Hatton Gives Up IBF 140lb Title!
© Mike Cleary |
Ricky Hatton has given up the IBF Light Welterweight title in order to pursue the WBA Welterweight title of Luis Collazo on May 13 in Boston, MA. Below is the letter Team Hatton sent to IBF President Marian Muhammad to notify that organization of his decision. Hatton remains the WBA Light Welterweight Champion. |
Dear Marian Muhammad & The IBF Team,
It is with the greatest regret that I must surrender my IBF Light Welterweight Title. Winning the IBF Championship was without doubt the greatest night of my life and to have to give it up outside of the ring is truly a painful experience. Much worse than the punches I had to take to wrestle the title from Kostya!
It has NEVER been my or my team's intention not to defend my title against the IBF's appointed challenger but sadly due to outside influences, legal problems and problems meeting TV schedules, it seems that this is the situation I find myself in.
I have worn my championship with pride and I hope that in winning the unificati! on bout with Carlos Maussa, I have also made the IBF proud of their champion.
I hope that in the near future I will get the opportunity to become an IBF World Champion again and that I will have the chance to defend my title. Like all fighters, we take great risks in the pursuit of our dreams of becoming World Champions and I hope that in the future I will only win and lose titles in the ring.
Once again I would like to thank you all for the time I spent as your champion and look forward to becoming one again soon, although in my heart I will remain your champion!
Ricky "HITMAN" Hatton
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