Geale, now 36, weighs his options

THE final decision has not yet been made, but Tasmania’s greatest boxer, Daniel Geale, concedes it is a long way back to the top if he does fight on.

Geale, 36, last fought in October when he was stopped by Sydney’s Renold Quinlan in the second round in Launceston.

It was the former IBO, WBA and IBF middleweight world champion’s fourth defeat in his past six bouts, and third in four fights, with the last three all coming by way of knockout.

“I still felt like there was plenty left in me and that’s why I’ve taken a bit of extra time to make sure, to work it out and see that’s what I want to do,” Geale said.

“I know I’m still young enough to do other things but I’m also still young enough to continue on and challenge for different things.

“That fight also put me back a long way as well so if I do decide to have the world title dreams again it is going to take at least a few fights to where I would want to go.”

He originally planned to make a decision on his illustrious career by Christmas but he was still weighing up his options with family and friends.

“I’m just playing it by ear,” the Sydney-based father of four said.

“If I do decide to fight on, I’ll have to decide fairly quickly but the way things are going I’ve just been busy with my family and just trying to work out a few other things I’m doing to keep a bit of an income coming in and whether the body and mind wants to get back in there to win titles again.”