Doctor Warns Ricky Hatton of his Health Status

Ricky Hatton recently spent a short amount of time in hospital, after he was admitted with a stomach ailment. "The Hitman" has since been released and he is feeling fine, but during tests the doctors noticed an irregular heartbeat. The discovery of this heart irregularity has concerned medical experts to the point where they have ordered the 30-year-old British boxing legend to either drastically alter his infamous binge drinking and fast food eating lifestyle, or quit the ring. Hatton, who will undergo more tests shortly, has been ordered to rest up for a month, and that his health could be at risk by over-exercising and training. Over the years, whilst picking up major titles and proving to be a huge success in the boxing ring, Hatton has cheerfully laughed off any concerns people have had about his ballooning in weight between fights. Accused by some in the sport of not in any way living the correct lifestyle needed to be as good a fighter as possible, Ricky got away with doing things as he wanted for a long time. Now, however, if he fights again it seems he must change his ways. Hatton has made no public comment about this latest news regarding his health. "Ricky thinks it's all a storm in a teacup, feels fit as a fiddle and wants to carry on training and fighting.", close source to Ricky said. Of course, Hatton has yet to even make up his mind about fighting on again or not. Still to decide what to do after the brutal KO he suffered at the hands of pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao on May 2nd, Hatton has laughed at various reports suggesting he may fight this or that fighter. It may be, though, that this latest scare will persuade the former 140-pound ruler to pack in boxing after all. Some people involved in the sport have already suggested that Hatton quit the game, including promoter Frank Warren. At 30, Hatton is young enough to change his lifestyle, but Ricky really would have to make a huge adjustment with regards to giving up the booze and food he likes so much. And the doctors have made it clear that Ricky cannot live a carefree life and then clean up and torture his body in ten or twelve week training camps any longer.

Ricky Hatton Is Not Thinking A Fight With Amir Khan

Now out of hospital (Hatton was hospitalised due to a reported stomach bug), Ricky has been speaking to his local newspaper, The Manchester Evening News. And guess what, he's not in the slightest bit interested in a fight with Khan, nor has he even thought about fighting again at all.

After Amir Khan's sensational and impressive points win over Andreas Kotelenik at the weekend there was much talk at the post-fight press conference about the new WBA 140-pound champion making a defence down the road against fellow Brit, Ricky Hatton. Khan himself was somewhat interested in the fight, as was his trainer Freddie Roach. Promoter Frank Warren was dead against it, claiming the fight would be nothing more than a risk to Hatton's health. But what does the man himself think about the prospective UK super-fight?

"I'm not thinking about boxing at the moment," Ricky told the paper. "Maybe I'll wake up one day and think 'let's give it another go,' but I might not. I'm not missing it. Fighting is the furthest thing from my mind.

"I'm delighted for Amir. I can't praise him enough. He's gone back to the drawing board and answered any questions there might have been about him. But the fact that he's won a world title has not made me any closer to a comeback. It hasn't entered my head. I don't think I have to beat Amir Khan to prove anything."

So there it is, Hatton, now over two months on from his brutal KO loss to Manny Pacquiao, has yet to decide if he'll ever fight again, against anyone, let alone Khan.

Indeed, what Hatton said next to the newspaper gave the strongest indication yet that he might well be content with what he's achieved in the ring and be ready to walk away.

"When I look back at my career nobody expected me to do what I've done," the 30-year-old said. "I won five titles at two different weights. I've only lost to the pound-for-pound best fighters in the world. If I don't fight again I can hold me head high.

Ricky is right when he says he can hold his head up high if he fights again or not. He is also correct when he says he does not have to prove anything by beating Khan. The only thing, to my mind, that could tempt him to fight again is the desire to go out a winner, as opposed to going out the way he did against Pacquiao.

Amir Khan will have to make the first defence his WBA crown against someone else, something that will please his promoter at least.

However, of all the interviews Hatton has given since May 2nd, this latest one most makes it sound as though "The Hitman" has done all the fighting he's going to do. Inevitably, though, rumours will continue to pop up regarding one comeback fight or another.

"Maybe somewhere down the line I might think about giving it another go and if he's still world champion then obviously he would be a possibility."

Manny Pacquiao wants Mayweather

In the report on the local television news program, world boxing champion and pound for pound king, Manny Pacquiao was interviewed about his schedules on at the ring.

While Floyd Mayweather admires Manny Pacquiao's fighting style but re-assured himself that the latter cannot knock him down, Manny Pacquiao then takes the challenge. Manny said he wants to have Mayweather since he was really challenging, he wants him because people are talking this fight. He wants to prove something on Floyd Mayweather.

The tentative schedule was set on October 17, 2009 and he will challenge whoever wins between Mayweather and Marquez fight on July this year. The popular Filipino boxer who recently scored a second round knock out against Ricky Hatton of England said that he is willing to face Mayweather at any weight between 142-145 pounds.

Mayweather Talks About Pacquiao, Hatton

The Floyd Mayweather-Juan Manuel Marquez hype show rolled into London yesterday, and as usual 32-year-old "Money" Mayweather had plenty to say. Speaking primarily about two fighters, in Manny Pacquiao and Ricky Hatton - the former being a potential rival for the future, the latter being a conquered foe - Mayweather had some interesting stuff to say.

