Ricky Hatton Retires: Only the Very Best Could Ever Live With the Hitman -- FanHouse

By Chris McKenna, FanHouse

Ricky Hatton's decision to finally confirm his retirement is a massive relief to everyone in boxing and they will all be hoping the former two weight world champion is never tempted to put on a pair of gloves again.

The Hitman has decided against a shock return to the sport despite massive cash offers to step into the ring again.

The 32-year-old was reportedly offered a deal to fight ring legend Erik Morales in what would have been his first fight since he was knocked out by Manny Pacquiao in 2009.

Hatton has been deliberating over a comeback ever since that brutal knock out but finally decided today that he will not step into a ring again – and now all fans of the Hitman can breathe a sigh of relief.

He told the News of the World website: "I will never box again and there will be no coming back. There have been so many times since the Pacquiao fight when I have woken up and thought, 'I will give it one more go', but it was not to be.

"There have been amazing highs and, although I always wanted to be a world champion, I went beyond my wildest dreams."

There have been plenty of highs along the way for the 32-year-old who lit up a packed MEN Arena on more than occasion over his 12-year professional career.

The pinnacle of those coming when Hatton forced the highly-rated Kostya Tszyu to quit and claimed his first major world title as he picked up the IBF light-welterweight crown.

It didn't take long for Hatton to unify the title as he brushed past WBA title-holder Carlos Maussa before stepping up to welterweight to become a two-weight world champion with a points win over Luis Collazo – both within a year of his victory over Tszyu.

Hatton was dreaming of becoming the pound for pound best but the man who stood in his way proved to be a step too far.

The British fighter brought 35,000 raucous fans to Las Vegas for his fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr in 2007 in what was a massive spectacle.

Sadly Hatton fell short in the welterweight division and Mayweather forced a 10th-round stoppage, but the Hitman's dream continued and he pressed on.

Wins over Juan Lazcano and Paulie Malignaggi put Hatton back in place for another shot at becoming a pound for pound legend with a fight with Pacquiao lined up.

Again the Brit brought over a massive crowd to Vegas with a massive expectancy that he could topple the Filipino.

But this time Hatton's shortcomings at that level were brutally exposed by Pacquiao who left the British fighter sprawled on the canvas in the second round with his fans unable to look as he was attended to by his cornermen.

Hatton has had his struggles outside of the ring since that faithful night culinating with a national newspaper sting catching him snorting cocaine in a hotel that left the 32-year-old seeking help in rehab for his issues.

But he now seems to have fully recovered and has got his mind back on his promotion company – Hatton Promotions – who are slowly but surely building a strong stable of potential future world champions.

Now he has cleaned up his lifestyle and confirmed he will never fight again, the 32-year-old can now focus on his new ambition of making a world champion rather than being one.

All his supporters will be hoping that focus will keep him clean and also out of the ring for the good of his health.

And although he may not have reached his dream of pound for pound king, Hatton can now bow out knowing that the only men to have beaten him are still the two best active fighters in the world.

Follow FanHouse UK's Chris McKenna on Twitter (@cmckenna87)

Source: fanhouse.co.uk

Former world champion Ricky Hatton announces retirement from boxing -- Guardian

guardian.co.uk

Ricky Hatton, Britain's former two-weight world champion, has announced his retirement from boxing.

The 32-year-old has refused to confirm his retirement since his last fight two years ago when he lost to Manny Pacquaio.

Hatton has been linked with several big-name fighters since, most notably the only two men to beat him – Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr – but he now appears ready to call time on his 14-year professional career.

The Manchester Evening News reported that the Stockport-born fighter will announce his retirement on Thursday afternoon signalling the end of a dramatic career that has seen him achieve success at welterweight and light-welterweight level.

Hatton beat Jon Thaxton to become the British light-welterweight champion in 2000 and went on to dominate the division, with his most notable victory at that weight coming in 2005 against the IBF champion Kostya Tszyu.

Hatton then beat Carlos Maussa before moving up to welterweight where he defeated Luis Collazo to claim the WBA world title.

Rapidly earning a reputation as one of Britain's most popular sportsmen, Hatton went on to challenge Mayweather in Las Vegas. Billed as the defining fight of his career, watched by millions around the world, Hatton failed to take the American's WBC welterweight title after being knocked out in the 10th round.

Undeterred by his first loss in boxing, Hatton returned to winning ways with victories over Juan Lazcano and Paulie Malignaggi before calling out Pacquiao.

The two met at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas in May 2009, when Hatton was knocked out cold in the second round to leave the Mancunian with a 45-2, 32KOs record.

Source: guardian.co.uk

Manny Pacquiao Foundation approved by IRS -- Asian Journal

By Cynthia de Castro, Asian Journal

ON June 23, The Manny Pacquiao Foundation was officially approved by the United States Internal Revenue Service as a tax-exempt organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and designated as a public charity. Donations to the Foundation are tax deductible. The Foundation is organized and operated exclusively to foster, support and transform the health, education and overall social well-being of disadvantaged communities in the Philippines and other countries.

Manny Pacquiao is the Chairman of the Board leading a team of accomplished professionals in the medical, educational, arts and nonprofit sectors with untarnished reputations and volunteer experience under their belts. With his charitable arm up and running with projects slated to launch as early as August 2011, Mr. Pacquiao will likely add one more title under his belt, “World Champion Boxer. Politician. Humanitarian.”

The Foundation has existed since December 8, 2008 as a California nonprofit public benefit corporation. However, its first set of board members and officers deemed it better to receive donations as a donor advised fund under Give2Asia (a public charity based in San Francisco) until the Foundation’s tax-exempt was obtained from the IRS. The Foundation grants, scholarships and fellowships are specifically off limits to relatives and members of the Foundation’s grant selection committee, officers, directors and substantial contributors.

