'Full heart, empty tank' - Eccles retires from boxing
Rosie Eccles now has a full house of Commonwealth gold, silver and bronze medals
- Published
Three-time Commonwealth medallist Rosie Eccles has retired from boxing following defeat in Glasgow.
Eccles settled for bronze, to add to the gold and silver she won at previous Games, after a split-decision defeat in Friday's semi-final.
In an emotional interview after the narrow loss, the Welsh fighter confirmed she is hanging up her gloves before launching a verbal attack on "awful" people who tried to "end" her career.
"That's it for me now, I'm done," she told S4C.
"My heart's full but the tank is empty and I've got to accept that, otherwise I'll go on too long.
"I know I can contend for the Olympics, but I've got to put health first now.
"My life was nothing before boxing, so I will walk out of the sport with everything in my back pocket and on to the next stage of life."
The Caldicot light-middleweight, who turned 30 on the day she carried the Welsh flag at the opening ceremony in Glasgow, took up boxing aged 16 and joined the GB squad in 2018, the same year she won silver at the Gold Coast Games.
Her crowning moment was winning Commonwealth gold in Birmingham but that came between double Olympic heartache.
She missed out on Tokyo 2020 because of "horrendous" nerve damage linked to coronavirus before a controversial defeat at Paris 2024.
Since that devastating loss she has been hit with serious back and knee injuries before leaving the GB set-up in March.
"I'm so fortunate my team has got me back," she added.
"I'm gutted [to lose]. It's sad. It's my last time in the ring and that's what I'm most sad about."
'Awful people tried to end my career'
In a highly charged post-fight interview, Eccles spoke about her recent struggles.
"This last year has been so tough," she told TNT Sports.
"I've talked about all the good people, but this last year there were some awful people - a small handful - who tried to end my career.
"I shouldn't say it but they nearly killed me last year and I'm stronger than them.
"Screw them. I have come back with the best people and [those other people] are on the fringes."
