Breaking | James DeGale announces retirement from boxing following points loss to Chris Eubank Jnr

Former British Olympic champion James DeGale announced his retirement from boxing on Thursday less than a week after a tough points loss to countryman Chris Eubank Jnr.

DeGale, 33, announced his decision saying: “Today marks ten years since my professional debut fight on 28th February 2009 and today is the day I am announcing my retirement from boxing.

“It’s been an unbelievable journey and I’ve had an amazing decade – if I’m honest, the best years of my life – and having started boxing at the age of nine then being selected as part of the England Amateurs squad, I’ve collected many memories along the way.

“It [sic] hard to admit that I’m not the fighter I once was, but I’m human and along the way, my injuries have taken a toll – both on mind and body and these things have contributed to impact my performance in the ring.

“I lost the fight on Saturday at The O2 but I’m touched to have a good send off from the fans in my home city.”

“I’m proud to say that I’ve made history as the first ever British Olympian boxer to turn professional and to win a World Title and I am also proud to have been a road warrior – to travel wherever I needed to be to fight and to win. There’s nothing left to prove.”

The 2008 Beijing Olympic gold medallist retired with a record of 25-3-1; his three losses coming against long-time rival George Groves in 2011, and more recently against American Caleb Truax, who he later defeated in a rematch, and Eubank.

DeGale was IBF super-middleweight champion for almost two years after claiming the belt from American Andre Dirrell. He lost the belt against Truax in December 2017, after almost a year away from the ring injured, and reclaimed his title five months later.