'End of the road' for Conlan after defeat by Walsh
· Yahoo Sports
Michael Conlan has confirmed it's the "end of the road" following his split decision defeat by Kevin Walsh at Belfast's SSE Arena.
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The former world amateur champion had hoped a victory would set up a third shot at top honours as a professional, but in a rather drab affair, Walsh was awarded two 96-94 verdicts with Conlan taking the third card 97-93.
The 33-year-old visitor from the United States maintained his perfect record which extends to 20 victories in as many contests, while Conlan's record ends at 20-4.
Conlan had high hopes of landing a shot at WBC featherweight champion Bruce Carrington later in the year.
It was a fight that never quite came alive despite some brief moments as Conlan sought to box rather than brawl and, while Walsh was never in full command, his moments were enough to see him take a career-best win with the Belfast man announcing his retirement.
"I said that the next defeat, no matter the circumstances, would be me finished with boxing and it has come," Conlan told reporters in a sombre dressing room afterwards.
"I didn't think I lost, but I wasn't good enough and that's just a fact. For me to become a world champion I need to be beating guys like that and beating them well. That was too close for comfort.
"I'm 34 now, too long in the tooth, I thought I won but it is what it is. I don't want to do it anymore so it's time to say goodbye to boxing."
Confident Walsh silences the home crowd
Walsh claimed the WBC International featherweight title [Getty Images]Walsh danced to the ring, exuding the confidence of a man who had yet to taste defeat as a professional and despite being a long way from his home of Brockton, Massachusetts, he appeared right at home.
Conlan came out for the opening bell in the orthodox stance, but swiftly reverted to southpaw in what was an extremely cagey start from both, but a left hand from the Belfast man appeared to bring the challenger to life with Walsh getting through with right hands.
A gash had opened on Conlan's forehead in the second - the result of a head clash - with blood flowing freely.
It remained cautious for the most part with Conlan seeking to find a home for the jab but they temporarily traded up close to close out the round and it was in this area where Walsh looked dangerous.
The American was feinting consistently and goading at times, seeking to draw Conlan's lead but the Belfast man remained composed, refusing to over-commit as he sought to draw a mistake of his own.
Both appeared respectful of the other's power which meant the moments of note in the first half were fleeting and limited to single shots, but Conlan appeared to be having more of them as his footwork was leaving the American short during his sporadic raids, but he got an opportunity to work on the inside in the seventh from a brief exchange.
While the blood from Conlan's earlier cut appeared to have stopped, a gash by his right eye was now a problem in the eighth which offered Walsh some encouragement, but still he didn't fully press in the ninth aside from a brief moment towards the end of a round Conlan seemed to control with his movement.
The visitor did open the 10th and final round with intent but fully sustain the attack, yet he was pressing a little more and ultimately, it was enough to see him home.
Conlan falls short of reaching ultimate goal
Conlan was a great amateur and won a bronze medal at the 2021 Olympics [Getty Images]It was a return to Belfast for the first time since his defeat by Jordan Gill in December 2023 which left him with much to ponder in terms of his career.
After a 16-month hiatus, Conlan returned in March 2025 under new coach Grant Smith, producing a points win over Asad Asif Khan in Brighton before stopping Jack Bateson in Dublin six months later.
However, the SSE Arena once again proved to be the scene of one final night of disappointment that has resulted in his decision to retire.
It wasn't a case of him being completely dominated this time, but there was self-awareness that his performance was not up to a level where he could threaten a standing champion.
Walsh will instead seek his own opportunity and called out WBC featherweight champion Bruce Carrington afterwards.
"It was definitely a close fight," he told DAZN afterwards.
"Shout out to Mick Conlan - I've always been a fan of his but he couldn't figure me out. He's been a helluva fighter, but his time's up."
Those words rang true with Conlan confirming this is indeed time up.
"Boxing has given me an unbelievable life," he reflected.
"I can never be bitter with the situation because it gives you so much and takes so much. I've always said you can never love the sport as it will never love you back.
"I want to walk away with my health intact and my family good. I've done really well in boxing, have reached some serious heights and fought in some serious arenas around the world, done things many fighters don't get to do."
He continued: "I've achieved an awful lot but have I reached my goal of becoming a world champion? No, and that's the hardest part of all.
"I'm a stubborn person and would want to keep going, but I've missed a lot of my family's lives. I've two kids, my daughter is 11 next week and my son is seven. I've missed maybe 65 or 70% of their lives through boxing and training camps, so it's time to go home."