Many fight fans felt
Ricky Hatton had selected too tough an opponent for his first bout in three-and-a-half years. They were right. Hatton could have beaten most welterweights last night ... but was unable to defeat former WBA welterweight champ
Vyacheslav Senchenko. In front of a hometown crowd in Manchester, England, Hatton was ahead on points (78-74 and 77-76 twice) after eight rounds but his face was battered and he was beginning to fade. In round nine, Senchenko dropped him with a spectacular left hook to the body. Hatton tried to beat the count but was unable to rise to his feet before referee Victor Loughlin reached the count of ten.
In the ring immediately after the bout, Hatton said he needed some time before deciding whether or not to continue his career. Apparently he didn't need much time. At the post-fight press conference, Hatton announced his retirement, saying "I'm not going to put myself through that torture again. I needed one more fight to see if I had still got it, and I haven't".
The 34-year-old Hatton retires - this time - with a career record of 45-3 with 32 KOs. He may change his mind and fight again but, for now, sounded sincere and content with his decision.
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