While Ricky Hatton was limited as a fighter in certain regards, you would be hard-pressed to find a pug as charismatic and with as great of following as the British star. Hatton made a splash with his upset TKO over Kostya Tszyu in June of 2005 and later would introduce himself to American audiences with a wave of electric showcases in the Las Vegas area.
Throughout it all Ricky was an affable guy and someone you couldn’t help wish the best for, in both victory and defeat. Whether he was polishing off Jose Luis Castillo with a crippling body shot at the Thomas & Mack Center or being flattened by Floyd Mayweather, Hatton’s presence was always felt and his adoring fans were by his side every step of the way.
The last time Hatton stepped into the ring also served as the worst defeat of his career as he was starched cold in under two rounds after absorbing a sharp left hand flush on the chin by Filipino star Manny Pacquiao in May of 2009. Pacquiao had a lot of momentum heading into the bout following his shocking victory over Oscar De La Hoya months prior and Hatton was simply out of his league, having no answer for the blinding and stinging shots that were coming his way.
The loss was visibly shattering to Hatton, who had promised his legion of supporters that a victory was undeniable leading into the contest. For a man who places so much stock in those who have his back, Hatton felt crushed that he couldn’t fulfill his promises. The months went by and any thoughts of Hatton returning to the ring seemed like pure speculation more than anything else.
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Adding to the sorrow was the fact that Hatton was involved in an embarrassing cocaine scandal this past September. Hatton was filmed on tape snorting huge lines of the powder inside of a hotel room in Manchester with a female acquaintance of his. The 31-year old Hatton was in the midst of a drinking and drug binge before hitting up the town with some friends.
The fallout from that incident was devastating but it also looks as though it served as a serious wakeup call for Hatton. Recent reports have the British star in much better spirits these days, as he has been spotted training alongside his brother Matthew at Shannon’s Gym in Openshaw right outside of the city. Speaking during an interview with Sky’s Ringside boxing program, Hatton discussed the latest crop of British hopefuls as well as hinting that his career may not yet be finished.
“I’m fantastic,” he claimed. “I’m in a nice place right now. I’m in the gym again and getting fit. My hands are tied a little at the minute but eventually I will apply for my license and when I do I can make a decision about my future. I’m still involved in boxing. I’m bringing the champions through and am back enjoying life again.”
Throughout his career Hatton has had issues with gaining weight in between fights, a problem that was further heightened during his nearly two-year absence from the sport. Right now he appears to be simply shedding the pounds and admits the rigors of training on a world class level are much more intense. That harsh reality seems to add a touch of hesitation when Hatton speaks on a possible comeback.
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“I don’t know,” he muttered. “You need that hunger there. I’m training with my brother and Denton Vassell but it is different training to be fit than being in a training camp where you’re dieting and up running at six. I miss [boxing] every day and I can never find the words even to this day to turn around and say it’s over.”
Hatton has been dabbling with a new role of a promoter as of late and it is unsure whether he will ever return to the ring to fight as a professional. Whatever happens you have to like the news that his spirits seemed to be restored following his recent struggles. Boxing is about more than just the two fighters inside of the ring and Hatton’s well-being should be the main concern for the moment.
Chris Robinson is based out of Las Vegas, Nevada. He can be reached at Trimond@aol.com
Comments
nothing bad to say about the guy but his chance of coming back to the ring has ended.
RICKY "HITMAN" HATTON is MUCH MORE BRAVER than FLOYD. at least HITMAN WAS NOT SCARED TO FIGHT MANNY TOE TO TOE.even he WAS KNOCKED DOWN HE CONTINUED TO FIGHT MANNY AS A TRUE WARRIOR.
THAT'S THE REAL DIFFERENCE OF RICKY with FLOYD. Floyd is TOO SCARED TO FIGHT MANNY, TOO SCARED TO BE KNOCK DOWN AND GET UP AND CONTINUE TO FIGHT MANNY LIKE RICKY HATTON DID.
