Ricky Hatton: Retirement

So, two-weight world champion and British boxing icon Ricky Hatton has announced his retirement this week.

The news wasn't a surprise but it was surely a welcome announcement. It wasn't a knee-jerk reaction or a rash response to a loss but a calm, collected decision made in the cold light of day some two years of Hatton's devastating two-round loss to Manny Pacquiao.

With a record of 45-2 - including a spell as the consensus world number one at light-welterweight and a WBA welterweight belt along the way - Hatton can be justifiably proud of his achievements. He scaled the heights in the ring and had two, albeit unsuccessful attempts, to become a pound-for-pound number one. Further, he appeared to make a lot of money and was immensely popular with his fans.

Personally I feel Hatton was a little overrated by the British press during his prime and then a little underrated by the same press after he suffered losses against two of the greatest fighters of his era.

At his best, under the tuition of then-trainer and then-friend Billy Graham, Hatton was an exciting come-forward, head-bobbing grinder. He didn't necessarily have immense one-punch power but instead put together stinging clusters of shots and often scored best with his sickening bodyshots. On the flipside, particularly during his decline, Hatton tended to hold and wrestle his opponents too much and became a lot more rash in his approach.

At the very elite he fell short but Hatton still deserves to be mentioned as one of the greatest post-war British fighters. With seemingly promising business interests, including his promotional stable, here's hoping Ricky Hatton finds contentment and happiness in his retirement.