Boxer Alexander hangs up gloves

9:41am Tuesday 20th May 2008

Former boxing champion Wayne Alexander has insisted he "lived the dream" after announcing his retirement from the ring.

The 34-year-old Croydon fighter had been on course for a comeback this summer but has decided to call it a day after struggling to regain his dedication since breaking his ankle last October.

The Tooting-born light-middleweight won the British Title, the European (EBU) title and the WBU title during his 27 professional fights, of which he won 24, but has not fought since losing the WBU belt in a non-title fight against Serge Vigne in December 2006.

"It has been on my mind for the past six months," he said about retirement.

"I was thinking it was just a phase and I would get over it and I would fight on but my heart wasn't in the training and my mind and the dedication were not there.

"I'm not in love with it like I used to be. I'm 35 in July and my body is not as fit as it once was with the injuries I have had over the past year or so.

"Before I got the injury I was really up for it but that was a big blow. When I was in plaster and had the operation I wanted to fight even more and prove to people I could get over it. But when I went back to training it was different.

"I feel gutted about it as I feel I have underachieved. When I became a champion I knew I could have done better. I was good enough to win one of the four world titles.

"But my dream was to be a successful professional champion which I did become. I lived my dream."

Looking back on his career, Alexander pinpointed his first national title as a 16-year-old amateur and his 2004 WBU title win over Mehrdud Takaloo, who he knocked out in the second round, as his proudest moments.

He said: "As a kid you have the energy and you want to be a national champion and to become one at 16 is right up there.

"As a professional my proudest moment would be the Takaloo fight. I would rather have died than lose that as he had been telling everyone for six or seven years that he was going to knock me out."

More boxing: croydonguardian.co.uk

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