WHO DARES WIN-THE MOTTO OF TRUE WARRIORS.
WHILST FLOYD.....ESCAPE/EVADE MANNY AT ALL COST.EASY WAY IS TO RETIRE EARLY=NO BALLS=COWARDS OF ALL BOXERS IN THE WORLD=YOU ARE A JOKER=worth less than 50 CENTS..NOT EVEN a $.
he needs to ask freddie roach to train him.his only thirtyone he can fight two more years.
Ricky Hatton is a solid true Warrior!
Born to fight!
He stood there gallantly against the Pac!
Hatton is truly one of the Greats!
Unlike someone out there who claims to be the pound-for-pound king but all he did was to avoid a fight with the Pac. His motto? "He who ducks and runs away may live to fight another day." A true reigning Clown King of Boxing. His name is not even worth mentioning.
Biblical injunction "Wives, obey your husbands" (Eph. 5:22) actually meant that wives should obey their husbands.
In Genesis, Adam calls the helper God has made for him "bone of my bones, flesh of my flesh" (Gen 2:23), for he knows she is equally beloved of God and, like Adam himself, made in God's image. But when Adam and Eve sin (by disobedience, lest that point be overlooked), it is Adam who comes in for the greater condemnation. Not only did he eat of the forbidden fruit, he also let his wife lead him, something which God finds very displeasing: "Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten of the tree . . ." (Gen. 3:17). His punishment, and ours, too, is toil and death.
Then God turns his attention to Eve. Her distress in childbearing is increased, and then God adds: "Your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you" (Gen 3:16).
-rachel fay
It is not yet the end atfor Hatton, he is still young at the age of 31. What he need is self determination of coming back to the sport. Switch to knowledgeable trainer and conditioning coach like Roach and Ariza. Beware self proclaimed best trainer like Floydie sr.and you will be back on track again. I wish you good luck. I forgot self discipline is realy important thing.
The TRUE WARRIOR attitude is like RICKY HATTON.....NEVER SAY DIE.....FIGHT LIKE A TRUE WARRIOR. Ricky step up the plate by FIGHTING MANNY.....enocouraged by Floyd Sr. But FLOYD SR is COWARD like his SON FLOYD JR, FLOYD SR WALK AWAY from RICKY HATTON'S CORNER when RICKY HATTON NEEDED HIM MOST.
YOU SEE the COWARD FLOYD SR...WALK AWAY....HE CANNOT BELIEVED THAT HIS STUDENT KO'D BY MANNY.
SAME WITH FLOYD JR.....WALK AWAY FROM MANNY BY RETIRING EARLY rather than FIGHT MANNY.
THE TRUE COLORS OF MAYWEATHERS IS BLACK AS MUD. ALL THEY CAN DO IS TO TALK TRASH AND INSULTS..BECAUSE THEY KNOW FOR SURE..FLOYD JR CANNOT AND WILL NOT FACE MANNY INSIDE THE RING.
Hatton got too much hot air in his system. He better not come back. I think he's done and his career is over.
PHONE FLOYD SR.....GUARANTEED WIN (41 win-0 loss)
100 % MONEY BACK GURANTEED
NO WIN, NO FEE ....PHONE FLOYD FLOYD SR.
because YOU WILL NEVER LOSE....WE FIGHT ONLY A WINNABLE AND SMALLER OPPONENTS.
IN ORDER NOT TO LOST....WE SEND OUR FIGHTER TO RETIRE EARLY.....LOOK AT MY JR. YOU SEE BOXING IS NO BRAINER IF YOU(WE) CANNOT WIN...RETIRE EARLY.
RETIRE... no more if's and but's, just retire!
of BOXING NEWS 24.....they are WANNABE WRITERS...... VERY BIAS AND WRITE ANTI-MANNY 24/7 WITH TWISTED FACTS....TO DAMAGE MANNY'S CREDIBLITY. LIKE THE MAYNEVERS THEY CANNOT BELIEVE AND WILL NEVER ACCEPT THAT MANNY IS THE P4P KING. MANNY IS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE, THEY DISLIKE because HE IS NOT AMERICANO.
