Mikkel Kessler Announces Retirement from Boxing on Social Media

Four-time super middleweight champion Mikkel Kessler has announced his retirement from boxing on social media.

The Dane posted simultaneous messages on Twitter and Facebook on Sunday, claiming to be in a “state of retirement,” citing a lack of motivation for proposed fights as his reasoning.

"

Thank you for supporting me through out my career. It has been an absolute pleasure stepping into the ring, home as well as abroad.

— Mikkel Kessler (@MikkelKessler) February 1, 2015"

Kessler, who turns 36 in March, has not fought since losing his WBA super middleweight title to Carl Froch at the O2 Arena in London in May 2013.

He went into greater detail about his retirement on his official Facebook page, suggesting that either a rematch with Froch or Andre Ward would have been enough to get him back in the ring but neither fighter was prepared to face him again.

Kessler rounded off the Facebook post by saying: "I would like to thank all of my fans for supporting me through out [sic] my career. It has been an absolute pleasure stepping into the ring, home as well as abroad."

Sang Tan/Associated Press

The Viking Warrior, as he is affectionately known to his supporters, will be remembered most for his thrilling contests with Froch, having beaten the Englishman via unanimous decision in Denmark in 2010 before losing by the same method in London three years later.

Kessler also troubled super middleweight legend Joe Calzaghe before losing a decision in Cardiff in 2007, leaving behind a record of 46-3-0.

Of his 46 career wins, 35 came via knockout, giving him a KO percentage of 71.43%. He turned professional in 1998 after a successful amateur record of 43-3-0, according to Boxrec.