Starling’s Fight May Be His Last

The circle is nearly complete for Marlon Starling.

As an amateur, the question he was asked most was: When are you going to turn pro?

Eleven years and 51 professional fights later, the leading question is: When are you going to retire?

“Oh, boy,” Starling said Friday.

Just, “Oh, boy.” No definitive answer, not even a vague one. Just, “Oh, boy,” because he wants to say “tomorrow” and he wants to say “never.”

Like most professional athletes who have enjoyed long careers, the thought of retirement both gladdens and saddens him. Starling has raised the prospect regularly the past couple of years, even while in the midst of his greatest triumphs.

Indeed, it all could end Sunday when Starling defends his World Boxing Council welterweight title against Maurice Blocker.

If Starling wins the fight -- he is a 2-1 favorite to retain the title -- it would be surprising, even shocking, to see Starling announce that he is walking away from the sport. But it is not completely out of the realm of possibility.

The idea of going out on top is one that surely appeals to Starling, who revels in the knowledge that he accomplished much more than most thought he would. He could leave without being dethroned and remain forever The Champ.

And there have been subtle signs that could be interpreted as precursors of a retirement decision. At a news conference Thursday, Starling was almost overly humble, saying that he has been “fortunate” and “lucky to have been fighting for as long as I have.”

Were they words of thanks now that the end is at hand? Maybe. Maybe not.

But Starling has also said he has something “big” to unveil after this fight. What? He ruled out marriage, for now. When asked directly if it were retirement, he answered, “big fight.”

Sure, retirement is a possibility. There are any number of big fights out there for Starling. Simon Brown. Meldrick Taylor. Aaron Davis. Buddy McGirt. Even Vinnie Pazienza. But promoter Cedric Kushner doesn’t have anything lined up as yet.

Kushner and Starling met for nearly two hours this week to discuss what the future might bring -- Kushner’s contract with Starling expires after this fight -- and Starling raised the possibility of retirement with him.

“He said, ‘What would you think if I retired,”’ Kushner said. “I told him I thought it would be a bad business decision, that he has hit his stride as far as making money is concerned. But he’s made some bad business decisions in the past.”

Kushner remains confident that Starling will continue fighting at least as long as he keeps winning.

“You can take it to the bank, it (retirement) won’t happen,” Kushner said. “I’m sure because he struggled and strained, with difficulty, and had his peaks and valleys that the thought of retirement must cross his mind. But I don’t believe he is genuinely ready to bow out. He loves the adulation and he has to believe, correctly, his time is here.”

Those who have followed Starling’s career closely, people such as Mort Sharnik, believe that Starling could keep fighting for at least two more years. But they aren’t the ones who have to kill themselves to make weight, do the running, the sparring and the fighting.

“I’m tired,” Starling said. “I’m going to quit. I’m not going to retire. You come back when you retire. I’m going to quit. It’s coming.”

He also is at an age when his skills could go at any moment. He will be 32 Aug. 29. He has taken care of his body and he has been fortunate to avoid the type of punishment that takes a physical or mental toll. That is another reason he might like to get out.

Certainly, he could hang up his gloves without looking back.

He is a two-time champion. He has made $2.4 million in his past six fights. He has bought two homes, one for himself, one for his mother, and made other investments. He owns three cars, including a yellow Mercedes-Benz. He has a son he cherishes and good friends and a loving family.

The champ has done all right.

“I think I’ve been a world-known athlete for about a decade or eight years,” Starling said. “It’s not just being a champion. That’s just a title. I’m a pro in and out of the ring. I think I’m respected by my peers.”