“Just as the buzz of a comeback was starting to get credible, Sean ‘Big Sexy’ Turner officially retired from boxing.
Most had already hung up the gloves on the entertaining heavyweight considering he hasn’t fought since a stoppage loss to Nathan Gorman live on BT Sports in 2018.
However, the 31-year-old fighter took to social media to confirm that he will not fight again and only officially retired today.
What the ‘ongoing issues’ are, are unclear, but are believed to be unrelated to the fights.
The news comes just as rumors suggested the former Irish amateur champion was firmly on his way back and could have fought twice before the year was out.
Turner returns have been promised in vain numerous times before, so the latest comeback talk was taken with a pinch of salt, although Irish-boxing.com understands a November date was being explored.
The former Irish International and WSB fighter has proven to be a frustrating figure for fans over the years. His style, willingness to fight and, of course, his nickname in the ring meant that he was always popular with fight fans, but his dedication and focus were always a problem.
He started off strong, recording the fastest knockout in Irish boxing history in 2014. By the end of 2016 he was 9-0 with six knockout wins under his belt. At the time, an Irish title fight with old amateur rival Con Sheehan was on everyone’s lips before Tipp’s man slipped into the desert.
The Shankill man suffered an upset defeat earlier in 2017, but later that year recorded one of Ireland’s best away wins in recent memory, beating world-ranked Arnold Gjergjaj in Switzerland.
The trouble seemed to start then. He suffered back-to-back losses when he took money fights on short notice in 2018. The fighter himself has been pretty honest about how he lost focus after what were two big paydays in 2018.
With more money than he had ever seen in his pocket, having fun became more important than fighting. A bulging bank balance led to a partying lifestyle and a bulging waistline for a fighter who has often spoken out about commitment issues.
“Look, I had too much money,” he told Irish-boxing.com earlier this year. “Too much money in my pocket. I was partying, treating myself, having fun,” she said at the time.
There was still the fan desire for ‘Big Sexy’ to fight and the fact that he did 10 rounds with ‘world champion-in-waiting’ Filip Hrgovic, meant Turner could have made a living in the distance corner if he wanted to. .
However, there have been a number of false dawns regarding comebacks and he is now officially retired.
We here at Irish-boxing.com would like to thank Sean for all the entertainment and his time over the years. We wish you the best in retirement.
