Rik Hine – You have to wonder if there’s anyone in the world, other than the man himself, who really wants to see Ricky Hatton fight again. Still his own vote seems sufficient, as he made clear yesterday, by confirming that his return to the ring will take place some time this summer.
In one sense it isn’t difficult to understand why Hatton wants to throw his hat in the ring one more time; the devastating way in which he was dispatched by Pacquiao must be hard for him to forget. But nothing he does will erase that knockout from the collective memory either.. Of course Ricky doesn’t seem to think so. Why else would he claim that only an, ‘alphabet champion,’ or a top-ten pound-for-pound fighter will suffice for his comeback?
Let’s leave aside, for the moment, the notion that Ricky probably no longer belongs in either of those categories. Hatton must know that as exciting as he was in the ring, arguably nothing he did is as memorable as the knockout he suffered at the hands of Manny Pacquiao. By fighting on, he has nothing to gain and his health to lose.
If Hatton faces someone significantly lower on the ratings radar, then his winning exit from the sport will ring hollow. But even if he does manage to beat a bona fide champ, what’s the likelihood that it will alter any long-term assessments of his career?
A damned-if-I-do-and-damned-if-I-don’t mentality isn’t helpful for Hatton and thoughts about his long-term health should help him tip the balance into retirement.
Hatton’s face-forward fighting style always left him vulnerable to punishment, let alone KOs and there’s plenty of evidence, from recent fights, that his punch resistance is reading “empty.” A return to winning won’t change the way that posterity ranks Hatton’s career, and the greater likelihood is that he’ll lose anyway against the first decent foe he faces.
Hatton is adamant about his return and will doubtless make much noise about it in the coming months. He has always been exciting to watch, and an excellent ambassador for the sport. Given how much he’s admired for his after-dinner speaking ability, he should retire whilst he’s still loud and clear.
http://themillingcove.wordpress.com/