Riddick Bowe, the former undisputed heavyweight champion, says he wishes he hadn't retired so early. The boxer, who beat Evander Holyfield twice, left the sport at just 29 years old.
Bowe recently told Boxing News he regrets listening to his manager, Rock Newman, about quitting boxing.
"Because I listened to my manager Rock Newman, I listened to him that's why [my prime] was short. He made me retire, told me to retire. I listened to him when I should have told him to kiss my ass and keep it moving, I should have kept on fighting."
Bowe hung up his gloves in 1996, not long after beating Andrew Golota for the second time. He tried to come back between 2004 and 2008, but only fought three times.
Known as "Big Daddy," Bowe had an impressive career with just one loss in 45 fights. That defeat came against Evander "The Real Deal" Holyfield, but Bowe got his revenge in their third and final fight in 1995.
The Bowe-Holyfield rivalry stands as one of boxing's most memorable heavyweight battles. They fought three times, with Bowe winning two of those matches.
Holyfield had a great run in the 1990s as a heavyweight. He beat big names like George Foreman, Larry Holmes, and Mike Tyson. By the end of his career, he had lost 10 fights.
Bowe's last professional fight was an 8-round points win over Gene Pukall. Looking back, he feels he could have achieved more if he had stayed in the ring longer.
The story of Bowe's early retirement shows how important decisions can shape a boxer's career. It also highlights the complex relationships between fighters and their management teams.
