Kirkham's former English champion Adam Little forced into early retirement on medical grounds

Kirkham boxer Adam Little has been forced into an early retirement on medical grounds.
Little, right, beat Nathan Hardy in his last fight in March 2019Little, right, beat Nathan Hardy in his last fight in March 2019
Little, right, beat Nathan Hardy in his last fight in March 2019
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In a video posted on his Twitter page, the 29-year-old reveals his nine-year career has been brought to an end following complications over a brain scan.

It is the second time the super-lightweight has had medical issues flagged up to him, having returned from a 18-month lay-off to beat Nathan Hardy in March 2019 in what turned out to be his last fight.

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While Little says he had a big fight against Newcastle star Lewis Ritson lined up, the former English champion insists it wouldn’t have been worth the risk to continue.

“I failed a brain scan originally and then I had to jump through a few hoops, but they eventually said I was alright,” he told British Boxing Television.

“We then managed to get another fight against Nathan Hardy, who is a durable, tough man who would give me the rounds.

“I was flying in camp ready for a big fight, so I got back in and stopped Nathan in the sixth round after putting him down earlier in the fight.

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“It was a good comeback fight for me and I felt strong, I felt good and my head was in a good place.

“Literally two weeks later I got the Lewis Ritson fight at the Manchester Arena for one of the titles.

“We were more than confident in the gym heading into that. Mick and Dave (Jennings) have seen me since I first started, they’ve seen my progression and seen what sort of fighter I am. They really trusted that I could do it.

“I actually sparred Lewis before so we were very aware of what we had to do and what I was up against. Everyone knows what sort of fighter Lewis is, so I felt confident in that sense.

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“Four weeks before the fight I had to have my annual medical with the usual brain scan, which found there had been more changes.

“The Boxing Board sent a letter telling me I needed to do this and needed to do that, but I just thought: ‘someone’s telling me something’.

“I had seen random stuff on social media of a guy who ended up being mentally disabled and it just kept popping up and it was like someone was preparing me.”

Little, who now wants to become a professional trainer, won 19 of his 21 fights.

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He beat Ryan Hardy to win the Central Area title in 2014, before becoming English champion the following year with a victory over Lee Mould in Blackpool.

“I’m not going to be one of those people who thinks ‘shoulda, woulda, coulda’. Maybe I could have done, but I didn’t and that’s the truth and that’s the reality,” Little added.

“I’ve had some brilliant memories. Getting to walk into Floyd Mayweather’s gym two days after he fought (Marcos) Maidana, where I got to meet him and watch him on the pads, that’s something I’ll never forget.

“It’s just life, it just never happened for me. In life so many certain things have got to align for it to be successful and unfortunately that didn’t happen for me. It just wasn’t meant to be, it just didn’t happen.”

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He added: “I went through a time where I didn’t know what my purpose was, it can really get you down. I’ve always been known as Adam Little the boxer because it’s what I’ve done since I was 11.

“All of a sudden boxing was taken away from me and I felt like I was nothing.

“But, if I’m being honest, I haven’t really thought about my career since I stopped as I don’t really like to think about it.

“I feel like I’ve put it in a box and put it to the side. I don’t know why I’m doing that, maybe that’s how I’m trying to deal with it at the moment, because it does hurt me when I think about it a lot.

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“But you can’t go on through life thinking about the past. I’m only 29 so I’ve got loads of time left. I’m onto the next section of my life.”

Little becomes the second Fylde coast boxer to announce his retirement this year after Lytham's Scotty Cardle called it a day in January.