Danish fighter Mikkel Kessler announces retirement from boxing

Former super-middleweight champion Mikkel Kessler has announced his retirement from boxing, after finding it hard to secure a major fight.

Kessler last fought British fighter Carl Froch in May 2013, and he had been talking about a possible re-match with either Froch or Andre Ward, who beat him in 2009.

However, he wrote on Facebook: "I consider myself in a state of retirement. I said I would like nothing more than to avenge my loss against Andre Ward and also to have the decider against Carl Froch.

"These are fights that motivate me but, for one reason or another, they do not want to fight me."

The Danish fighter had a professional record of 46-3.