The following May he attracted a whopping crowd of 55,000 to Manchester City’s Eastlands Stadium to see him bounce back with a unanimous points decision over Juan Lazcano.

But Hatton is still coming to terms with the fact that he lost badly again in Vegas, saying: “I’m still devastated about it and spending time with my family is my priority now, so I can’t say what I am going on to do.

“Whatever I decide to do - and I am not saying I am the best British fi ghter by any means - I don’t think any British fighter has had a following like me. There was about 25,000 in Vegas this time. Incredible support.

“Before this fight and the Mayweather fi ght, I am told the record was about 10,000. It doesn’t even come close. It is incredible stuff.

Yesterday, in Hyde, Manchester, Ricky “Hitman” Hatton opened the doors to his new gym, “Ricky Hatton’s Health and Fitness Centre.” Upon doing so, the 30-year-old also spoke to the members of the media that were in attendance. Needless to say, the hottest topic of conversation was the May 2nd loss Hatton suffered at the hands of Manny Pacquiao and whether or not Ricky will fight again.

Brutally honest as always, Hatton admitted he has been crying since the 2nd round KO loss, and that he has had the urge to hide himself away since the loss, only the second of his career.

Speaking to The Star newspaper, Britain’s most popular fighter of all-time said he needs a lot more time yet before he can make up his mind about his fighting future.

“There have been tears,” Hatton said. “After all, it has been difficult to take for me. I just want to rest, re-charge my batteries and get life back to normal. I’m not saying it is over yet, but I’m not in a position to make a final call. Once I get back to normal, I’ll be in a position to decide what I want to do. You won’t hear the last of me in boxing, but the physical side of fighting is the last thing that should be on my mind right now.

Mayweather signed on to fight Juan Manuel Marquez this July. During the official press conference, Leonard Ellerbe said that Mayweather was back and had a hit list. But just who is on this hit list? Obviously Marquez is the first. A future hall of famer, Marquez is a test for anyone, but having only fought above 125 pounds once and signing to fight at a catch weight around 143, the legitimacy of this fight is in question.. Yes, he is the one man to give Pacquiao some real problems, but Floyd is bigger and fighting closer to his natural weight then Marquez. If Mayweather can get past him, and most of us suspect that he will, who is next?

Pacquiao’s trainer Freddie Roach has already said that they are not going to wait around for anyone. If this turns out to be true, the timing could be off and the dream fight may be in real jeopardy. Early speculation is that Sugar Shane Mosley is anxious for a meeting in the ring with Pacquiao. Miguel Cotto’s name has also been tossed around lately as a possible opponent for Pac. It seems as if either of these guys signs to fight with Pac, it would be set up as a fall matchup. With Floyd fighting in July, the timing seems to be off for him to meet Pacquiao in 2009.

“Manny was awesome on fight night. Ok, Ricky did fight carelessly and not how he should have, but you cant take anything away from what Manny has done. His speed, timing, combination punching and footwork overall was excellent and I think he has improved massively over the last 12 months.”

Beard said Pacquiao was much more dominant in the ring than Floyd Mayweather Jr, who stopped Hatton in ten round sin 2007.

“The defeat is still very painful for him even now. He knows he was reckless and his game plan went out of the window. Some genuine experts and people who know him best reckon he won’t want to be remembered flat on his back.

“Everyone seems to forget he has been beaten twice in his career and those two who beat him were not muppets - Floyd Mayweather Jnr was probably the best fighter in the decade and Manny Pacquiao the top pound-for-pound fighter.”

The Ring Magazine has ranked Pacquiao as the greatest in 2000s, placing him among the best fighters in the past 10 decades including “Hammerin’” Henry Armstrong, “Sugar” Ray Robinson, Muhammad Ali and “Sugar” Ray Leonard.

The “Greatest” list was compiled by Ring Magazine’s Michael Rosenthal, who ranked former top pound-for-pound fighter Floyd Mayweather Jr. as a mere second placer.

“Sorry Floyd but you need to fight the best to be the best,” Rosenthal said in his accompanying comment.

Apart from being named as this decade’s greatest, Pacquiao already held Ring Magazine titles for featherweight and super featherweight divisions.

“He shocked us when he stopped Oscar De La Hoya. And on [May 2], he turned in a performance that is destined to be a classic,” he added. On that date, “PacMan” knocked out Britain’s Ricky Hatton in spectacular fashion the second round of a scheduled 12-rounder to take the Englishman’s International Boxing Organization’s junior welterweight title.