Floyd knows only too well the majority of fans worldwide want him to meet up with the man who took over his spot at the top of the pound-for-pound pile, and the 39-0(25) master said yesterday that if and when he and the Filipino superstar do meet he will beat him.

"If the Pacquiao fight presents itself after this one [Vs. Marquez], then I'll lay the blueprint on how to beat him," Mayweather said yesterday.. "Pacquiao's a good fighter but he can be got. He was knocked out twice before and I'm a slick, smart boxer. I would tie him up. There's a science to this game and I could adapt to any style. Pacquiao was out-boxed by Erik Morales."

Pacquiao may well have been stopped twice before, but on both occasions the southpaw was still very much a work in progress and fighting in a much lower weight class. Mayweather is right when he says "Pac-Man" was out-boxed by Morales, though. Clearly that fight makes the unbeaten great believe he can do the same thing to Manny. It would be an entirely different fight though. Let's hope we do get to see it. At least Mayweather is talking about the possibility.

As he was in Britian, the subject of Ricky Hatton was bound to come up. Mayweather pulled no punches while discussing "The Hitman's" fighting future - he said he has not got one.

"Ricky's career was over in 2007 when he met me," Floyd said. "He was a gutsy, tough champ but there's a time in every boxer's career when they must hang it up. He was knocked out twice - by me and Pacquiao. They were two devastating defeats. He's been in a lot of tough fights and taken some big shots.

"Gaining weight and drinking - you can't have that sort of lifestyle in boxing. You have to take your job seriously. I don't think Ricky should fight again. I wouldn't fight him again, even at Wembley. It would be like picking on a guy we call gun shot. His head won't be the same."

Hatton, as fans know, was very much dreaming of having an opportunity to get revenge over Mayweather, very possibly at Wembley some time next year; but this was ruined when Pacquiao destroyed him in just two rounds.

Speaking on the May 2nd fight, Mayweather said his father, who trained Hatton for the fight, of course, should not be in any way blamed for what happened.

"I don't want everyone over here ripping my father to shreds," Floyd said with regards to Hatton's quick KO loss. "It wasn't my dad's fault. My dad told him to go out, relax, use his jab and be smart. There's this other trainer, Lee Beard, and Ricky was listening to him. No disrespect to Lee but has he fought? A lot of the time trainers try to tell fighters what to do without having been in combat. My dad has been in combat before."

Speaking respectfully about his father as he did, Floyd made a lot of sense. The word is the two Mayweathers are back on good terms. Maybe Senior will work Junior's corner in the fight he is currently hyping up?

Mayweather Sr. Blames Hatton And Lee Beard For Loss To "Pac-Man"

I guess we always kind of knew the talented yet egocentric Floyd Mayweather Senior would not in any way accept that the disaster his fighter Ricky Hatton suffered at the hands of Manny Pacquiao was nothing to do with him and his ability as a trainer. No way would the man who calls himself the greatest trainer of all times come out and say he was the primary reason a fighter of his lost. And maybe Mayweather Senior is not the man to attach any blame to when it comes to the destructive 2nd round KO "The Hitman" fell to when he met "Pac-Man.."

However, Mayweather Snr. is sure who does deserve the blame, and he doesn't mind coming out with his opinion.

In an interesting article that has appeared in The Manchester Evening News, the 56-year-old trainer has been quoted as laying into both Hatton and his assistant trainer Lee Beard. Big Floyd argues it was the guidance and extra training provided by Beard that cost Ricky the fight; that and Hatton's own inability to listen to his corner during the short battle.
Less than two weeks on from the potentially career-ending fight, and Mayweather has made it clear he is not to blame and also that he will not work with Hatton again even if the 30-year-old decides to box on.

According to the Evening News feature, Mayweather Senior turned up late in Hatton's dressing room before the fight, and he had also done so for at least one of Ricky's pre-fight sparring sessions.

Floyd even spoke about the now well documented turmoil in the camp himself.

"You got to listen to your corner, simple as that," Mayweather said. "And like I said once before, there was turmoil in the camp. It showed up in the fight. Not because of me. It showed up in the fight because he had another person training him when I wasn't around and sometimes when I was around. He guided Ricky in the wrong way."

And though Beard has admitted that Hatton lost his head and got excited when the bell rang back on May 2nd, it's no way fair to blame him for the loss. Neither is it fair to blame Mayweather Senior, come to that, but he is the man now chucking culpability around. At the end of the day, as I'm sure Ricky Hatton would admit himself, HE is the only person who can be blamed for what happened.

As for the future of Britain's most popular fighter, his father, Ray, said his son still has to make up his mind but that when he does so he will stick to whatever decision he makes.

"He's taking his time. He is single-minded, stubborn if you like," Ray told M.E.N Sport. "And once he makes up his mind that will be it. Certainly he won't be a Frank Sinatra, forever making comebacks."

As of today, the majority of fans and experts feel Hatton should NOT fight again. One of these experts is, of course, Mayweather Senior himself. Though it's highly unlikely Hatton will be listening to anything he has to say anymore.