Andrzej Fonfara announces retirement

Light heavyweight contender Andrzej Fonfara has announced his retirement from boxing at the age of 31, ending a nearly 13-year career with a record of 30-5 (18 KO).

“I’m fine physically, but I don’t have my usual desire to give boxing the 100 percent it deserves,” said the 31-year-old Fonfara. “I want to thank all who helped me through this crazy, great ride.”

He was slated to fight Edwin Rodriguez on the undercard of Shawn Porter vs. Yordenis Ugas next month.

Fonfara got his first big break with a 2013 knockout of Gabriel Campillo, which set up a title shot against Adonis Stevenson. Though he came up short against “Superman,” he impressed in defeat, and entertaining victories over Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and Nathan Cleverly sent him rocketing back up the rankings.

Unfortunately, a shocking knockout loss to Joe Smith Jr. followed, and though he stopped former champion Chad Dawson in his subsequent bout, he had to fight through worrying amounts of adversity to do so. A disastrous rematch with Adonis Stevenson followed, after which he returned from a year-long layoff to knock out former contender Ismayl Sillakh.

Though Fonfara never won a belt, he was consistently gutsy, aggressive, and terrifically entertaining, and that’s really all you can ask of a fighter. Plus, he’ll always be the guy who made JCC Jr. quit, and that’s something to put on his mantelpiece.

As always, I have immense respect for someone willing to acknowledge when “it” just isn’t there anymore, and we wish Fonfara success in whatever new direction he elects to take.