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A few days ago, Shamil Khataev announced the most important fight of his career. Today, he announces that he must hang up his gloves, at the age of 29, following the worsening of a severe eye problem, his promoter Eye of the Tiger (EOTTM) announced on Wednesday.
“I had the passion, the strength and the will to be a great champion, but the doctor told me that I risked losing my sight if I continued. Today, I have to give up on my dream. (…) I am not discouraged by what is happening to me, but rather grateful to have been lucky enough to have reached this point. You will see me again, because I will do everything in the world to help my brother Imam reach the top. I will be part of the team forever, although now, for me, it will be outside the ring,” he commented in a press release.
During his career, Khataev scored nearly 300 victories among amateurs and ended his professional career remaining undefeated in 14 fights (13-0-1, 4 KOs). Along the way, he won the WBC Asian and South Asian titles.
“My thoughts are with Shamil, because I know what being a boxer meant to him. We often say it, but we don’t play boxing, so I am above all relieved that he chooses to prioritize his health before his sport,” said the president of EOTTM, Camille Estephan.