Dunne hangs up his gloves
Former WBA super-bantamweight champion Bernard Dunne has announced his retirement.
The popular Dubliner, who turned 30 this month, won the world title against Ricardo Cordoba last year before losing it in a third-round knockout by Poonsawat Kratingdaenggym in September.
Dunne, who previously held the European belt, said: "After a lot of thought and reflection, the time has finally come to bring my career as a professional boxer to an end. For the past 25 years boxing has been my life but now it is time for a fresh start."
He added: "The easiest thing in the world would have been to climb through the ropes and fight again but honesty has always been very important to me and I am being honest to myself, to my family and to my supporters with this decision.
"The great Irish fans that travelled on the journey to a world title belt with me deserved better than to pay their hard-earned cash just to see me go through the motions. I could never do that to them."
Dunne, who based himself in the United States in the early part of his professional career, added: "Thankfully I have realised all my dreams and achieved all my goals since I followed my dad into boxing.
"To win a world title is something I will never forget and something I am so proud of and I would like to thank everyone who helped make that possible.
"This is a sad day for me and for my family but it is also an exciting day and a new start in my life, one I am really looking forward to."
Date published :
19 Feb 2010 - 21:15:06