“Pacquiao’s speed, power, ferocity and skill all met on the chin of Ricky Hatton and knocked him [Hatton] out cold. It was nothing short of chilling. Now, more than ever, he’s the greatest star in boxing and we can’t wait to see what comes next,” Rosenthal said.

When Floyd Mayweather retired last year, he did so as the undisputed best pound-for-pound boxer in the world. But now that Mayweather is returning, he’s no longer the best. That distinction now goes to Manny Pacquiao, and HBO’s Max Kellerman did a great job of explaining exactly why that is: Pacquiao challenges himself against bigger opponents, and goes after them like a warrior.

“On the same day Floyd was announcing his comeback against a naturally smaller man, Pacquiao was destroying a naturally bigger man,” Kellerman said. “Don’t forget, Manny Pacquiao won his first world championship as a flyweight. And he continues to do what boxing fans have always wanted Floyd to do: Make fights against the biggest, most threatening opponents and, once the bell rings, go to war. Manny Pacquiao is one of the very greatest aggressive fighters in the history of boxing. Floyd Mayweather is one of the best pure boxers who ever lived. They’re the two best of their era, and in my opinion, if they meet, it will be the most historically significant fight since Pernell Whitaker and Julio Caesar Chavez over 15 years ago.”

I couldn’t agree more. The reason I would now pick Pacquiao and not Mayweather as the best in the world is that Pacquiao has pushed himself in a way that Mayweather hasn’t.

‘Thrill factor’ - By Michael Rosenthal

Who’s the best fighter of the decade? A case can be made for both Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr., two supremely talented fighers with impressive track records and passionate fans. And other fighters, such as Bernard Hopkins, Juan Manuel Marquez and Joe Calzaghe, might have legitimate claims. However, when you add the “thrill factor” — Pacquiao’s unrivaled ability to stir the fans — into the equation it becomes clear who really has been the king of the 2000s.

As it stands right now in reality, Floyd Mayweather makes his return to boxing on July 18th in a catch-weight bout against Juan Manuel Marquez. Both Bob Arum, Manny Pacquiao’s promoter, and Freddie Roach, his trainer, have said that Team Pacquiao will not wait until after the Mayweather/Marquez fight to name Pacquiao’s next opponent, ruling out Mayweather for the gig, in that there’s no way they would sign to fight Floyd ahead of the Marquez bout given the fact that he very well could lose it.

Pacquiao’s team has been adamant that they are eying Miguel Cotto as the next fighter to face Pac Man in the ring, provided that Cotto defeats Josh Clottey in their welterweight title bout on June 13th at Madison Square Garden.

May 2nd 2009: Manny Pacquiao vs. Ricky Hatton

Pacquiao shows the world why he is now called the best fighter in the world. He may have sent his second superstar into retirement, this time with a flush left hook to the jaw in the 2nd round. Ricky Hatton can kiss his rematch with Floyd Jr. goodbye.

July 18th 2009: Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Juan Manuel Marquez

Mayweather will step into the ring for the first time since 2007. He will face off against Manny Pacquiao’s toughest foe, Juan Manuel Marquez. If he wins we will all be looking forward (hopefully) to a Pacquiao-Mayweather showdown in the fall.

So there you have it, some of the big things that have happened in boxing since the Pretty Boy’s last fight. I’m not saying that the other guys don’t deserve their shot at giving Mo’ his first O, but there is finally a pecking order to the man.

Marquez has his shot, and Pacquiao will hopefully get the winner. Sugar Shane isn’t far behind, but let’s not forget how much trouble he had with Mayorga, a guy who was destroyed by De La Hoya. Cotto was out, but thanks to Margarito’s cinder-block fists and questions as to when the cheating began, Cotto goes to the back of the line, assuming he gets by Clottey of course (no guarantee). Williams is standing next to Cotto, but I think I would rather see him stay at Middleweight. I don’t believe Hatton should fight again and don’t want to see Margarito ever step into the ring again.

Long story made short, if Mayweather can get by Marquez, the Pacquiao-Mayweather fight is the only fight in boxing that MUST happen. Who knew the best way to figure all that out was for Floyd Jr. to retire?

