RICKY HATTON ambled towards his seat at the head of the table with the weight of his exhilarating boxing career tugging on his shoulders. He has been uneasily carrying it around ever since he lost to the great Manny Pacquiao two years ago. Slightly nervously, and with tears pulling at his eyes, the British hero tenderly announced his retirement.
?There was no-one who ever loved getting fit as much as me,? explained the 32-year-old about his gut-wrenching decision. ?Any athlete will tell you, when you?ve gone through all those sacrifices and you?re the fittest you can be, there?s no better feeling. But it just wasn?t there after the Manny Pacquiao fight.
?I genuinely announced a comeback after that, and I genuinely wanted to do it with all my heart. But the alarm was going off in the morning and it was too easy to press the snooze button. I couldn?t get up to go running, I couldn?t spar and I couldn?t walk past the chippys when it came to dieting. It was heartbreaking and I knew then it was over.?
In truth, Hatton has nothing left to prove inside the ring. Turning professional in 1997, Area and Inter-continental belts soon became the British title. He claimed the WBU light-welterweight trophy and defended it 15 times before searching out infamous IBF leader, and pound-for-pound entrant, Kostya Tsyzu. He wanted to beat the best and rejected easier routes to a major title. After an unforgettable 2005 scrap, Ricky beat his favoured rival in a bout that gloriously inks one British boxing?s most thrilling chapters.
Further world belts followed, his reputation grew, and Hatton was rightfully adored by fans all over the world. His furious ring style provided a glorious contrast to his richly personable demeanor outside of the ropes. Hatton was an irresistible force and this king?s castle was where everyone wanted to play.
But a bruising loss to Floyd Mayweather Jnr hurt his pride in 2007 and, after two subsequent victories, a violent defeat to Manny Pacquiao spawned harrowing questions from within himself. Paranoia and self-doubt cruelly teased him; after blissfully riding the waves, he was suddenly anchored at rock bottom.
But he still remembered the cheers, the love, and the rush of heroism; he yearned for that irreplaceable thrill of combat. It?s why he postponed his decision to retire for so long.
?I stayed in the gym and did a little bit of training on the body belt with Bob Shannon and gave it the opportunity for it to come back,? Ricky divulged about life after Pacquiao. ?I wish I?d made this announcement then because I?ve been unfair to myself, thinking ?I might do this, I might not?. Instead of announcing my retirement then, I?ve spent the last 12 to 18 months sulking about it.?
Images of Hatton snorting drugs suddenly stained front pages. He names those dark days right up there with his only two ring defeats ? to the two finest fighters of recent years ? as his biggest disappointments.
?I was the blue-eyed boy who could do no wrong, and then I was like, ?No, I?ve finished it?,? Ricky revealed. ?I was drinking, no more than before, but I was drinking while I was in a bad frame of mind.
?In many ways I regret what happened but I needed to hit rock bottom to realise. I wasn?t in the right place to announce my retirement before that happened. It was like a bolt of lightning, I was thinking, ?Come on, I?ve got to get this sorted out?.?
And sort it out he has. His flourishing promotional outfit has seen him secure European titles, and shots at world belts for his fighters since its inception. He has a daughter with his beloved Jennifer on the way to join his 10-year-old son. He intends to train champions of the future.
As he sat back down after making his announcement to the sound of crackling applause, that unmistakeable smile, perhaps born from relief, strengthened the delicate atmosphere. He no longer needs to field tired questions about whether he will fight again, the lingering mystery about his future had been lifted. And as we all said thank you for the memories, British boxing?s favourite son should be content in the knowledge that his effortless charm will provide many more in years to come.
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