Lennox Lewis is one of the few boxers to have walked away from the sport at the top of their game.
Lewis hung up the gloves after a tough battle with Vitali Klitschko in 2003, where the ringside doctor stopped the fight at the end of the sixth round due to severe cuts to the Ukrainian.
That was over twenty years ago and although many have tried to lure the former undisputed champion back into the ring, ‘The Lion’ has stayed true to his decision and has resisted all calls for a comeback.
One heavyweight who Lewis believes should now walk away from boxing is former WBC champion Deontay Wilder.
Wilder, who has 42 knockouts from his 43 victories, is coming off a run of four defeats in his last five fights, including back-to-back losses to Joseph Parker and Zhilei Zhang.
It was after he got knocked out by Zhang that Lewis took to social media to urge ‘The Bronze Bomber’ to walk away from the sport with his faculties still intact.
“The Bronze Bomber told us before the fight [with Zhilei Zhang] that he would retire if he didn’t win. I think that’s a wise decision.
He’s more than carved out a life in which he can take care of his daughter, so before he suffers any more damage, it’s best to leave the game with your faculties intact because there’s a lot more life to live after boxing.”
Despite the calls for retirement, Wilder has confirmed he will return to the ring in 2025 and has blamed his recent run of form on an arm injury to which he has subsequently had surgery for.
