RICKY ‘HITMAN’ HATTON has offically retired from boxing 18 months after last stepping out of the ring.
The 32 year-old dual – weight World Champion, one of the most popular boxers of his time, announced his decision at lunchtime in Manchester. He told those gathered “ I am very upset. It’s a very sad day for me. I know it is the right decision though…It’s a bit of a relief to finally do it.”
Hatton’s (45 wins – 2 losses) last appearance in the ring was a brutal two round defeat to five-weight World Champion Manny Pacquiao. It has been touted that Hatton may return against one of the two men who defeated him, Pacquiao or Floyd Mayweather Jr, or even Britain’s Amir Khan, but this notion has now been firmly put to bed.
Hatton started a boxing promotion company while still active in the ring called ‘Hatton Promotions’ and has some of the UK’s best young boxers on his books including Scott Quigg and brothers Martin and Joe Murray, both of whom are in the same gym as Matthew Macklin – who happens to be Ricky’s best mate in boxing.