Overall a combination of factors led to Hatton’s devastating loss to Manny Pacquiao, one major factor was that while Team Hatton was in turmoil, Team Pacquiao was a well oiled machine firing on all cylinders. The inclusion of Former Heavyweight Champion Michael Moorer to Team Pacquiao paid dividends. Another factor is that Pacquiao just has superior skills to those possessed by Ricky Hatton.

I would also question Hatton’s mental preparation. The last thing that should be considered is that you ‘can’t teach an old dog new tricks’, and Mayweather Sr, being the great trainer he claims to be should’ve known this. Mayweather Sr, could have just opted to improve the things that Hatton already does that is make Hatton into a better brawler. Is Floyd Mayweather Sr. the blame, NO? He IS part of the problem, but Ricky Hatton’s main problem is that he never developed
the fighting skills to compete at the highest level of the sweet science and came to that realization late in the game. This revelation is crystal clear if you look back at the Luis Collazo and Juan Urango fights. Could Billy Graham have done a better job? Probably not in the skills department, but mentally yes. Graham would have totally controlled the training environment.

Fans shouldn’t be surprised if Ricky Hatton continues to fight under new trainer Freddie ‘The Joke Coach’ Roach. I’m sure that as far as Freddie Roach is concerned the joke is on Floyd ‘Joy’ Mayweather.

“He really has nothing to be ashamed of. He’s beaten great fighters like Kostya Tszyu and knocked out a great Mexican fighter, Jose Luis Castillo.

“If he does come to the Philippines I will be one of those that will shake his hands and wish him well.”

Francis Javelosa, Cebu: “I’m from the Philippines but I totally agree with you that Hatton deserves a good ending to his career as a boxer. Losing to Manny is, as you say, not a disgrace.

“Manny’s just one exceptional fighter who beat Barrera, Morales, Marquez, Diaz, and more importantly, De La Hoya. What then is shameful in that? Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose.”

Tell him that…Fuck Mayweather! Pacquiao's the big attraction!”

Ouch! Damn Bob!

Well it looks like Mayweather shares some of those same sentiments as he recently made it clear to those close to him that he won't be rushing into a bout with Manny Pacquiao so long as Arum is involved, which, of course he will be. Geesh! Can't we all just get along? Let's hope that cooler heads prevail and both Arum and Mayweather can put their differences aside to give fans a real fight to save the sport. After all, if it makes dollars (and it will), it makes sense (and it does)!

Against Pacquiao’s speed and movement, in the five minutes and 59 seconds that his night lasted, Hatton did not seem to have any idea where the punches were coming from. This allowed Pacquiao to simply tee off. The left hook that put Hatton out cold was thrown from so far back it could have floored a horse.

“What I vaguely remember is that no sooner the bell rang and I went down, then again,” Hatton said. “I felt I was doing well in the second round and he nailed me again.

“It is just embarrassing really. I know he is not that much better than me. I have felt worse after 12-round wars, as daft as it sounds. It didn’t take much out because it was over so quickly.”

Ricky Hatton says he has still not decided whether he will retire from boxing or not after his shocking knockout defeat against Manny Pacquiao.

Hatton failed for the second time to beat the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world after his only other previous defeat against Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Filipino superstar Pacquiao was more clinical though as he stunned the Hitman with a second round knockout in Las Vegas.

“Getting back to reality is what I’ve got to do, having a holiday with my son and the sooner I can make the decision the better. Once I get back to normal I’ll be in a position to decide what I want to do.

“I haven’t watched the fight yet. I don’t know whether I will watch it. It has been embarrassing for me. What I vaguely remember is that no sooner had the bell rang when I went down, then again. I felt I was doing well in the second round and he nailed me again.

“There have been tears. After all, it has been difficult to take for me. It is just embarrassing really. I know he is not that much better than me. Before I could get warmed up he nailed me. I felt I hurt him in the second round, but no sooner had I hurt him than he nailed me again.

In late-2008, Mayweather was brought in by the Hatton camp to replaced Ricky’s longtime trainer, Billy Graham. Initially, the change carried at least one positive. The tension between Ray Hatton (Ricky’s father) and Paul Speak (a business-media adviser and friend) on the one hand and Graham on the other had begun to weigh heavily on Ricky’s mind. That irritant was now gone.

But Mayweather is given to public utterances that extol his own talents and demean others. “It’s night and day between me and Freddie ‘The Joke Coach’ Roach,” one sample comment began. “Don’t ever compare us. Freddie Roach is in the Hall of Fame. He should be in the Hall of Shame. We’re going to whip Pacquiao’s ass, because I got the best fighter and because I’m the best trainer.”

