Ricky Hatton denies boxing retirement rumours.

Former double world champion Ricky Hatton says rumours that he is retiring are false and insists he will announce it himself when he is ready to give up boxing.

The Hitman has been telling Tina Daheley from the Chris Moyles show that he does not want to fight Amir Khan but only because they are friends.

Hatton, 31, was in Dagenham, east London, over the weekend to support his brother Matthew, who scored a unanimous points victory over veteran Italian Gianluca Branco to claim the vacant European welterweight title.

Amir Khan urges Ricky Hatton to retire from boxing

Britain's Amir Khan has urged former champion Ricky Hatton not to continue his boxing career.
"I think he should retire," said Khan, who is preparing for his American debut with a WBA light-welterweight defence against Paulie Malignaggi on 15 May.
"He's beaten some great fighters and the only two he has lost to have been pound-for-pound best in the world.
"He has the respect of the British fans and boxers and I think he should hang his gloves up and relax now."
Hatton first retired after losing to Floyd Mayweather in 2007 but returned to the ring a year later.
He has not fought since being knocked out in the second round in Las Vegas by Filipino Manny Pacquiao last May, but announced plans for a return in 2010 last December.
Malignaggi was one of Hatton's victims but has warned Khan he has raised his game since that defeat in 2008.
Malignaggi offers to fight Hatton
The American, stopped by Hatton in the 11th round, won a rematch with Juan Diaz in December to re-establish his credentials as a world title contender.

Gym-shy Ricky Hatton is heading for a heavy fall

Ricky Hatton runs the risk of another embarrassment if he makes a comeback without changing his training methods. Photograph: by Al Bello/Getty Images
Ricky Hatton said before Christmas he was going to take a holiday in Australia with his girlfriend Jennifer and come back early in January to start getting in shape for a comeback.
His timetable was centred on June against an opponent yet to be signed, and he was going to start by ripping off the several stones of flab he'd piled on since Manny Pacquiao knocked him out in May. He would follow that with a 12-week training camp to get back into fighting trim.
Well, Ricky has either changed his mind about a comeback or has got his dates mixed up. Sitting ringside in Stoke last Friday to oversee his promotion on Sky, he looked like the very substantial promoter he has become. If he weighed anything less than 14 stones, it would not be by much. He didn't look as if he'd been anywhere near a gym except to check on his fighters.
I spoke to a leading boxing nutritionist about Hatton's training methods and lifestyle during the week and he is convinced the fighter is heading for a heavy fall.
"You cannot treat your body like that," he said. "Just taking the weight off will drain him. As you near a fight, you should be gaining strength, not worrying about having to get rid of that much excess weight. Ideally, fighters who are active should not be more than a few pounds over their fighting weight at any time. You should not be losing much more than a pound a week in any circumstances, let along preparing for a fight. And I'm not convinced by Ricky's training methods, relying so much on supplements to both lose weight and gain strength. It is not natural. And anything that is not natural is no good for a fighter's body in the long run."
This is an old theme, of course. But still Ricky will not listen. He has the affection of so many fans and is desperate to please them. He can do that by either abandoning the habits of a life time – which is not going to happen – or quitting the ring right now. And I don't think that is going to happen, either.

Ricky Hatton likely to make comeback at Manchester's MEN Arena

Ricky Hatton's comeback looks set to take place in his old stomping ground of Manchester's MEN Arena.

Hatton was hoping to make an emotional return to his beloved Eastlands where he packed in a post-war British record crowd of 55,000 to see him outpoint Juan Lazcano in May 2008.
But he has run into problems trying to secure the stadium for his proposed fight date in the last week of May-first week of June.

Old Trafford is an obvious non-starter and Lancashire's cricketing home across the road is also not viable.

That leaves the MEN as the Hitman's only real option in Manchester and he hasn't fought there since he famously vanquished Kostya Tszyu in May 2005 in the highlight of his career.
Hatton used to pack out the 22,000-capacity MEN regularly when he was the WBU light-welterweight champion before his split with Frank Warren

Ricky Hatton hints at a return to the ring

FORMER world light welterweight champion Ricky Hatton has hinted that he could comeback to the ring next year.
Future of Hatton's has been unclear since the English fighter lost badly to Manny Pacquiao in May. That defeat was Hatton's second in the space of two years after he lost to Floyd Mayweather Jr and it was widely predicted that he would not fight again.
But Hatton, who has 45 wins from 47 career fights, currently made a guest appearance on the WWE Raw wrestling show and admitted the experience rekindled his desire to get back in the ring.
"It was brilliant and I must admit, when I got into the ring and heard the crowd roar, I started thinking to myself 'I've missed this','' Hatton told Sky Sports News. "Who knows? Next year after Christmas and New Year, and after the holiday I've got booked for January, I might have a serious think about what I'm doing.
"Seeing (his brother) Matthew and all the lads I'm promoting be successful has given me that itch back. Hearing that roar and seeing my fighters succeed, I might give it another go.''

Ricky Hatton: Splashes £80k on copy of waxwork

Ricky Hatton boxer was so knocked out by a lifesize waxwork of himself that he has ordered a replica.
He needed to take it home when he unveiled it.
Now the Hitman, 31, has paid £80,000 for a copy of the model on show at the Louis Tussaud's Waxworks in Blackpool. The attraction's general manager, Matthew Titherington, said: "I think Ricky likes it so much because he's in his fighting gear and in his fighting prime.

"When he unveiled it, he was bowled over. He wants to put it in his games room although his manager suggested he put it outside his front door to scare people off."
The original waxwork cost about £100,000 and took six months to make. But the replica will take half the time and will be cheaper because the mould is reusable. It will still be painstaking work - 30,000 hairs will have to be inserted into the head alone - and should be finished by spring.
At the unveiling former world champion Hatton said: "To have a waxwork at Tussaud's is a massive compliment.
"I'm surrounded by stars of the sporting world so this is great. When they asked me to be a waxwork I couldn't say no. It's an honour to be a part of it."

To Get Ricky Hatton To Change Professions

Ricky Hatton is best known as a heavy hitting boxer who suffered two high profile losses to Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao. And now, Randy Couture hopes that the two time IBF and IBO light welterweight champion will try his hand at MMA, and is willing to train the British professional boxer in ground game if he comes to the UFC.
"I am a big fan of Ricky Hatton,” Couture told the Manchester Evening News. “He is a fantastic fighter. I could get him up to speed on the ground wrestling part of it, while he could take advantage of his boxing talent. He could make a big difference in the lighter categories.”
Couture says that if Hatton could learn the “ways of the UFC,” he could go far in the sport.
“He is a tremendous fighter and has a lot of heart. There is no doubt he could make a tremendous impact with his heart and determination in the ring,” Couture stated.
Hatton said that he may consider the move from boxing to MMA, since the momentum behind the MMA sport is growing.
"It is all action, proper fighting. [The UFC] are going the right away about it to get people interested. There is a concern in boxing that UFC is taking its place. People seem to get more value for money,” Hatton stated. “UFC would be right up my street, I used to kick box so maybe I would be all right."