THEY say change is progress but it?s amazing how the same things pop up year after year ? both in life and boxing.
This week there has been more fall-out over Ricky Hatton?s defeat against Manny Pacquiao.
Hatton spoke to the press for the first time and said he was undecided about whether to carry on.
His father Ray said that it was up to the Hitman if he continued or not ? and then tried to explain his son?s poor performance. Unfortunately, I?ve heard it too many times before.
Describing himself as ?disappointed? with Hatton?s training camp, Ray insisted that he wasn?t making excuses, adding: ?In hindsight he probably would have been as well making this the first fight he had pulled out of.?
He said that despite problems with Floyd Mayweather Snr, Hatton fought because he didn?t want to let down his fans.
It?s probably more to do with the huge pay cheque he was picking up. But the bottom line is, if a boxer isn?t right, he shouldn?t fight ? no matter how many tickets he?s sold ? and his team shouldn?t let it happen.
But the real reason Hatton lost was because Pacquiao was much better.
And it?s a worry that his dad is in denial on that.
Over the years Ray has blamed Ricky?s below-par performances on injuries, illness, changing weight divisions, trainers, air conditioning ? and he even claimed that I forced him to fight when he was unfit.
He?s even used the one about the fans before.
Talk about burying your head in the sand. I?m just worried that Hatton will start to convince himself that he isn?t a spent force.
He said this week that Naseem Hamed was never the same after he lost to Marco Antonio Barrera.
Like the Prince, Ricky should quit while he?s still got his health.
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One man with his best days ahead of him is Derek Chisora, 25, who will fight British heavyweight champ Danny Williams next month.
This fight is a big step up but if he wins he should breathe some life into a stale division.
