering “follow through” of the psyche that spawned the fighter in the first instance.

Also, being literally drunk impairs one’s judgment of course - and so it may go for the metaphorically punch drunk fighter who, due to accumulated absorption of punishment, might’ve lost his ability to make sound choices along the way.

 

Nice one, thanks.

 

This. Combat sports require such an insane amount of dedication and self-believe it borders on delusion. Even the greatest fighters would never have reached the peaks they achieved unless they believed they were better than they actually were. Most world-class fighters really do believe that they can beat anybody on any given night regardless of how outmatched they might be against a particular opponent. It's that self-confidence that allows them to sometimes beat guys who they should lose to on paper.

But, of course, that self-confidence doesn't automatically disappear as they age. Even if they notice their physical gifts deteriorating, they believe they can make up for it through will, skill, and ring intelligence. And sometimes they're right.

Look at Pacquaio as an example. It was pretty stupid of him to think he could beat Thurman at his age and the wear and tear he had been through. Yet, somehow, he managed to defy the odds once last time and beat him in a close fight. Then he pushed his luck one time too many against Ugas and paid for it. The Thurman victory would have been the perfect time to ride off into the sunset after an all-time great career, but his ambition wouldn't allow him to do that.

Sadly, that delusion usually has to be beat out of them before they are finally forced to face reality. You have to give Floyd credit for having the sense to know that it was time to quit. Despite having a level of self-confidence bordering on psychopathic narcissism, he always had a very realistic understanding of his own abilities. That's something very rare among fighters.

 

In my case, when I got stopped with a body shot in the first round.