Boxing champion Lebedev retires after fights fall through
Cruiserweight ace defended his title eight times to 2017
Moscow: Former world cruiserweight boxing champion Denis Lebedev has retired, aged 39, after a lengthy and colourful career. Lebedev won the interim WBA cruiserweight title in 2011 against James Toney, and successfully defended it eight times to 2017.
He also held the IBF belt in 2016, winning it from Victor Emilio Ramirez before losing it to fellow Russian Murad Gassiev seven months later.
Known for entering the ring in Russian paratrooper uniform, Lebedev finishes with a 32-2 win-loss record, 23 by knockout. His defeat to Guillermo Jones in 2013 was later changed to a no-contest when the Panamanian failed a drug test.
Lebedev had been hoping to fight the then-unified cruiserweight champ Oleksandr Usyk, but the Ukrainian moved up to heavyweight in March. A planned fight with France’s Arsen Goulamirian collapsed last week. Lebedev hasn’t fought since last November.