5 Fighters Who Decided Retirement Was Their Best Option

While retiring from work may sound like a wonderful idea to most people, sportsmen find it tough to admit when their time is up.

Boxers, in particular, can struggle to come to terms with their careers being over.

Fighters have a habit of carrying on for too long, or they alternatively get lured into making a comeback. Some keep going for financial reasons, while others continue in the belief they still have what it takes to be successful.

Despite the pain they go through, they cannot find anything else to match the adrenaline rush that boxing gives them.

Retirement has been a hot topic of late.

Oscar De La Hoya admitted recently he had considered a return to action. He eventually decided against it, but said, per Reuters (h/t the Guardian): "As a professional athlete and someone who has spent almost his entire life in boxing, not a day goes by when I don’t think about coming back."

Carl Froch, meanwhile, announced he was hanging up his gloves, telling BBC Radio 5 live: "It wasn't an easy decision but it wasn't as difficult as people might think."

Froch finished with a 33-2 (24 KOs) record. His last fight saw him successfully defend his IBF and WBA super middleweight titles against George Groves, meaning he bowed out on top.

He is not the only boxer who has seemingly picked the right moment to quit. Here are five others who walked away rather than tarnish their legacies.

Gene Tunney

Associated Press

Gene Tunney walked away from boxing with a 65-1-1 (48 KOs) record.

Despite being the reigning heavyweight champion at the time, the Fighting Marine packed it all in to pursue other ventures.

He would go on to work in business and real estate, per BoxRec's profile of the fighter.

The American had claimed the title by beating Jack Dempsey in 1926, defeating the Manassa Mauler on points in front of a crowd of 120,557.

He recorded a victory by the same outcome in the rematch—with that bout known as the Long Count Fight.

Dempsey knocked Tunney down in the seventh round, but referee Dave Barry was unable to start the count until Dempsey had moved into a neutral corner. The delay allowed the champion extra time to recover.

Tunney recorded an 11th-round stoppage of Tom Heeney at Yankee Stadium in July 1928, then announced his retirement a few days later.

Rocky Marciano

Bill Ingraham/Associated Press

Rocky Marciano ended his career with an unbeaten record. He also called it a day when he was still the reigning heavyweight champion of the world.

The Brockton Blockbuster bowed out at the age of 32 having beaten Archie Moore at Yankee Stadium.

After getting off the canvas in the second round, Marciano—who had taken up the sport while serving in the United States Army—was able to record his 43rd knockout triumph.

On April 27, 1956, he announced his retirement after 49 straight victories, per his BoxRec profile.

Marciano said in a statement, according to BoxRec: "No man can say what he will do in the future, but barring poverty, the ring has seen the last of me. I am comfortably fixed, and I am not afraid of the future."

Michael Spinks

Michael Baytoff/Associated Press

Michael Spinks opted to end his fight career after losing to Mike Tyson in 1988. He was 32 at the time.

The man known as Jinx walked away after his one and only defeat as a professional—he finished with a record of 31-1 (21 KOs).

He won a gold medal in the 1976 Summer Olympics at middleweight, though he made his name in the paid ranks at light heavyweight.

Spinks—whose brother, Leon, also struck gold at the same Games in Montreal—at one stage held the IBF, WBA and WBC titles at the 175-pound limit.

The American then moved on up to the heavyweight division, defeating the great Larry Holmes to become IBF champion. He also won a rematch between the pair.

However, a money-spinning bout with Tyson proved the final chapter in Spinks' story. He was knocked out in the first round by his compatriot, lasting just 91 seconds.

With his unbeaten record now gone, Spinks announced his retirement. Per Phil Berger of the New York Times, he said: "I said whenever the time comes, I don't want to retire, I just want to quit."

Lennox Lewis

DON EMMERT/Getty Images

Lennox Lewis followed in Rocky Marciano's footsteps, announcing the end of his career when he was still heavyweight champion of the world.

The Brit—who fought for Canada at the Olympics, winning a gold medal at Seoul in 1988—hung his gloves up with a 41-2-1 (32 KOs) record.

Although he was 38 when he called it a day, Lewis was far from past his prime.

His last fight saw him record a victory over Vitali Klitschko, with their bout being stopped after the sixth round due to a cut suffered by the Ukrainian challenger.

His only defeats came at the hands of Oliver McCall and Hasim Rahman, and he went on to avenge both losses.

Lewis has since been linked with a comeback, but the Lion has resisted the temptation to return.

He stated in 2013 he would fight either Wladimir or Vitali Klitschko for a fee of £63 million, according to the Mirror, though he took to Twitter the following day to confirm he would not be stepping out of retirement. 

Joe Calzaghe

Frank Franklin II/Associated Press

Joe Calzaghe decided enough was enough in 2009. He was 46-0 (32 KOs) as a professional, with the vast majority of those bouts being fought at super middleweight.

The Welshman was a world champion for over 11 years, and at one stage or another, he held the IBF, WBO, WBA and WBC titles.

With his dad, Enzo, in his corner, Calzaghe dominated at 168 pounds. Among his long list of victims were Chris Eubank, Robin Reid, Jeff Lacy and Mikkel Kessler.

He stepped up to light heavyweight for the final two outings of his stellar career, heading to the United States to defeat the legendary pairing of Bernard Hopkins and Rory Jones Jr.

After announcing his retirement at the age of 36, Calzaghe told BBC Sport: "I've been world champion for 11 years. I've got no other goals to go for. That's why I am calling it a day."

Can you think of any other boxer who retired when still at the top of the sport? If so, add your suggestions via the comments section.