by James Slater – After months of speculation on the subject, former light-welterweight king Ricky Hatton has today confirmed he will be having at least one more fight before hanging up the gloves. This news has been widely reported on the net, and the return is likely to divide fans and experts down the middle. Some people feel the 31-year-old “Hitman” should play it safe and not step into the ring again – former trainer Billy Graham, and former promoter Frank Warren for two examples. While other people feel Hatton should give it one more go – potential opponent Amir Khan for one..
So far, though he has confirmed he will definitely have “one more fight, maybe two more fights,” Hatton has no official venue, date or opponent. All we know is Ricky has made up his mind, and that he will return to action for the first time since suffering an unforgettably stunning KO at the hands of Manny Pacquiao, some time in the summer.
“I’m going to have one more fight, maybe two fights,” Hatton told Hatton TV. “It all depends on the performance in the first fight. It would be very foolish of me to say, two more fights, three more fights. At the moment I’m only definitely going to have one more.
“It’s got to be a top-ten ranked pound-for-pound fighter or a champion of some sort. If I’m going to end my career I want it to end on top. It’s got to be a big name so I can get my teeth into it.”
During his official announcement, Hatton also admitted he is carrying “a little bit more” weight than he normally is when entering training camp. It’s expected Hatton’s return fight will be at either 140 or 147-pounds. Right now, many fans will be asking themselves if the former Ring magazine champion has anything left to offer; whether or not he can make 140 and be effective in a fight and other questions along these lines. However, until we know who Ricky will be facing it’s tough to predict a win or a loss in his comeback bout.
All we know is, Hatton is not going to take a “safe” opponent – simply because he needs to get the motivation only an elite fighter can provide him with . But which “big name” or “champion of some sort” will the Manchester hero fight?
Names that have been, and are being suggested include old foe and current IBF light-welterweight champion Juan Urango, British rival and current WBA 140-pound ruler Amir Khan, Mexican great Juan Manuel Marquez and a few others. I think we can rule out Ricky taking on Khan straight away – after one win if Hatton felt he looked good, yes, but not straight away. For what it’s worth, I think it will be either Urango (who Ricky handily out-pointed back in January of 2007) or Marquez; with an outside chance belonging to another previous victim in Paulie Malignaggi (certainly, the recently rejuvenated “Magic Man” would jump at the chance, while Hatton could look at Malignaggi as a beatable foe for two reasons: one, he beat him before, and two, Paulie is no big hitter).
Pretty soon, all the speculation will be put to rest, as Hatton will announce who it is he will be swapping punches with in the summer. Is his planned return a good idea though?