The Perfect Retirement. Educate me.

In recent times I think Froch timed his perfectly. All of his most lucrative fights (and some of his best performances) came within those last couple of years or so of his career and he signed off with a hugely satisfying win against Groves at a time where his profile had never been higher.

I think he realised he'd maxed out his potential (I see him as a bit of an overachiever, and that's not an insult) and had achieved pretty much everything he could. Some people were a little peeved that he didn't accommodate Degale as his IBF mandatory before he quit, but I was never too bothered about that. Most of the demand for that fight stemmed from the fact that Degale was a fellow Brit rather than him looking the goods. You beat one mandatory, there'll always be another slotted in afterwards in any case, and Degale's subsequent career was nowhere near good enough to lend any credence to the idea that Froch was running scared of him.

 

Lennox Lewis did it right. About as good as you could map it out from the beginning. There is always gonna be one more guy to fight. Its not serious criticism.

 

Tunney did a decent job at that. Retired on top after beating the generally-agreed-upon #2 guy in the division twice. And then another random defense.

He's not remembered as having a great heavyweight career, but it's unlikely that he would have had a spotless record after Dempsey anyway.

 

Old Foreman didn't do a bad job either. He retired on a loss that everyone thinks he actually won, which is a good compromise to go out on.

 

Andre Ward retired on top.


I think if GGG didn't get robbed in his first fight vs Canelo, that would have been the perfect moment for him to retire.

 

Re: "Give an example of what you consider to be the perfect retirement once you've lost."

Sullivan (KB21 to Corbett, which could be considered a Decision loss by today's standards - his only loss, BTW).
*Dempsey (after a somewhat controversial loss to Tunney, which kept his legacy alive, and may have even improved it).
Foreman (as mentioned previously).

*As a side note, it seems to me that Dempsey wasn't really liked all that much when he was Champion. And then suddenly everyone liked him after that second loss to Tunney. I really don't recall those years well, when Dempsey fought Tunney, but my Uncle, Dad, and Mom talked about them A LOT as I was growing up, thereby causing me to almost believe I remembered them myself! The last time I saw my Mom up and about, she was wearing a shirt that said "Jack Dempsey, The Manassa Mauler" on it.

 

Wlad, too. Again, went out on a loss, but he did score a spectacular knockdown against the top guy in the division. It's a great shootout to end your run on.

Marciano almost pulled it off, but for Valdez.

Thing is, these guys are professionals. If they can squeeze more money out of their career at relatively low additional damage to their body, they might do it. The Klitschkos were unusual (for example) in how health conscious they were, and how they hesitated more than most in treating their bodies as a financial resource.

 

Joe Louis, if he had stayed retired after the Walcott fight.

That is probably as close to perfect as you can get.

 

Jimmy Mclarnin.

 

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The perfect retirement.

 

Marvin Hagler for me is the best example of a perfect retirement.

Feeling sick after the Leonard decision, they offer him a rematch but he said no and went on to live a very good life. Every other boxer in that same situation normally comes back out of revenge and even stays for longer until they get truly hurt, but Marvin didnt.

He give everything to boxing and went out on good health. A proper champion

 

Eder Jofre has to be in the converstion.

 

The same was thought of Groves until he battered Froch senseless.

The Degale of the Paul Smith fight would give Froch kittens...

 

I think the perfect retirement is Floyd Patterson's after losing the rematch with Ali in 72, he simply never fought again. Didn't make a public announcement or celebrate, just walked away.