St. Petersburg boxer Winky Wright is retiring. That's according to an article in The Tampa Bay Times.

Wright reportedly told the Times, "I'm going to call it quits," The former world champion said, "If I can't be champ, I'm done. I'm not going to do this just to be fighting."

Wright lost a unanimous decision to unbeaten middleweight Peter "Kid Chocolate" Quillin Saturday night.

Wright (51-6-1), the former middleweight champion fighting in the co-main event behind his good friend and fellow Tampa-area fighter Tarver, showed rust during his first fight in 38 months. He also demonstrated a willingness to engage Quillin (27-0, 20 KOs) in one of the defense-oriented Wright's most entertaining fights in years.

Quillin's speed and power caused enormous problems for Wright, knocking him down in the fifth round and leading to a prolonged battering in the eighth. Wright engaged with Quillin for all 10 rounds, a change from the defense-first style he has used for most of his career.

"He definitely won the fight, no doubt at all," Wright said. "My timing was off. He fought a good fight, and he came prepared. I think I need to be at 154 if I fight again. He was quicker than I thought, and he was stronger than I thought."

Wright had fought just once since losing to Bernard Hopkins in July 2007, losing a one-sided decision to Paul Williams in April 2009. Wright claimed he couldn't find any fights that intrigued him, even with his 40th birthday looming last November.

Quillin was highly watchable in the biggest victory of his career, consistently breaking through Wright's defense with combinations and big shots. The fight was a step up in competition for Quillin, whose style could attract bigger fights with bigger names.

"I'm very proud. This was hard work for me," said Quillin, who grew up in Grand Rapids, Mich., the hometown of Floyd Mayweather Jr. "I threw a lot of punches and made him fight me. He was very smart and crafty. I had to watch for the shots."

Wright finishes his career with 51 wins and six losses.

Information from the Associated Press was used in this article.