Andy Lee explains reasons for retirement in emotional send-off

Andy Lee went out at the right time and on his own terms.

The Irish fight legend has called time on his career and hung up his gloves, announcing his decision on Tuesday night and seemed more than content with his choice.

One of boxing’s nice guys who represented Ireland so well around the world throughout an entertaining and eventful career hadn’t fought since March of last year and was up and until recently open to a fight that would have excited him.

Danny Jacobs was the name that most recently passed through his lips and the Limerick man was linked with a possible April 28th bout with ‘The Miracle Man’ – but hinted the offer was the kind to have tempted him to leave his young family to go through a London-based camp.

As a result, the 33-year-old has elected to bow out and is more than at peace with his decision.

Lee officially made the announcement on Newstalk 106FM’s Off The Ball, a platform which he has used to promote Irish boxing of late, and during what was an emotional and fitting send-off hour of radio he explained his reasoning.

The Castleconnell southpaw outlined how “it’s a good decision, it’s a good moment and to go out on my own terms and not be retired in the ring – a lot of fighters lose it that way but it’s time now – it’s the right time.”

“I’m 33 years old. I’ve achieved everything I’ve wanted to in the game – I’ve had an amazing career and an amazing life through boxing. It has defined my life, it has defined who I am but it’s the right time to call it a day.”

“It has been on my mind for a while. Over the last two years, I’ve kept myself available. I fought in March of last year, I won that fight and I just kept myself available to see what my options were if a fight came along that would entice me back.”

Confirming a lack of suitable offers financially, Lee noted how “none of the fights and none of the offers were good enough or big enough to get me to go back and I have responsibilities now as a father – to leave my wife and my daughter, it would take a big fight to get me to do that, to leave them, to go away training and to put myself through all that.”

“If I was single with no child – I probably would have been back in the gym straight away after the fight with Billy Joe Saunders but I took a decision to take some time off and then we had the baby so that’s been the best thing and that’s really my priority right now.”