For a while, Roach engaged with Mayweather. “As long as Floyd is in Hatton’s corner,” Freddie maintained, “I have absolutely no concerns. Floyd training Hatton for this fight is our biggest advantage.”

"I’m positive that I’m going to beat Mayweather. It’s true that he has a two inch height advantage, a little bit more reach and he is a great fighter - but I know how is beatable, and I will do just that on July 18 in Las Vegas," Marquez told ESTO.

Marquez had told BoxingScene that he planned to keep his camp in Mexico for the full duration, but because of the swine flu epidemic in the country, he may head off to Big Bear, California at some point. He knows the public has him as a heavy underdog. It doesn’t bother him. He likes the role of the underdog

Survival was probably the best tactic for the second round, but Hatton came out aggressively. He landed with a good right hook but was shaken to his boots by a fierce left hook, then a right, then a combination.

After a warning for a low blow from Kenny Bayless, the referee, he landed with a left hook, but was driven across the ring by a two-fisted barrage. The ten-second warning seemed to indicate that Hatton would survive another round, but Pacquiao landed his sickening finisher. “It was nothing personal,” Pacquiao said. “I was just doing my job.”

In seven HBO pay-per-view fights before the Ricky Hatton appointment last weekend, Pacquiao has generated 3.25 million buys and $160 Million. Pacquiao’s bout against Oscar de la Hoya delivered 1.25 million hits and is one of only four non-heavyweight fights to rake in at least a million.

No figures are yet available for the Pacquiao-Hatton match but if it posted over a million buys, the fight will become the first non-heavyweight bout without De la Hoya to crack the million mark.

According to writer Steve Bunce, the majority of the press and the fans – both British and otherwise – are calling for Ricky Hatton to retire. I normally think retiring on a loss in a fighter’s prime diminishes his legacy, but Ricky Hatton has been here before. He kept going after the Floyd Mayweather loss and he recorded a decent win over Malignaggi last time out. That’s respectable, in my eyes. Still, his training team is in shambles, he reportedly now struggles mightily to make the junior welterweight limit (his career starting weight), and his punch resistance is not what it once was. Call it a day, mate.

Mayweather, who called it a day almost a year ago, has now finally scheduled a comeback match against Juan Manuel Marquez. I think Marquez will give Mayweather more problems than most anticipate, not the least of which involve stopping Mayweather from leading with power shots like he does against lesser fighters. However, Marquez can be hurt and can be dropped – the latter of which tending to happen when Marquez reaches with his right hand. Barrera did it. Pacquiao did it, too. I see Mayweather dropping Marquez to the canvas at least once – and that may be enough for Mayweather to secure the win.

Boxing in other countries, however, experienced an almost unprecedented boom in support as fighters captivated the imagination of their compatriots and inspired rabid followings. Hatton, the fun-loving, beer-swilling Manchester everyman whose vociferous, harmonious crowds electrified the M.E.N. Arena in Manchester and, more recently, the casinos in Las Vegas, and Pacquiao, a legend among his people to the point that his trainer, Freddie Roach, may be the third-most famous man in the Philippines behind only Filipino President Gloria Arroyo and Manny, are only the two most famous examples of this phenomenon.

Over 50,000 fans packed Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, Wales in November of 2007, the largest crowd ever for a European indoor boxing event, to watch Joe Calzaghe defeat Mikkel Kessler to further unify the super middleweight world championship. Though Calzaghe, a huge draw in his native Wales, recently retired after coming to the United States to beat Hopkins and Jones, Jr., Kessler continues to draw more than 20,000 fans per fight in Denmark.

By Johnny Benz

To retire or not to retire. The Ricky Hatton doesn’t feel like doing cartwheels these days. After being blown out in dominating fashion at the hands of Manny Pacquiao, Hatton is not sure where his ring career is heading.

Earlier this week as Hatton landed at Gatwick airport, Hatton told reporters he wasn’t in the greatest mood: “I don’t exactly feel like doing cartwheels right now,”stated Hatton.

Hatton was pressed to see if he’d continue or retire. Hatton clearly hasn’t made up his mind, stating: “I’m not sure yet… I don’t know.”

Watch Video replay of Pacquiao vs Hatton - HDTV Exclusive telecast