Ricky Hatton apparently making an annoucnment on future in 3 days

[Bobthepen]

Because most 33 year old athletes haven't ruined their bodies with crash dieting, cocaine and drink binges, copious ammounts of saturated fat, herpes and of course years of using his face to block punches.

He'll never be back at an elite level. Expect a pre Kosta type career culminating on a stoppage to the likes of Khan at best.

What evidence is there that Hatton's "bad living" has harmed him? Until he comes back we will not know. Being out-of-shape during his career never effected him. In fact the penultimate fight of his career was one of his very best.

Just recently we've seen Eric Morales retire, spend three years as a big fat guy, return in a weight-class 20 pounds north of his best, yet hold his own in world-class.

33 seems pretty old when you're 23 but trust me it ain't.

I'd bet anything Hatton would take qutting on his school against Powderpuff Paulie, let alone Khan in a literally ginormous British fight, as his lasting ring memory rather than the current one - humiliated, lying flat on his back unconcious.

The problem is Hatton's relentless pressure brawling style is a young man's fight. Little purpose in comparing Hatton to Morales, as Eric could box beautifully when he wanted to, and showed his skills against much bigger, stronger fighters like Maidana.

Hatton used to cut weight like hell to make 140lbs, often coming in a stone heavier than that on fight night. Fighters in their thirties rarely do this because the body just quits after years of doing this. H e could not do that now and have anything like the engine he had a decade ago.

The only option for Hatton would be to come in way North of 140lbs, which as we know is not where his strengths lie because his game is being bigger and stronger than his opponent.

I understand that.

However, there are literally hundreds of fighters older, shitter and thicker than Hatton that have took much more punishment. Virtually nobody cares about them or believes they don't have a right to box.

Hatton is not some novice chancer trying his arm at boxing, amazing as it seems to some people, he was actually pretty fucking good at this fighting lark.

If Hatton is not fit to box then half the current fighters holding a license aren't either.

I agree, Hatton would still be better than, say RJJ or Toney, but it is beside the point.

The division has more talent than when he ruled it, and if Hatton believes he can come back and still bow out as a world champion he took more blows to the head than I thought.

I'd have no problem with a bout against another faded fighter for a spot of attention and some beer tokens, I just hope he doesn't go on a Holyfield-esque delusional crusade.