'Hit Man' Hatton quits boxing
updated 11:49 AM EST, Sun November 25, 2012
Ricky Hatton suffered a ninth-round knockout defeat by Vyacheslav Senchenko on his return to the ring.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- Ricky Hatton has retired from boxing for a second time
- The 'Hit Man' was defeated by Vyacheslav Senchenko
- Hatton had hoped to relaunch his career after three-year absence
- Boxer admits: "It's the end of Ricky Hatton."
(CNN) -- Ricky Hatton has hung up his gloves after suffering a ninth-round knockout in his comeback fight against Vyacheslav Senchenko.
The 34-year-old, who was fighting for the first time since suffering a second-round defeat by Manny Pacquiao in 2009, had hoped to relaunch his career after deciding to return to the ring.
'The Hit Man' as he is affectionately known, had endured a troubled time since quitting the sport following the loss to Pacquiao
Hatton had faced a battle with drink, drugs and depression before deciding to give boxing one last shot.
But the former two-weight world champion was shown no mercy by his opponent and was left to rue a career-ending defeat.
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A badly bruised Hatton told reporters: "I found out tonight it isn't there no more. I'm a straight-shooter and I tell the truth. I can look at myself in the mirror and tell myself I did my best, but there is always an excuse to find.
"I got in the best shape I possibly could, but if I hadn't been hit with that body shot I would have just scraped over the line with a points win and I honestly think I would still be telling you all the same thing.
"A fighter knows and I know it isn't there any more. It's too many hard fights, I've burned the candle at both ends, I've put my body through the mire in and out of the ring but it doesn't matter how hard I train, I couldn't have done any better.
"I'm a happy man tonight. I don't feel like putting a knife to my wrists. I have got the answers I needed.
"I got the opportunity and I got the answers and no matter how upsetting it is, I have got to be a man and say it is the end of Ricky Hatton."
Career
Hatton became the British light-welterweight champion in 2000 after going 21 fights unbeaten.
He followed that up the following year by winning the WBU light-welterweight title.
It was in 2005 that he secured his legacy, defeating the then IBF light-welterweight champion Kostya Tszyu.
He claimed a points victory over Luis Collazo in 2006 to seal the WBA welterweight title.
Defeat to Floyd Mayweather Jr in December 2007 hit him hard, but Hatton returned to the ring with victories over Juan Lazcano and Paulie Malignaggi in 2008.
It was his brutal beating by Pacquiao in May 2009 which looked to have ended his career before he announced his shock return to the sport last September.
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