One of the more charismatic champions in recent years decided to call it a day as former junior welterweight title holder Ricky Hatton officially announced his retirement from the sport. The gregarious Brit endeared himself to his fans in his native Manchester over the years and while his ending credentials may not quite be Hall-of-fame worthy, he still left a special legacy all his own.
Reflecting on his decision to walk away, the 32-year old Hatton admits that it wasn?t an easy one to make.
?I?m very upset. It?s a very sad day for me. I know it?s the right decision though. I?ve known it was the right thing to do for 18 months to be honest. It?s a bit of a relief to finally do it. It?s been hovering over my head for such a long time,? Hatton stated to the press.
Hatton?s achievements included a 45-2 record with 32 knockouts and victories of former champions Jose Luis Castillo, Juan Urango, Luis Collazo, and Carlos Maussa during a stretch from November 2005 to the summer of 2007. Hatton?s biggest win was his first title shot, a balls-out 11th round TKO over Australia?s Kostya Tszyu inside of the M.E.N. Arena in which all his dreams were fulfilled in front of his hometown crowd.
But sorrow would come later for the affable Hatton in the form of two losses; a December 2007 10th round TKO defeat to Floyd Mayweather and even worse was his shocking 2nd round knockout at the hands of Manny Pacquiao in May of 2009 inside the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Hatton was using the Pacquiao fight as his chance to springboard back to the top of boxing?s ladder but couldn?t cope with the Filipino star?s speed or power. Advertisement
The Pacquiao defeat was so crushing that Hatton wasn?t the same mentally afterwards, often partying and most recently being caught up in a well-publicized cocaine scandal this past September. But for Hatton, it?s just another fight for him to conquer.
?These last two years have been really frustrating,? Ricky said with honesty. ?I hit rock bottom and it almost drove me insane. It?s not been easy for me but I?m confident I?ll be able to stay on the straight and narrow.?
At his peak, Hatton was a special type of fighter in terms of his fan following and he established himself as a star attraction in Las Vegas as well, as his fans would travel in droves to attend his events. HBO’s unoffical ringside scorer Harold Lederman had often told me of the electricity in the air inside of the MGM hours before Hatton’s fight with Pacquiao, a sure sign of the kind of excitement he was able to bring to the sport.
These days Hatton has kept busy with a new endeavor as a promoter, something he will likely turn his attention to now that he is hanging up his gloves. He claims to have gotten some huge offers over the months for various comeback opportunities but insists the fire wasn?t there.
Here?s to wishing ?The Hitman? all the best in his life outside of the ring.
Chris Robinson is based out of Las Vegas, Nevada. He can be reached at [email protected]
