Although boxers hanging up their gloves at the top of the sport is uncommon, all fans wish that athletes are able to leave the game on their own accord.
The best examples of retirements include the likes of Floyd Mayweather and Rocky Marciano, the only heavyweight champion to retire undefeated.
More unlikely examples include Olympian Delicious Orie, who retired after just one fight to pursue another career path.
However, some fighters may be forced to retire under less desirable circumstances, such as injury.
Kosei Tanaka retires from boxing aged 29 due to eye injuries
Japanese super flyweight Kosei Tanaka has officially retired from the sport of boxing, aged just 29. With a professional record of 20-2, Tanaka is the fastest boxer to win world titles across four weight classes.
Winning the WBO World Minimumweight title in May 2015, Tanaka would also claim belts in the light flyweight, flyweight, and super flyweight divisions in just 21 professional fights.
Tanaka claimed his fourth world title in February 2024.
Tanaka’s reason for retiring is due to repeated issues with his eyes, as he provided details on his Instagram account. His statement included, “Although my vision has recovered, my vision in my right eye is disrupted significantly and I can’t focus with both eyes.”
“I ran my way out of the ring, so I decided to retire.”
The fighter said he also had significant problems with his eyes going into his last professional fight.
Kosei Tanaka’s final professional outing was a split-decision loss
Aiming to defend his fourth world title, Tanaka was challenged by Phumelala Cafu in October 2024. A win would be his first defense of his WBO World Super Flyweight title.
However, Tanaka would not be able to fight through his injuries to success, as he narrowly lost his world title.
Suffering just the second loss of his professional career, Tanaka was the loser via split decision. It was Cafu’s 11th win, as his record improved to 11-0-3.