‘It’s Hard to Say Goodbye’ – Luke Keeler Reveals the Two Fights He’s Come Out of Retirement For
There is a massive BUT regarding Luke Keeler’s retirement plans.
The Dublin favourite’s gloves are off and inches from being placed permanently on the hook.
Indeed the Ballyfermot native says he is effectively ‘done’.
However, he does admit the chance to go out on a high could tempt him to fight one more time.
The former Irish Champion says he was to secure a fight with either Belfast’s Padraig McCrory or Donegal’s Jason Quigley he’d climb through the ropes one more time.
The conditions would also have to be right, and he revealed he was offered a chance to fight fellow Mr Nice Guy’, McCrory in Belfast on March 1, but considering recent injury issues wanted more preparation time. ‘The Hammer’ will instead share the ring with Craig Richards on the Point of Pride card.
“I was actually offered the McCrory fight but at only 8 weeks notice and I haven’t been training since the surgery.
“I am finished, but if there was a massive fight with Quigley or McCrory with decent notice…. well I wanted to go out a high. I would take those fights and see how the body would go in training but with just 8 weeks’ notice.”
With his 2020 world title defeat to Demetrius Andrade leaving a sour taste in his mouth, ‘Coolhand’ returned determined to finish on a sweeter note.
However, after wins over Jiri Kroupa and Godfrey Paulo Kamata the 37-year-old, he had issues with his back and retirement called.
Keeler is looking into coaching and working with fighters alongside a new Stephen Ormond-led team in Ballyfermot but just can’t let go of the idea of a big last dance.
“I thought I’d done okay in the first fight back. Then in the fight in Galway, it seized up. I struggled with my back. I got back surgery and my back feels great, but just time is ticking on.
“It’s a hard to say goodbye to boxing. That’s the feeling at the moment but I’m retired unless a miracle happens and Katie [Taylor] gets a fight at Croke Park and fans want to see two old men fighting,”
