After 14 bouts and fresh off a world title fight last month, the fighting pride of Guyana, Clive ‘The Punisher’ Atwell has announced his retirement.
A rocky relationship with his management, Dog Pound Inc. along with a renewed focus on his business and furthering his education were the factors that influenced the 25-year old prize fighter to hang up his gloves way ahead of his prime.
“I am going into retirement,” Atwell told this publication from his adopted home of Dominica yesterday.
“I had enough of operating beneath my standard of always having to fight for what belongs to me. I want to get back to my life here which is decent and focus on my business and education.”
Atwell then blasted his management team which made headlines for negotiating and accepting the Gonzalez fight for a mere US$14,000.
“They have no idea about boxing and when I try to show them how it should be I get a lot of resistance. On top of that I always have to wait for responses for days on matters affecting my career because they are busy, they do not have the urgency when it comes to making the right decisions in this sport. I cannot continue to fight under these circumstances.”
So why not have a change of management and continue to build off his last showing versus WBC featherweight champion, Jhonny Gonzalez?
“No one in boxing is willing to come and further assist me because of them. Other management teams and promoters don’t want to deal with you when you have a contract with someone else because it can lead to legal trouble. I had offers as far as Europe but I thought sticking around they would make a change but it’s not worth it.”
The former featherweight and light welterweight CABOFE titlist added:“I told management I want out but they said they want $5M,” Atwell laughed. ‘I didn’t make anywhere close to that money in the ring. I don’t have time to be arguing and going back and forth with Dog Pound, I’m finished, I’m not paying that money to them, they don’t deserve it.”
Atwell then mentioned that he was grateful to his fan base and whoever supported him throughout his brief career.
In the past, many boxers announced their retirements and yet re-entered the ring. It remains to be seen if Atwell who only turned pro four years ago will be one of them or just hang up the gloves without reaching his full potential because of his managers.
