Scott Quigg walks away from boxing more than content with his lot.
Bury’s former world super bantamweight champion bowed out after defeat to Jono Carroll at the Manchester Arena on Saturday night, a result few in the trade saw coming.
It was just a third loss in 40 fights, 10 of those being for a version of a world title, across a professional career than spanned a month shy of 13 years.
All of that means Quigg hangs up the gloves with no regrets, a fighter who walked to the ring to the sounds of Oasis certainly not looking back in anger.
“I couldn’t have achieved any more,” said the 31-year-old, who finished with 35 wins and two draws on his record.
“I put everything in. I couldn’t have tried any harder, I couldn’t have put any more hours in, I couldn’t have worked any more.
“I went to America, I invested money I made early on and reinvested it into myself. I’m at peace.”
The meeting at super-featherweight with Carroll was supposed to be Quigg’s ticket to a chance at becoming a two-weight world champion.
But it quickly turned into a fight too far after 17 months out of the ring due to a problematic elbow injury.
The clash with the Dubliner was originally supposed to happen on the undercard of Anthony Joshua’s rematch with Andy Ruiz in Saudi Arabia in December only for the arm issue to return.
In hindsight, Quigg recognises that was potentially a sign that things were coming to an end.
He had to know for sure though, and was pleased to bow out back with long-time trainer Joe Gallagher and on home soil at the Manchester Arena for the first time in more than three years.
“Maybe that (the injury) was a sign that father time was catching up,” Quigg told the Bury Times.
“I got injured and then it reinjured and that might have been it saying ‘right, we’re warning you again’.
“But knowing how the fight went and if I knew before how it was going to go, I still would have had it.
“I would have to know myself being in there that it’s done. That’s also why I’m at peace.
“Unfortunately it didn’t go my way and it’s time to hang them up but I’ve had a good career.”
A fighter by trade, now perhaps comes his biggest challenge.
Boxers have a chequered history when it comes to transitioning into retirement with the tough training regime gone and the bright lights under which they perform switched off for good. For some, nothing can replicate that.
Quigg has seen long-time stablemate Anthony Crolla make the seamless move into training, the former world lightweight champion being part of the corner that elected to throw in the towel in the 11th round on Saturday night.
While Bury’s finest isn’t sure if that’s for him, he has no doubts that he will find fulfilment in the next stage of his life.
“I know how hard boxing is,” Quigg said.
“If you want to make a living out of it, if you want to be successful at it, you’ve got to put the same amount of work in that I did.
“If not, you might as well just go and get a normal job. It’s too hard of a sport, too dangerous of a sport to mess around at.
“That’s probably one thing I would struggle with, if someone didn’t live the life and put the effort in, you wouldn’t want to train with me. I’d be a right grumpy sod.
“I’ll be fine, don’t worry about that, I’ll be fine.
“I’ll find something to do. There’s many things I’ll do to keep myself occupied but the main thing now is I’ll have a good rest and figure out the next chapter of my life.”
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