DALE Evans – who trained at St Joseph’s Boxing Club for two bouts last summer – has confirmed his retirement from the fight game aged 26.

The West Walian joined Tony Borg’s stable in Newport after an extended break following the death of opponent Mike Towell in September 2016.

Borg trained Evans to a routine points win over Kevin McCauley before an unsuccessful British welterweight title challenge against Bradley Skeete two months later.

Evans had hinted in January he was calling time on his boxing career but the chance to go for European honours made him change his mind.

However, in a post on his Twitter account, he admitted that when he went back to the gym to prepare for the contest the hunger just wasn’t there.

“I’ve had a rollercoaster of a career, never backed out of a fight, didn’t care about the unbeaten record, I just got on with it in order to earn a few quid for myself,” he wrote.

“I worked alongside the boxing for the majority of my career because the money was never great.

“After walking into a boxing gym at the age of nine, turning professional at 19, boxing has been a big part of my life – it was my life.

“I haven’t achieved what I’d have like to, but I’ve done alright I guess.

“Maybe I set the bar a bit high for myself or maybe I wasn’t as good as I thought I was, I don’t know.

“Either way, at 26, I thought the boxing would get me a house and I’d be moved into my own place by now – it didn’t.

“After some time out and questioning if I would fight again, a big fight was offered to me a few weeks ago.

“As always, I jumped at it! But the spark, the hunger and determination wasn’t there. Just worry and fear, I’ll openly admit. So that’s why I’ve made the decision I have.”

Evans finishes with a record of 13 wins, four defeats and two draws from his 19 outings in the paid ranks.