Aceino Freitas, Popó, announced on Monday night (6) his boxing retirement. The 50 -year -old, whose last fight ended with widespread beating within the ring, said he was ashamed in the episode and said he would not practice the sport in which he built his career.
“You have no idea how shameful it was for me to go through what I went over that ring,” he said. “It was one of the worst humiliation I had in my life as a fighter, and this is one of the reasons I stop here today and talk to all of Brazil: my shame was so great that today I stop fighting, I don’t want to know about boxing anymore,” he said.
The episode referred to by the Bahian was the confusion that was recorded at the end of his fight with Wanderlei Silva, in Sao Paulo, on the 27th. In an event promoted by a beer brand, Silva was disqualified by illegal blows. Announced the result, members of the two teams took the ring and exchanged aggressions.
During the confusion, one of Popó’s sons, Rafael Freitas, hit a hard blow to Wanderlei Silva, who was unconscious and had to be hospitalized. The two teams exchanged accusations of those who started the Entrever, and Popó himself said he was assaulted. Days after the fight, he had to undergo surgery in his hand.
“It was very shameful what I spent inside the ring. For my family. I never got hurt from a boxing fight, but there I got hurt, because the guy beat me out of the fight. So today I stop here, hang my gloves and tell you that boxing stopped for me.
The announcement was made during the presentation of another boxing event, the Fight Music Show, scheduled for November 1, in São Paulo. For the program initially released, Popó would face former BBB Diego Alemão. But even if he had not had surgery in his hand, the Bahian could not fight: he was suspended for six months by the CNB (National Box Council).
