Thursday 12 May 2016 14:36, UK
Matthew Macklin has hung up his gloves after a rollercoaster career.
He won the European and British titles, fell short in world title challenges against Gennady Golovkin, Sergio Martinez and Felix Sturm and was part of one of British boxing's best domestic dust-ups.
So we asked 'Mack the Knife' to look back on some of the best and worst moments of the last 15 years...
There's a few so it's hard to pick one but bar the decision it is probably the night in Germany against Felix Sturm. It was for a world title and having won the European title back in 2009, I'd plateaued a bit but when that came I really got my teeth into training and really got up for it.
I performed and executed the gameplan and I do believe I'd won the fight. I wouldn't say it was 'easy' because he was a good champion but I thought I'd won it comfortably. I still celebrated like I'd won it.
I think the first cut runs the deepest, so it has to be the Andrew Facey one. It was for the English title back in November 2003 and I was going to go on and do this and that but then to lose in a fight like that - my first 10-rounder - was hard. Again I thought I'd won but it was a scrappy fight and I knew it was close but I thought I'd pulled it out of the bag in the last round.
But as soon as I heard the decision I started to think, 'Where do I go from here?'. I'd done my A-levels, passed my law degree but turned pro and then all of a sudden it was not going to plan. But I went into Billy Graham's gym, changed my style and rebuilt.
People still talk to me about the Jamie Moore fight and I remember at the time, there was no grudge, no slagging off, we were really friendly. But you knew it was the talk of the town in Manchester and the atmosphere was unreal. In terms of a war of attrition you would have to go far to beat me and Mooresy on that one.
The intensity and pace, with everything on the line - I spend the night in hospital but even when I was in there I knew it wasn't a bad loss - well not in one sense.
Beating Wayne Elcock for the British title. I'd lost to Facey and Moore and I was 26, so if I hadn't won that, I'd have retired because I didn't see myself as a British-level fighter. I saw myself better than that, so there was a lot of pressure on me and Elcock was the champion, from Birmingham, so that was a very sweet night.
I did love that week in Germany for the Sturm fight but taking on Sergio Martinez, who was one of the pound-for-pound best in the world, at Madison Square Garden? It is hard to top that place. It certainly won't be the George Carnall Leisure Centre in Manchester, where I fought Mooresy.
I think the Labour conference was on so we couldn't do it where they wanted it and ended up in a hall that held about 1,500 people. We were still going into the lions' den and about 50 of my mates came up and were fearing for their lives - and I think were glad I got beat!
Living out of a bag. I have been an out and out nomad. That comes with boxing but I remember when I turned pro, dieting was the hardest thing to do but now that doesn't even bother me because you know how to prepare for it, but the last few years it's been the solitude and loneliness. That was my own fault but I didn't set up to go down that road... and certainly not as many roads as I had to!
It's not one moment, but one man: Billy Graham. Billy would make me laugh every single day in the gym. He was such a funny guy and I think what made him even funnier was he didn't even know it!
I have obviously been with Sky Sports several times to cover fights either on commentary or analysis so maybe I will get into that again. But first I just want to make the transition from fighting to retirement. In time I am sure I will be.
I love being in the gym and in the changing rooms and in time I can certainly see myself helping fighters out and we have a gym in Birmingham that my brother Seamus runs, so I give him a hand anyway. That could be something I am more involved in.
Someone who gave it my all, all the time. I never shied from a challenge, I fought everyone, fought the best and fought them in their prime and laid it on the line. Win, lose or draw I always went out on my shield.
