27 year old Joshua Franco nicknamed "El Professor" announced his retirement from boxing on his Instagram account after losing yesterday to Kazuto Yoki in Japan. His points loss came six months after their first fight ended in a draw.
On the eve of Friday, Franco could not meet the second flyweight limit, showing an advantage of more than 3 kg, which is why he lost the title even before the fight.
“I wanted to start by thanking everyone who supported me in my career,” Franco wrote. — I am grateful to everyone for their constant support. I was able to fulfill my childhood dream of becoming a world champion. I have defended my title several times around the world and have always tried my best to proudly represent San Antonio, Texas."
“For most of my career, I had a lot of mental problems that I struggled to control. I never talked about it publicly because I didn't want anyone to think that I had ever justified anything or that anyone would look at me differently. I've fought this as much as I could to keep going and give you guys great fights. For those struggling with any mental health issues, please know that you are not alone. And you can't let anything stop you from fulfilling your dream."
“I want to say thank you to my team. To my mom, dad and brothers for all their help and support throughout my career. To everyone at the RGBA (Robert Garcia Boxing Academy) for believing that I helped make my dreams come true. You guys have always believed in me and I will always be grateful."
“Yesterday in Tokyo was officially my last fight. It was a tough week for me and I didn't get the desired result, but I'm leaving this sport knowing that I gave it everything I had. Thanks again to everyone for your support, and see you guys," Franco added.
