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Ricky faces a "massive fight" - Hatton's dad

Ricky Hatton suffered a devastating second-round knockout at the hands of Manny Pacquiao in May 2009 © Getty Images

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Ricky Hatton is "poorly" and faces a "massive fight" after entering rehab for depression, according to the boxer's father Ray.

Following weekend allegations of cocaine abuse, the two-weight world champion checked himself into rehab on Monday with "severe depression" and his dad acknowledges the 31-year-old faces a tough road ahead.

"We went to see him last night after he had started his first day of treatment," Hatton's father told Sky Sports. "He looked a lot better, he seemed relieved, and the doctor's said that he's a lovely young man and responding to treatment. We were happy we saw him.

"It's a massive fight he has on his hands and I know his family and fans will be behind him. He needs us all around him now because he is poorly."

With speculation rife about the events leading up to Hatton's confession and admission into rehab, his father was angered by "untrue" newspaper reports.

"When you pick up the papers and you see what the media's saying - that some member of the family has allegedly said this and some unknown source has said this, you just feel that people out there are getting the wrong impression," he said.

"I think what brought it to a head today was an article that said my wife knew about these things and that Ricky had gone into hospital shouting and bellowing at people which is unbelievably untrue. And I don't think his family, his mum, his little body, his brother, his girlfriend and the fans should hear such rubbish."

Ricky last fought against Manny Pacquiao in May 2009 - and was on the receiving end of a punishing second-round knockout by the Filipino. And it was this loss - along with an earlier defeat to Floyd Mayweather - that was the catalyst for his current problems.

"He always wanted to please everybody, not only his family but all the fans," said Hatton's father. "And when he had defeats he just thought he had let them down. It didn't matter what we said or what the fans said, he got more and more depressed which led him to drinking more and more.

"He said to us 'I've let everybody down including you and the fans I need a drink to lift my head up and it's just gone from there."

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