By Miguel Rivera

Former four division world champion Juan Manuel Marquez has confirmed that he officially retired from the sport.

BoxingScene.com reported on Thursday that Marquez had planned to announce his retirement from professional boxing. The boxer was about to turn 44-years-old.

Marquez is ending a career that began on May 29, 1993, and in a few more years he will find himself in the International Boxing Hall of Fame.

Marquez saw action for the last time in May of 2014, when he won a twelve round unanimous decision over former world champion Mike Alvarado in an HBO televised main event from Los Angeles, California.

Since that bout, he was plagued with a lingering knee issue that took two years to fully recover from.

He began training earlier this year for a planned ring return, but suffered a shoulder injury. Several other planned returns were postponed for a variety of reasons.

"Making this decision was difficult and hard for me, but somehow positive. We made it 15 days ago. I injured my biceps (left), I was training and I felt pretty good, I continued training with only the right hand. After a month, I started to train, sparring and then I suffered an illness.. cold, cough and I can not be cutting the workouts. That is why this decision is made. I am a fighter and I am a person and I am competitive and I like to be at my best and prepare myself at my very best - because physical integrity is the important thing, and this decision was then made," Marquez said to ESPN Deportes.

"The fans have been very important to me, we have to thank them for all of the support they have given me and I have to say that it hurts me to end this, but everything has a beginning and an end, and you have to accept it, good or bad, with pain in my soul and in my heart... you have to listen when the body begins to grumble and things like illnesses and injuries happen. You have to know when to listen and it is the precise moment to say goodbye."