The Foundation plans to launch a 2-year fundraising campaign to support individuals and organizations engaged in charitable work in the Philippines focusing on health care, education and sports. When asked about what’s in store for the Foundation, Milania dela Cruz, its President, stated, “We hope that Manny Pacquiao fans and supporters worldwide will welcome the real Manny Pacquiao Foundation. We will raise more funds and give more resources to help as many Filipinos fight hunger, disease and illiteracy. Charitable work is closest to Manny’s heart. Please, come join us.”

The Foundation’s official website will be launched mid-July 2011. For additional information on the Foundation or donation inquiries, please contact Marsha-laine F. Dungog, Esq. at (213)235-9193 or email: mdungog@hobsondungog.com. Hobson Dungog Bernardino + Davis LLP is US legal counsel to Mr. Pacquiao and general counsel to The Manny Pacquiao Foundation.

Source: asianjournal.com

Eddie Mustafa Muhammad says Mayweather, not Pacquiao, is boxing’s savior -- Examiner

By Chris Robinson, Examiner.com

During a recent visit to the H.I.T. Factory Gym in Las Vegas, trainer Eddie Mustafa Muhammad could be found working with budding amateur and soon-to-be professional Taylor Larson. A former light heavyweight champion in his own right, Muhammad is always a busy man and outside of working with former heavyweight champion Hasim Rahman, lightweight contender Jorge Teron, undefeated super middleweight prospect Badou Jack, and proven veteran Ishe Smith, he claims to get calls on a daily basis inquiring if he is open to working with new talent.

Muhammad was thrown a bit of a curveball last year when he found out that former light heavyweight champion Chad Dawson would no longer be working with him after the pair’s technical-decision loss to Jean Pascal up in Montreal last August. Dawson ended up jumping ship with renown coach Emanuel Steward and last saw action in May as he won a clear decision over tough Romanian Adrian Diaconu.

Asked for an assessment of his former charge’s performance, Muhammad cautiously showed some criticisms.

“I don’t want to say anything bad about him because, first of all, I don’t wish nothing bad on Chad Dawson first and foremost,” said Muhammad. “There are some things that he could have done better. But I just felt like he wasn’t comfortable enough in there. Emanuel wants Chad to be a little Tommy Hearns; that will never happen. Chad doesn’t have the power like Tommy Hearns, so right then and there that leads him down the wrong path. Chad is a pure boxer, he has pop in his punches when he puts them in combination, but you can’t make a guy what he’s not.”

Dawson is scheduled to be facing light heavyweight king Bernard Hopkins next, who himself fought Pascal to a debated draw in December while rightfully turning the tables and coming away with a decision on May 21st. At 46 years old, Hopkins has little plans of slowing down and Muhammad felt that he had Pascal’s number all along.

“I picked Bernard to beat Pascal,” continued Muhammad. “I talked to Bernard in the airport during the first Pascal fight. We talked and I told him ‘You can beat this guy but you gotta go right to him’ and that’s what he did. He went right to him and he let his hands go and it was no problem.”

Wanting to get Muhammad’s take on some other fights on the horizon, I asked him about the July 23rd Amir Khan-Zab Judah junior welterweight title unification at the Mandalay Bay. Judah trains out of the H.I.T. Factory gym himself and Muhammad knows him well, having worked his corner leading into his blowout over Jose Armando Santa Cruz blowout last July.

But Khan is not Santa Cruz, obviously, and Muhammad feels that a different plan of attack would benefit the 33-year old Judah this time around.

“I think it’s going to be a great fight. Zab is a puncher, so he’s going to have to be the puncher. He can’t try to outbox Amir because he has long arms, so Zab has to go right to him with his hands up and let his hands go,” he continued.

Two months later one of the biggest events of 2011 will go down when Floyd Mayweather Jr. makes his return inside of the MGM Grand as he attempts to derail WBC welterweight champion Victor Ortiz. For Muhammad, it’s not just another fight, it’s the return of boxing’s knight in shining armor.

“The savior of boxing is back,” Muhammad laughed while chuckling slightly. “No doubt, Floyd is the best fighter out there, bar none. Say what you want to say about Pacquiao, I give Pacquiao all his props, because he carried boxing, but as far as pound-for-pound, Floyd is the pound-for-pound best boxer. If I’m not mistaken there are 41 guys who tried to beat Floyd and 41 guys who failed. To me he’s still the best out there.”

I asked Muhammad for his thoughts on Ortiz’s gutsy victory over Andre Berto last April, a fight in which the two both tasted the canvas twice while trading bombs throughout, and he was immensely impressed. But as for Ortiz’s chances against Floyd? Forget about it, says Muhammad.

“He has two chances; slim and none.”

If Pacquiao isn’t boxing’s savior, as Muhammad states, what exactly does he think of the eight-division Filipino champion? For starters, he expects his third fight with Juan Manuel Marquez this November to be a good one despite the uphill battle facing the Mexico City star.

“It’s going to be another barnburner,” Muhammad stated. “It may be a little in Pacquiao’s favor because they are going up in weight. Every time Marquez goes up in weight, he loses. He’s not a 140-pounder and they are fighting at 144 pounds; that’s a lot of weight and he may be a little sluggish. But I’m looking forward to that fight.”

And you can probably already guess what Muhammad has to say about a possible Pacquiao-Mayweather duel.

“All said and done it would be a terrific fight, I just see Floyd picking him apart. Pacquiao’s going to have his moments, it won’t be a runaway, but I see Floyd picking him apart.”

Chris Robinson is based out of Las Vegas, Nevada. He can be reached at Trimond@aol.com

Source: examiner.com