Audley Harrison announces retirement due to head injury issues

Audley Harrison has announced his retirement from boxing for a second time due to problems associated with head injuries.

The 43-year-old 2000 Olympic super-heavyweight champion has not fought since losing to Deontay Wilder in 2013, after which he announced his retirement.

Just 20 days after that fight he reversed his decision and this year had been talking of a comeback.

But in a statement on his website on Thursday, Harrison said: "I am no longer a professional boxer, and that is good with me.

"After locking myself away for the last five weeks, I've tried to focus and turn back the clock to get myself into fighting condition. I've also seen specialists for my brain, eyes and various other experts to test my body functions.

"I looked at the latest research into concussions and Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI). After years of denial and sticking to my guns, I'm finally getting out of my own way. As tough as it is to say this...it's time to stop.

"I've suffered a few TBIs and will have to work hard to reverse some of the effects taking punches to the head has brought about to my overall health.

"I have vision problems, vestibular injuries that leads to balance disturbances, and have bouts of serious irritability and moodiness that comes with TBI recovery."

After years of denial and sticking to my guns, I'm finally getting out of my own way. As tough as it is to say this... it's time to stop.

Harrison lost to Wilder just 70 seconds into the first round when the referee stopped the fight after Harrison had been knocked to the ground in a flurry of punches. Unbeaten American Wilder went on to become the current WBC world heavyweight champion.

Harrison's rollercoaster later career saw him capture the EBU European heavyweight title in April 2010 by knocking out Michael Sprott, but in November that year he was stopped by David Haye in the third round of their WBA world heavyweight title bout.

Harrison appeared to only throw a single punch at Haye in that fight and has been widely encouraged to retire ever since.

A technical KO of Ali Adams followed in May 2012 to win him the International Masters heavyweight title, but Harrison was knocked out that October after 82 seconds of the first round against the then British and Commonwealth heavyweight champion David Price.

Then, just two months before the 2013 Wilder fight, Harrison won Sky's Prizefighter tournament for the second time, having captured the eight-fighter, one-night event previously in 2009.

As recently as January this year, he said: "I'm coming to the end, but I want to go out on a high. In terms of my style and team, I've done a lot of ­reprogramming and I just want to give it one more shot.

"I've lost two fights - two big fights - recently against David Price and Deontay Wilder, and if you include David Haye it is three since 2010. So most ­people think that I’m done."

And on February 23 he tweeted: "Going to lock off from social media for a while to go from Fatty boom boom to fighting fit. 2011-2015 #Time2Focus."

Love him or loathe him, you would watch him (Harrison) because he knows how to sell a fight. He's just been good for the sport.

Love him or loathe him, you would watch him (Harrison) because he knows how to sell a fight. He's just been good for the sport.

He has been booed into and out of the ring in each of his recent big bouts and has turned to the celebrity reality TV circuit with appearances on Strictly Come Dancing in 2011 and Celebrity Big Brother last summer, in which he came second.

Harrison won Olympic gold for Britain at the Sydney 2000 games and became WBF world heavyweight champion in 2004 when he knocked out the title-holder Richel Hersia in the fourth round.

Following Harrison's retirement announcement, former WBO cruiserweight champion Johnny Nelson told Sky Sports News HQ: "Love him or loathe him, you would watch him because he knows how to sell a fight.

"He's just been good for the sport."