Northern Ireland's Paddy Barnes, a three-time Olympian and perhaps the most decorated Irish amateur of all time, has announced his retirement. Barnes, who won won Olympic bronze medals in both 2008 and 2012, is one of Belfast’s most beloved sons. As a pro, he was 11-4, which includes World Series of Boxing fights, as well as a failed bid at the WBC flyweight championship vs. Cristofer Rosales in 2018. He gave a moving statement looking back on a rollercoaster that encompassed a sea of major tournament amateur medals as well as looking forward to his future:

 

Barnes said: “It was a really difficult decision to make because boxing has been my life since before I can even remember, but the timing is definitely right.The support I get is absolutely brilliant and it’s not just about now – it’s been throughout my entire career and it’s been amazing. I don’t know what I’ll do now but whatever it is, I’ll choose it really soon. As for coaching, I’m not sure I have the patience for it but I’ll be helping my amateur club.

 

“I really miss my family when I go away for camps for weeks on end but to be honest, I’m sure they’ll want me to go back to camp because I always torture them when I’m home! I’ll miss fighting on big, televised shows. I loved the buzz of the ring walks and just the whole event.

 

“I have absolutely no regrets. As a professional, I wanted to fight the best straight away and test myself. I was given every opportunity to show how good I was. I failed but that’s sport – at least I tried. Looking back on my career, I think my greatest achievement was winning gold at the European Championships back in 2010.”

 

 Boxingtalk salutes Paddy Barnes and wishes him well in future endeavors.