I We were to go back to 2002, Gerry Carter was ripping his way through the Middleweight division. He was by far the most feared Middleweight in the EBU.
In 2004, Fans were blessed to witness Kyte vs Carter. This fight was a true battle and nothing short of epic. Carter scored a stunning 9th round KO to place himself as the number one contender. No one was in doubt that he would become Champion. His record at this point was 24 fights, 24 wins, 23 KOs.
By 2005, Carter had a nice house, money, respect and a career full of promise, but he was about to lose it all. A drunken fight at a party left one man in hospital with a bleed on the brain. The man survived but would never walk or talk again. Gerry Carter was arrested and made a full confession. The man had thrown a drink over a women. Carter got involved and ended up being sentence to 4 years in prison.
In 2008, Carter was released early. His money and house were gone and he was broke. He made a comeback in 2009, winning a close MD. By 2010, he had broken into the top 10. Unfortunately, his prime was over and he was only boxing for the money. The highest ranking he earned was 6th. Every few wins would be followed by a loss. It has been sad to see such a talented fighter miss out on his prime and never recover his greatness. Today he is ranked 22nd in the Middleweight division with a record of 35 wins, 14 losses, 3 draws, 30 KOs. In his prime, Carters highest fight purse was £104,000. His last fight was just £750. Today he made this statement.
“There was a time when boxing was the only thing I had to be proud about. I felt pride when I talked about my career. For too long I have felt nothing but shame and embarrassment. People looked at me with pity. I feel that homeless people would feel the same shame I did. I knew a long time ago that I couldn’t box anymore. But what else could I do? I have bills like everyone. It is not with sadness, but relief, that I announce my retirement today”
English Boxing Union 