Thank You - Ricky Hatton

[Spud]

Got to say it - thank you Ricky Hatton for what you have done for British Boxing - especially at a time when the sport needed a star to lighten up things.

Always thought Hatton has done wonderfully well for himself and the sport and he should be immensly proud of what he has achieved.

There is so much good that people could state on here about Hatton and his career - but for me - I honestly do not think British Boxing will ever see a boxer entice literally thousands upon thousands of fans half way across the world to see him fight.

Hatton has done fantastically well and I honestly believe it is completely the right decision to retire from boxing and crack on with being a promoter.

Thank you Ricky for the superb memories!!!

[neil hibbert]

unfairly slated on the forums imo took boxing to a whole new audience

[rhino222]

im glad hatton has called it a day, he can look back on his career with great pride, he was a good champion but not a great one. he could have been an all time british great if he did not spend the majority of his 'camps' trying to lose 3 stone, the training camps should have been for boxing skill, tactics, fitness and other fight associated activities.

[thepocketrocket]

British boxing great anyway....on his way to the HOF, only two losses to Mayweather an drugman...to me that's a wonderful career

[kevo]

Gutted i'm never going to get so see him fight live again, but I think retirement is the best option for him. Some dangerous young LWW out there now.

[caffrey]

very good news,so glad the fight with kahn didnt happen.

definetly HOF bound and will be missed

[Matt W]

I wish Hatton nothing but the best and hope he enjoys a well-deserved, happy retirement.

Having said that, I will find it sad to see a once great athlete end up as a 35 year old, morbidly obese member of the heart-attack waiting list. I really wish he had had more respect for his body. I'd hate to see him ending up like this:

[gobbles]

Who says he's retired? Sky Sports News said he was in Tenerife at a training camp, when he went there for a piss-up. Give it a month and a September date will be confirmed.

[states]

If he's calling it a day, I'm glad. He didn't have anything else to prove, and he surely didn't need the money. So thanks for the good times, Ricky. I loved watching him on the way up, and for me he actually overachieved, because I thought he might top out with a WBO title. So to watch him beat Tszyu was a bit special, definitely one of the great nights for British boxing.

And sure, we all got a bit sick of his schtick by the end of his career, but it was to his credit that he could turn Vegas into a home fight for himself with the amount of fans that would follow him. Best of luck for the future Ricky.

[states]

Who says he's retired? Sky Sports News said he was in Tenerife at a training camp, when he went there for a piss-up. Give it a month and a September date will be confirmed.

Apparently he's calling it a day:

www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,12040_6019028,00.html

[Chris W 1982]

A wonderful journey

[gobbles]

Who says he's retired? Sky Sports News said he was in Tenerife at a training camp, when he went there for a piss-up. Give it a month and a September date will be confirmed.

Apparently he's calling it a day:

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528, ... 28,00.html

Exactly. That story has more holes in it then a Swiss cheese. As I said, he wasn't in Tenerife training. I somehow doubt that Rachel Griffiths is the most reliable boxing source.

[Rockys gum shield]

Without doubt one of the best boxing entertainers .

And also a great fighter to match .

[Manc_Red]

He fought at the top & didn't shy away from the big-guys either.

He'll be missed big time.

[Jamdown]

A good fighter, carefully looked after by allegedly, pity we were denied the Witter fight, I believe he has made the right decision if he has retired. Overachiever. A farewell against Witter would have been for the fans.

[Manc_Red]

A good fighter, carefully looked after by allegedly, pity we were denied the Witter fight, I believe he has made the right decision if he has retired. Overachiever. A farewell against Witter would have been for the fans.

Overachiever??

Your way off the mark there m8.

[Jamdown]

A good fighter, carefully looked after by allegedly, pity we were denied the Witter fight, I believe he has made the right decision if he has retired. Overachiever. A farewell against Witter would have been for the fans.

Overachiever??

Your way off the mark there m8.

Why?

[crusader]

Hatton had lots of ability, so I would not say he was an underachiever either. Good speed and power, excellent body puncher, decent chin, and he showed at times he could box as well, not just come forward. These abilities allowed him to score the impressive wins that he did, but were not enough to beat the true greats like Pacquiao and Mayweather. If he beat them he would be an overachiever.

Hatton will go down as a very good fighter who was fun to watch for the most part. He generated a lot of interest in boxing among people who hadn't previously been fans. Definitely made a positive impact on the sport.

[Libertine]

Hatton will go down as a very good fighter who was fun to watch for the most part. He generated a lot of interest in boxing among people who hadn't previously been fans. Definitely made a positive impact on the sport.

I reckon that sums it up perfectly crusader

[hurlock]

the support he generated was immense :!:

upped sticks & went out his comfort zone in order to become the best againt some of the greatest fighters of all time in there prime :!: he brought yank boxing to our publics attention as he was a serious player,even calzone jumped on the bandwagon & finally crossed the pond to face old opposition to all the acclaims from travelling support off hattons back that dont know the game.

[dookus]

Whatever his flaws as a fighter, what Hatton did for the sport in this country in the 00's was unbelievable, and that along with his successes at world (if not elite) level make him probably the most important fighter we've had since the days of Benn, Naz and Eubank.

[frankwarrenfan]

he got a lot of football fans interested in the sport which was good for boxing, so well done ricky

[forcefraser]

he got a lot of football fans interested in the sport which was good for boxing, so well done ricky

Not too sure that`s a good thing to be honest mate.Far too many chav like dic*heads at boxing these days.

[rhino222]

He fought at the top & didn't shy away from the big-guys either.

He'll be missed big time.

errr....junior witter???? ... i think its fair to say that hatton avoided 'the hitter' ..

[kevo]

He fought at the top & didn't shy away from the big-guys either.

He'll be missed big time.

errr....junior witter???? ... i think its fair to say that hatton avoided 'the hitter' ..

He said big guys