by James Slater: According to an exclusive interview with Local London web site, Wayne Alexander, the former British, European and WBU light-middleweight champion has retired at age 34. Alexander had been due to fight again this summer, but has revealed he had been having trouble regaining his dedication since breaking an ankle last October.. Londoner Alexander last fought back in December of 2006 – losing in one round to Frenchman Serge Vigne.
“It’s [retirement] been on my mind for the past six months,” the 34-year old said. “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’ve had over the past year or so.”
Knowing when to get out of the sport of boxing can be tough, but clearly Wayne Alexander has made up his mind. A good fighter in his day, the light-middleweight who turned pro back in 1995 complied a pro record of 24-3(18) and captured wins over the likes of Jimmy Vincent (TKO 3), Ojay Abrahams (W DQ 1 and TKO 3) and Takaloo (KO 2). Indeed, the 2004 win over Takaloo, when Alexander won the WBU world title via a spectacular stoppage, ranks as the 34-year-old’s proudest achievement.
“As a professional my proudest moment would be the Takaloo fight. I would rather have died than lost that as he had been telling everyone for six or seven years that he was going to knock me out.”
Instead of Takaloo doing the knocking out, it was Alexander who scored the stoppage win. The 34-year-old feels he should have gone even further after this victory though.
“I feel gutted as I feel I have underachieved,” Alexander stated. “When I became a [WBU] 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 become a successful professional champion which I did become. I lived my dream.”
He did indeed, and we wish the ex-fighter known as “Alexander The Great” well in his retirement and in his future.