Former featherweight world champion Lee Selby has retired at the age of 35 in the wake of his defeat to Gustavo Lemos in Buenos Aires last month.
Selby, who held the IBF featherweight title for three years after beating Evgeny Gradovich in 2015, suffered the first stoppage defeat of his career in his defeat to Argentina’s Lemos.
The Welsh fighter ends his career with 28 wins, including nine by knockout, and four losses.
After 27 years of boxing it’s time to hang up the gloves.
Welsh, Celtic, British, Commonwealth, European & IBF World Champion.
I exit the ring with no regrets, happy, healthy and my family financially secure.
Thank you for all your support. https://t.co/7sgcokQZYZ pic.twitter.com/0BKXCkIf4a
— lee selby (@leeselby126) April 5, 2022
“After 27 years as an amateur and professional boxer, I know the time is right for me to hang up the gloves,” Selby said in a statement posted to social media.
“Being raised on the council estate in Barry, south Wales, you learn early on about adversity. For many young people the burden of growing up in poverty takes its toll, but boxing saved me more than I ever thought possible.”