RICKY HATTON has announced his retirement from professional boxing following a glorious career which saw him win world titles at light-welterweight and welterweight.
‘The Hitman’ will now concentrate on continuing to build Hatton Promotions that has produced many champions in just over two years.
Hatton, 32, who retires with an impressive 45-2 professional record is now recognized as one of British boxing’s most popular fighters ever and best loved sportsmen.
More than 35,000 fans traveled to Las Vegas to watch him fight Floyd Mayweather Jr in December 2007. A few months later a British record crowd of 58,500 packed into Eastlands for his homecoming and witnessed his triumph against Juan Lazcano.
Ricky last boxed back in May 2009 when he was defeated by Filipino great Manny Pacquiao in Las Vegas.
In 2006, Hatton’s was awarded a MBE in the New Year’s Honours list in recognition for his boxing achievements and charity work
Hatton said: “After a lot of soul searching over the last couple of years I have finally decided to confirm I will never box again and there will be no coming back.
“There have been so many times since the Manny Pacquiao fight when I have woken up and thought I would give it one more go, but it was not to be.
“There have been amazing highs and although I always wanted to be a world champion I went beyond my wildest dreams.
“Beating Kostya Tszyu was my greatest triumph, but there were plenty of other great nights and memories.
“Defeating Jose Luis Castillo, unifying the light-welterweight title against Carlos Maussa, winning a world welterweight title when I fought Luis Collazo, beating Jon Thaxton to become British champion, fighting in front of almost 60,000 fans on Manchester City’s ground
“It seems endless and when I look at my record the only men to beat me were Manny and Floyd – still number one and two in the pound for pound lists on the day I retire.”
Hatton has a son Campbell and will become a dad for the second time later this year when his partner Jennifer Dooley, gives birth.
Hatton added: “Since I put on the gloves as a ten-year-old in Hattersley boxing has been my life and still is.
“My promotional company is going well and I am looking forward to taking one of my fighters on a similar road to me.
“People say no fighter will ever have the fan base I had, but one of my aims is to make sure one of my boxers gets a bigger one and achieves more than me.
“Away from boxing, I have so much to look forward to. My son Campbell, is a boy any parent would be proud to call his lad and is growing up so fast I wonder where the years have gone.
“I am about to become a dad for the second time and that cannot happen quickly enough. Jennifer and I are so excited. She is my rock.
“There are so many people I want to thank for supporting me throughout my career and who made ‘The Hitman’s’ journey possible.
“My family were there for me every step of the way, my Mum and Dad, brother Matthew, my amateur trainers Ted Peate and Paul Dunne who taught me to box, my agent Paul Speak, my lawyer Gareth Williams, the British Boxing Board of Control and everybody at Hatton Promotions.
“Sky TV has been fantastic to me and I look forward to continuing my association with them as a promoter, the British media were fair and the local BBC and Granada followed me to Las Vegas.
“As bigger thanks as any must go to the fans that would never stop singing and so often turn Las Vegas into a corner of England.
“Thank you all, but the fighting in the ring is over and I look forward to seeing old friends and meeting new friends on my journey as a promoter.”
JOHNSON AIMS TO GET ENGLISH AND SCOTTISH BEHIND HIM!
Hot-prospect Callum Johnson has vowed to bridge the north south divide as a professional.
The 2010 Commonwealth Games gold medallist has his first pro fight in England on July 16 at the Liverpool Echo Arena.
He’s already won two out of two in Scotland after boxing for the Celtic nation at last year’s Delhi games.
Johnson has family ties to Scotland but grew up in Lincolnshire, England.
Now he trains out of Manchester under Joe Gallagher, and is hoping to win the backing of both countries.
“The sporting rivalry between England and Scotland is pretty intense,” said Johnson, who is managed by Naseem Hamed and promoted by Frank Warren.
“Sports fans in the two countries don’t agree on much, especially football, but I’m hoping they will get behind me.
“I’ve had a fantastic response the two times that I have fought in Scotland.
“And I hope I’ll get a big cheer in Liverpool as well.
“I’d love to divide my time between the two countries when it comes to boxing.
“I don’t think there have been many champions in the past who will have been backed by both England and Scotland – all I need now is a Welshman to fight!”
Tickets, priced at £50, £80 and £100, are available on 0844 8000 400 or www.echoarena.com
It´s on: Braekhus vs. Holm – Sauerland: “Biggest fight in women´s boxing”
The biggest fight in women´s boxing is finally on! Later this year, World Boxing Association (WBA), WBC & WBO Female Welterweight Champion Cecilia Braekhus (18-0, 4 KOs) will take on US superstar & pound-for-pound queen Holly Holm (30-1-3, 9 KOs) in a hotly-anticipated showdown that has been a long time in the making. The fight will take place at one of Team Sauerland´s shows in Europe in September or October and will be promoted in association with Fresquez Productions. “We are thrilled to have finalized all the details for this mega fight,” promoter Kalle Sauerland said. “We have been working on this clash for a long, long time. It´s the two best female fighters out there battling it out. What more can you ask for? I am sure that Cecilia will cement her position as the world´s top female fighter with a spectacular victory. I can´t wait to see the two of them in the ring.”
Braekhus received the news in her training camp in Kienbaum. “That´s fantastic,” she enthused. “I have been waiting to fight Holly Holm for such a long time. She is a great fighter but so I am. There can only be one winner and that will be me. I believe I am faster, stronger and better than her. It will be a great, great fight – the biggest female fight of the year and definitely one to remember for a long time.”
Holly Holm is also looking forward to the showdown: “I am excited to leave America and come to Europe to prove that I am the best female boxer in the world,” she stated. “I am the undisputed pound-for-pound queen and I can´t wait to show everybody in Europe that I am the best. I have a lot of respect for Cecilia. Her career has been impressive. It will be a great fight.”
And her promoter Lenny Fresquez added: “It´s an honor to be coming over. Cecilia’s winning streak will come to an end once she gets into the ring with Holly. Holly is too skilled for her. There is a reason why Holly is considered the best and Cecilia will find out the hard way after the first bell. Just look at the difference in quality of opposition. This is going to be the biggest female fight since Holly knocked the … off Mary Joe Sanders at 154lb who was 25-0. Till she met Holm. This fight will be no different – Holly will destroy another quality opponent.“