Two-time Irish Olympic medalist Paddy Barnes has announced his retirement from boxing.
The hugely successful amateur won medals in the light flyweight division at the 2008 and 2012 Olympic games and fought in the 2016 games in Rio, where he carried the Irish flag at the opening ceremony.
Barnes turned pro a year later and fought for the WBC flyweight title in 2018 but lost out to Cristofer Rosales. His final fight was a fourth-round loss to jay Harris in Belfast last month.
Congratulations on a career that anyone would be proud of Paddy. Our greatest amateur boxer. https://t.co/IGZvWVyECM
— Carl Frampton MBE (@RealCFrampton) November 22, 2019
I want to wish @paddyb_ireland a happy retirement, we have shared some wonderful memories traveling around the world together. You never took any shit and I admire you for that. #IrishLeprechaun
— Kenneth Egan OLY (@kenegan30) November 21, 2019
“I have loved every minute of boxing, it has been my life for the past 21 years,” the Holy Family BC fighter said in a statement on Twitter.
I have achieved my dream of becoming an Olympian and getting to carry the Irish flag at the Olympic Games opening ceremony. Those moments were the proudest of my career.
Professional boxing was never a dream of mine but I tried and threw myself into the deep end straight away. It didn’t work out but I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’d like to thank my family for supporting me throughout my entire career, my wife Mari for keeping my feet firmly on the ground and helping me towards my goals.
“I want to thank my parents Jimmy Linden, Gerry Storey, Seamy McCann and everyone at the Holy Family boxing club.”
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