\n<\/p>\n
Williams does not need reminding of the dangers of boxing, he’s lived the tragedy the sport can bring.<\/p>\n
He was a stablemate of Nick Blackwell when he suffered a bleed on the brain in defeat by Eubank Jr in 2016 and spent nine days in an induced coma.<\/p>\n
Six months after that, Williams went to support another stablemate, Dale Evans, as he fought local fighter Mike Towell in Glasgow in a fight that saw Towell seriously hurt and hospitalised. Towell died from his injuries the following day.<\/p>\n
After several concussions and plenty of gruelling fights, Williams says the threat of further damage to his brain and the threat of CTE means he will not return as a fighter, tempted as he\u2019s been.<\/p>\n
“I\u2019ve taken too much, I\u2019ve had a long career, boxing has been all I\u2019ve ever known,” he said.<\/p>\n
“Heavy sparring, heavy hits, my resistance to punches is not as good and the risk are just too great, some hits you can\u2019t come back from.”<\/p>\n
Williams admits he is finding the adjustment tough after “boxing basically my whole life”, but admits he has had moments of doubt.<\/p>\n
“Because of concussions I’ve had to retire,” he said. “It’s the right decision.<\/p>\n
“But I did have a blip recently, I watched a fight, I can\u2019t even remember which one and I immediately messaged my manager and said \u2018get me a fight’.<\/p>\n
“Then I rang him back the next day and told him to forget I\u2019d said anything.\u201d<\/p>\n
Williams says he is “enjoying life”, having retired, with nights out with friends and “cheat meals”, now an option to him for the first time since he was a teenager.<\/p>\n
With an eye to the future he has built a fitness gym at the back of his house and is currently doing personal training, but while he does not rule out a return to boxing as a trainer, Williams says he is “in no rush” to do so.<\/p>\n
“I know I can offer good advice, I talk to my ex-stablemate (undefeated Welsh boxer) Rhys Edwards a lot and I don\u2019t say this in a horrible way, but I know more about boxing than Rhys Edwards does, because of my experience,” he said.<\/p>\n
“I like trying to help him. Maybe one day in the future I might want to do some training, but it\u2019s a massive commitment.”<\/p>\n
Williams retires with a 25-5-1 record, with 20 of his 25 wins coming via KO or stoppage.<\/p>\n
“I would have liked to have won a world title, I was a bit unfortunate I suppose that when my opportunity it came against one of the best world champions (Andrade),” he said.<\/p>\n
“I think I proved in my career that I could box at a world level, but I can look back and be proud of what I have done.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n