The story of Uzi stepping away from his professional career is far from over, as some recent sources from China have shared that Royal Never Give Up had an impact on Uzi’s future.
As we know, yesterday, RNG’s marksman announced his retirement on his personal Weibo account. His statement appeared almost simultaneously with RNG’s farewell post. The reason behind Uzi’s retirement is said to be health issues, as persistent hand injuries along with diabetes have plagued him.
However, some opinions from the panda nation online have pointed out that Uzi had no intention of retiring. With no standing at RNG, Uzi had planned to seek out a new team. However, the management at Royal Never Give Up used contractual agreements with Uzi, which are still valid, to prevent him from doing so.
The requirement placed upon Uzi was: either he announces his retirement, or RNG will keep him until the contract expires. And as we know, Uzi chose the former option.
Nevertheless, the aforementioned hypothesis might sound a bit harsh towards Uzi, but in reality, many believe that RNG had to play the “villain” role to manage this stubborn player. In Uzi’s retirement announcement, he mentioned being advised by doctors to pay attention to his daily routine to avoid complications from diabetes.
Uzi does not want to retire and still has a strong desire to compete. However, if he continues to play professionally, balancing his lifestyle becomes impossible. Furthermore, Uzi’s hands also need rest after 8 years of grueling activity.
Whether RNG wants to keep Uzi or let him join another team now doesn’t matter too much. Indeed, from an image standpoint, Uzi retiring in RNG colors would hold greater significance, but what truly matters is ensuring his health. RNG has retained Uzi for over a year despite his ongoing injuries, and this may indicate that the team management always wants the best for him, even if they have to take on the role of the antagonist.