MANNY'S ACHIEVEMENT IS UNBELIEVEABLE BY ANY ASIAN STANDARDS.....OR BY WORLD OR BY AMRICAN STANDARDS..ESPECIALLY BEATING BIGGER OPPONENTS such as COTTO, CLOTTEY AND MARGARITO-ALL DUCK BY MAYWEATHER. Floyd HAS NEVER FOUGHT A BIGGER OPPONENT IN HIS PRO-BOXING CAREER.
I WONDER IF CHRIS W AND DAVE L OF BOXING NEWS 24 IS USING..DIFFERENT ALIASES....BECAUSE THE ARE HAVING NIGHTMARES...LIKE FLOYD....HAVING NIGHTMARES......WITH MANNY'S SUCCESS.
FROM TIME TO TIME......MANNY PROVED THEM WRONG BY SMASHING THE BIGGER OPPONENTS.
AND SEND FLOYD TO EARLY RETIREMENT.....without THROWING A SINGLE PUNCH...HOW EASY IS THAT.
same move everytime...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4uH-qfQXy0
PHILTY BOXING AT 41-0 MAYNEVER be the best, DO NOT FORGET THE 46-0 RECORD OF CHRIS JOHN OF INDONESIA(ANOTHER ASIAN ELITE FIGHTER) who TAUGHT A BOXING LESSON TO J M MARQUEZ BY BEATING HIM. and ROCKY MARCIANO'S RECORD OF 49-0.
6 LOSSES AS AN AMATEUR for Floyd and then 0 at PRO BOXING WHY....WHY IS THAT....IS IT DUE TO "ORCHESTRATED CHERRY PICKING SMALLER OPPONENTS and by DIS-ADVANTAGING THEM over A CATCH WEIGHTS DIFFERENCE" example HE ASKK JMM TO MOVE UP 2 DIVISION HIGHER...OF COURSE JMM IS BLOATED like A PUMPKIN...HE CANNOT MOVE...HE CANNOT PUNCH.
0 CAN BE MAINTAIN BY DUCKING MANNY AND MARTINEZ...SIMPLY.. BECAUSE THEY ARE TOO DANGEROUS FIGHTER THAT HAS A 1 KO PUNCH IN THEIR ARSENAL.
same move everytime...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4uH-qfQXy0
I liked Hatton but he's acting stup!d. He is just 31 yrs old and one of the best, He can still fight, he just has to fight the anybody except Pacquiao, Hell he can even beat Marquez or be competitive at the very least. Anyway, my point is, the only thing that is stopping him from fighting is his mind and his heart. MArgarito was thrashed by Mosley and got beaten by PAcquiao and still fighting. The difference? heart.. just my opinion. He can fight and can beat those top level fighters if he wanted to
NO WAY..... HATTON is done!!! that's all.... retire retire retire retire...
Aching for a comeback is what I admire on the hitman but hinting for a retirement is what I despise on lilFloyd. The former has balls but the latter has curled tail.
ya right. hatton doesnt want to retire after his loss to pacman while floyd wants to retire to avoid his career's 1st loss to pacman!
Being a fighter Hatton got the heart. His problem started after his lost to Manny Pacquiao. First he got a very wrong trainer Floyd Sr. Floyd Sr. was always late in the gym but always early of getting his favorite meal. Floyd sr. said Hatton was a horrendous fighter when he started training him and can change him to a better fighter but within two rounds Hatton was done. Frustration from that lost brought Hatton to messed up himself. .
hatton needs to condition his mind first before his body.He needs to accept that crushing defeat over pacquiao then move on.The was he's acting lately shows that he just cant get over with what he experience during his fight with pacquiao.If he wont accept that fact,I guess there is no more future for hatton in the field of boxing
I lost to Manny probably because i have the CrackHead Sr as my trainer. We had no plan, no strategy, no defensive scheme, no nothing.
