Padraig McCrory is left with much to mull over as he fell to a second career defeat, stopped by Craig Richards in the eighth round at the SSE Arena on Saturday night.
The 36-year-old West Belfast man was competitive for the most part, but as the rounds began to pass Richards became more and more in the ascendancy.
in the end, it was a sickening left to the body which did it as McCrory went down and his coach, Dee Walsh instructed referee Howard Foster to wave it off.
Both men came into this fight in the knowledge that defeat would leave them with very few options left with the Londoner - who had been competitive against Dmitry Bivol in the past - coming off a very disappointing display against Willy Hutchinson.
McCrory had bounced back from his loss to Edgar Berlanga a year ago as he toughed it out to overcome the big-punching Leonard Carrillo in November, but was unable to get through this test.
"He was very, very cagey," McCrory's manager, Jamie Conlan offered
"And he was nicking and stealing rounds and going things a bit different than what he's used to.
"Boxing a different style, a bit cagey. Shot selection was just more single shots, kind of stealing the round. It was just so tough to see.
"You know, 35 now, he's had a fantastic career. He's achieved a lot of things in his career. He's expecting his fourth baby coming pretty soon. He's now getting into the more management and promotional side.
"He has a lot of different prospects within the sport that he can look forward to. Him and his wife, Natasha, will sit down and make a decision over the next few days."
McCrory goes on the attack
It was a cagey opener with both clearly respectful of the other with the only shot of note delivered by McCrory to the ribs.
The chess match continued into the second as they exchanged jabs, neither overly committing aside from one McCrory haymaker that whistled past Richards.
It began to liven up in the third as McCrory temporarily switched southpaw in an effort ti lure Richards onto a left hand, but reverted back as they both seemed to show more intent.
The tense nature of this battle continued as they approached the midway point but right at the end of the fifth, McCrory got through with a huge hand and then Richards retaliated with one which brushed off the shoulder before connecting to the temple which seemed to disorientate the St James' man briefly.
Richards perhaps felt he had made more of a dent as he began to apply more pressure in the sixth as he got on his front foot for the first time and continued in the seventh as even though McCrory got through with a couple of his own, the initiative was with the visitor who began to find a home for meaty right hands of his own.
With three rounds to go, there was a sense this was very much all to play for but Richards had the wind in his sails and even through he took a right to get his own off, that left land suck to the body was that as he took the win and will move forward to bigger opportunities.
