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Hatton hangs up his gloves

Ricky Hatton proved his quality with a defeat of Kostya Tszyu © Getty Images

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• Profile: Ricky Hatton

Ricky Hatton has called time on his boxing career, some two years after his last fight.

The 32-year-old has not fought since being destroyed by Manny Pacquiao in May 2009, but he refused to confirm he had hung up his gloves and was linked with a string of big-name bouts in the past two years.

He returned to gym work this year and it was claimed Hatton was looking good after slimming down. This only fuelled talk of a return, but he has decided that he will not extend a career that has spanned 14 years and brought him world titles at two weights.

"I've had this thing dangling above my head. Should I? Shouldn't I? Maybe, maybe not," Hatton told Sky Sports News. "I've known for some time but I've been holding onto a dream that's no longer there. Ultimately that's done me no favours whatsoever.

"Now I'm in such a nice place. I sat down and thought 'there's no more goals I want to achieve, I've done everything I wanted to do and more'.

"The motivation isn't there and that's the biggest thing you need as a boxer, to have that desire to go through what we go through. After the Pacquiao fight it wasn't there anymore.

"It's about time I had closure on it and I've realised there is life after fighting."

The Mancunian achieved success at welterweight and light-welterweight level, with his career taking off after beating Jon Thaxton to become the British light-welterweight champion in 2000. His most notable success at light-welterweight came when proving too strong for IBF champion Kostya Tszyu in 2005.

He stepped up to welterweight and claimed the WBA title with victory over Luis Collazo and extended his perfect record in the professional ranks to 43-0 with victory over Jose Luis Castillo.

The win over the Mexican set him on collision course for a mega fight with Floyd Mayweather Jnr in December 2008. It proved too big a gulf in class as though he put up a fine effort, Hatton was stopped in the 10th round.

He climbed back into the ring to beat Juan Lazcano and Paulie Malignaggi, which earned him a crack at Manny Pacquiao. The Filipino is viewed as the pound-for-pound king and he demolished Hatton, stopping him in two rounds.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.