Big Ape Sr mentored me to use my face to block Pacquiao's punches. He said eventually Manny would get tired of pounding my face with his fist. Well he was dead wrong. My face got tired first.
LOL!!!! Floyd sr is the greatest boxing trainer of all time....
Kostya Tszyu vs Hatton was a very close fight. I was very surprised that KT quit. He didn't seem hurt at all. Afterwards, he said he had to look out for his family's well being.
Hatton was open for right hooks and right cross throughout the fight. Can't imagine why this was not pointed out to him before and during the fight. Roach took notice.
He can get back into boxing whenever he wants.. his 2 losses came from 2 great fighters & he's got nothing to be ashamed of.. given a chance I think he can still recover from his last defeat. goodluck mate!
Pacquaio imagined that hatton was a cheapskate smelly ilocano. that was his motivation to knock out hatton
Ricky Hatton, if he really wanted to come back and so be it., he is just 31 yrs old..but he should train doubly hard and get a good trainer to correct some of his lapses in fighthing...being too aggressive style of boxing is not a guarantee of beating your opponents..use your head and don't under estimate your opponents..look what you've got to Pacquiao...sunbathing in the beach..joke,,hahaha..sleeping in the canvass....
Hatton can definitely comeback. His greatest fear is because he consider his own ego very much... He is looking at himself & his career & what people will say... Fight for the GLORY OF GOD... Fight for him & not for yourself... Things will definitely turn around.. because whether you loose or win.. it is his will & not yours... Forget about your own ego... your ego is what is stopping you.. just have fun whether you win or loose... just fight... it doesnt matter, all of these will go away when we die..
Just take it one day at a time Hatton...Your profession is no joke...Keep up the faith.
freddie roach said he will never train hatton. he is done.
Life must go on no matter what you think people will say about you. Those people who say nothing good about you are the same people who got nothing to say good about other people. Even their own families and relatives don't like them. We don't waste our time with them because they are leading an insignificant life with their own doing.
Let's be always thankful for the many good things that happened in our lives than be regretful for some few failures.
go!go!go!hitman.....!!!your the man...come back!come back!
He is a good guy. He started to face reality these days which is more important as of the moment. He started to face his fear. He is a brave man after all. After the KO, he lost his self and went on to drugs. What a pity. Pac gave him a good advice if you remember that life does not end in the ring, we have to go on with life. What a touching advice from the Pac. I hope it can give Floyd a lesson to face his fear. Floyd has to face Pac.
Hatton biggest fault is choosing May Sr. as his trainer.It just lead him to drug addiction.So next time choose a better company ,not a group of criminals.
Ricky, I'm glad to hear you are doing well..I have kept you in my prayers ever since... Like I said before, "Don't tell God you have a big problem, tell your problem that you have a Great God."
This is one of the boxer (R.Hatton) I always watched,, NOT BORING,, He fought until He knock out or knocking His opponent out.
go hatton, we are excited to see in the ring again.. you can be on the top of boxing again... fight and excite us again hitman..
It's nice to hear when a person wakes up from a bad situation. Hatton learned it the hard way. I wish him all the best in whatever decission he will be making outside and inside the ring.
I wwelcome a return by Ricky Hatton. He should a tune up fight where he will surely win. I suggest to him t arrange a fight with Paul Maliignant to close his dirty mouth permanently and retire. He deserves to retire as he does not have it to fight boxers with class.
hatton is better and bravier than duckweather.
i hope he learned valuable lesson in life..a fighter will always be a fighter no matter what and losing twice in his career doesn't mean his a loser in life....im glad PACMAN KNOCK the hell out him and it's sort of a wake up call of how weak his character is...maybe he should try learning "character building" from the PACMAN himself of how to recover from 3 losses before hitting the BIG TIME!!!
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