Lennox Lewis has urged a former world champion to hang up the gloves for good.
Lewis has the honour of never having been tempted to return to the ring after he retired in 2003 following a long and successful career.
He became undisputed heavyweight champion and defeated fighters such as Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield and Vitali Klitschko during his time in the ring, and is seen as one of the best fighters to ever compete in the banner division.
Another fighter that was once a long-time world heavyweight champion is Deontay Wilder, who held the WBC strap for over five years before losing it to Tyson Fury in 2020.
That began a big decline for Wilder, with ‘The Bronze Bomber’ losing four of his last five fights, the most recent coming in June 2024 when he was knocked out by Zhilei Zhang.
Despite his poor run of form, Wilder is set to return to the ring later this month when he faces Tyrrell Herndon, but Lewis posted on social media that he thinks the American needs to retire.
“Deontay Wilder told us before the fight [with Zhang] that he would retire if he didn’t win. I think that’s a wise decision.
He’s more than carved out a life in which he can take care of his daughter, so before he suffers any more damage, it’s best to leave the game with ur faculties intact because there’s a LOT more life to live after boxing.”
Lewis isn’t the only one who feels that Wilder shouldn’t be making a comeback, with Fury also urging his former rival to retire.
