Three-division belt winner Hozumi Hasegawa announced his retirement on Friday, bringing his decorated 17-year boxing career to an end with a 36-5 record, including 16 knockouts.
The fleet-footed 35-year-old retires as WBC super bantamweight champion after he defeated Mexican Hugo Ruiz by technical knockout in September, becoming the fourth Japanese boxer to sweep three weight classes. Hasegawa's three titles came over a span of five-and-a-half years.
"I've decided to retire with the Sept. 16 bout being my last, when I conquered my third division," Hasegawa told a news conference. "It was a boxing career that had more (success) than I expected.