Former WBA super middleweight champion ‘Saint’ George Groves has announced he is hanging up the gloves.
The 30-year-old closes out his 10-year professional career with a very respectable record of 28-4 (20) after engaging in many memorable battles including back-to-back wars with Carl Froch in 2013-14.
“After taking a little time to reflect on the recent events in my career, I have decided that it is time for me to retire as a professional fighter. In 2017, I boxed in front of a home crowd in Sheffield and became the WBA super-middleweight world champion,” Groves said in a statement.
“After four attempts I had finally fulfilled my childhood dream, and the experience was as great as I had always imagined it would be. It was without doubt the best moment of my career.”
In his last fight Groves was stopped by Callum Smith 25-0 (18) in the seventh round of a competitive fight in the World Boxing Super Series final last September.
“Some of you might think it odd that I’m choosing this time to retire,” continued Groves. “I’m still young, still fit and healthy, and there are still some big fights out there for me. But it’s for these reasons that I am choosing to retire now.
“I have a young family at home; it’s time to spend some of my better days with them. I don’t want there to be a time where I’m ‘too old’ to box on, or where an injury retires me in or out of the ring.
“I’ve boxed at the highest level, all over the world, I’ve been a champion, and I’ll be leaving the sport [relatively!] intact. Boxing has been good to me and I believe I have been good for boxing.”
Groves took the time to say a prayer for former opponent Eduard Gutknecht after the German suffered a brain injury in their 2016 clash that forced his premature retirement.
“Lastly a prayer for Eduard Gutknecht who suffered a brain aneurysm after our fight in November 2016,” said Groves.
“He was put into an induced coma for three weeks and bravely fought his way back to consciousness. He lives in Germany with his wife, three children and a full-time carer. This fight brought home the realisation that boxing can have brutal consequences.”
