Andre Ward, the unified light heavyweight champion widely recognized as the world’s top pound-for-pound boxer, announced his retirement from the sport on Thursday. The Olympic champion attributed a physical toll and waning desire to his decision to walk away at the relatively young age of 33. The last time Ward lost a fight was against John Revish at the 1997 National Silver Gloves tournament in Baton Rouge when he was 13. Ward said last month his TV contract with HBO, for whom he’d fought six of his last seven fights, had expired. “Andre Ward ends his boxing career as he only knew how to live it – as a champion at the top,” HBO boxing czar Peter Nelson said in a statement.

Source: The Guardian September 21, 2017 15:33 UTC