Virgil Hill admits he will consider his future in the ring after losing the WBA cruiserweight title to Firat Arslan in Dresden.
Defeat in Dresden leaves Hill considering his future in the ring
Firat Arslan claimed the WBA cruiserweight title with a unanimous points decision over Virgil Hill in Dresden.
The Turkish-born German fighter triumphed 118-110, 116-113 and 117-111 on the judges' scorecards.
He rocked the champion with a left hook in the ninth round and then had him in trouble again in the 10th.
Although unable to force a stoppage, Arslan , 37, was content to secure a comfortable points win in his very first title bout.
End of the road
Hill - whose record now reads 50-7-0 - admitted afterwards that he will consider retirement at the age of 43. He has lost three of his last four fights.
"We're going to look at that. I trained so hard for this fight. I think I need a vacation," he said.
Hill's reign as a world champion had spanned two decades and began in 1987 when he won the WBA light-heavyweight crown.
He has also twice been a world champion at cruiserweight in a career that has included losses to ring legends Thomas Hearns and Roy Jones Jnr.
On the undercard, Zsolt Erdei kept hold of his WBO light-heavyweight title with a split decision success over challenger Tito Mendoza of Panama.
The Hungarian is still yet to taste defeat in 28 professional fights and has successfully defended the belt nine times.
