Hatton rules out retirement but waits for fire to return

[Wheelchair]

Ricky Hatton and the ‘will he, won’t he’ debate surrounding a possible return to ring were clarified no further when the former two-weight world champion admitted on Saturday he has no desire to fight again as yet, but ruled out retiring. The mixed messages from the Hitman do confirm, however, that even he doesn’t know what he will do.

 

Hatton has not boxed since being knocked out in the second round by Manny Pacquiao in Las Vegas last year. While speculation grows about his future as a fighter, Hatton himself hinted at retirement, but failed to rule out a comeback.

 

"At the minute I'm just enjoying what I'm doing, really,” said the 31-year-old, who will promote Ryan Rhodes’ European light middleweight title defence on Friday.

 

"Boxing is the hardest game in the world and if you don't have that desire then the last place you want to be is in the boxing ring. It was hard for me to get beaten by Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao and I'd hate to get beaten by someone I would have whupped a few years ago because my heart wasn't in it.

 

"Ryan took time off not too long back, because his heart wasn't quite in it for a period. He's had a rest, come back with his juices flowing and fired up again and he is in the form of his life. Who knows, that might well happen to me.

 

"At the minute, I don't have the desire to do it. But I'm enjoying what I'm doing at the moment, I get my buzz making champions. Once you've been a champion, the next best thing is trying to make champions of someone else.

 

"Until the hunger comes back, I'm going to stay where I am."

 

http://sport.stv.tv/boxing/178506-hatton-rules-out-retirement-but-waits-for-fire-to-return/

[Wheelchair]

No good Ricky waiting, he needs to get training if he wants to come back. I can't see it happening myself.

[Wheelchair]

Ricky Hatton has revealed that a rematch against Floyd Mayweather Jnr would be hard to turn down as he contemplates coming back into the ring for one last fight.

 

Mayweather Jnr defeated Hatton via a tenth-round stoppage in 2007, having outclassed the Brit with a tactically astute display of counter-punching.

 

Hatton has fought only three times since that bout - most recently in his loss to Manny Pacquiao a year ago. The bout against the Filipino is expected to be remembered as the last of Hatton's career, although he is not ruling out a return to the ring if the hunger returns.

 

Now Hatton has revealed that Mayweather Jnr is one of few men who could coax him into re-lacing his gloves. "If there was one fight to come back for it would be Mayweather," said the former two-weight world champion to the Manchester Evening News.

 

"He's the one. Even after he beat me I thought he still showed me no respect. I'd like another pop at him if I had my choice."

 

http://www.espn.co.uk/more/sport/story/23784.html?CMP=OTC-RSS

[gavpowell]

"even after he beat me I thought he showed no respect"

 

Well he didn't earn that much respect that night, but as I recall Floyd was typically full of praise for his opponent, as he usually is when people are giving him credit for a good win.

[Skav]

I think Floyd was employing his business brain in the post fight interview since he's always wanted to fight in the UK and has to get on the side of the UK fans by praising Hatton.

 

I remember watching the fight in the Ballroom of the MGM and when I saw Floyd praising Hatton with a cunning smile, I thought "yeah, right, Floyd, you are just sucking up to the UK fans so you don't get bottled over here".

 

He slagged him off in a youtube video some months after.

[WelshDevilRob]

Ricky needs to realise that sitting around drinking beer and stuffing your face is ok for the likes of me but not for a fighter who wants to fight the 'money man' in boxing.

 

He lost conclusively and there is no way he could ever win a return fight.

[Wheelchair]

He lost conclusively and there is no way he could ever win a return fight.

 

Agreed.

[Storm25]

We all know what happens to Ricky when he doesn't have a fight coming up. He balloons. The longer it takes, the more he will get out of shape, the harder it gets to get back in shape. I'd like for the guy to return, but this doesn't bode well.