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Battered Hatton won't rush to quit, says father

RICKY Hatton's father said his son won't hurry a decision whether to retire after his second-round knockout defeat to Manny Pacquiao.

After being knocked down twice in the opening round, the 30-year-old Briton was flattened by Pacquiao's left hook in Las Vegas on Saturday for his second defeat in 47 fights.

After spending several minutes on his back in the ring, the two-time light-welterweight world champion had to be taken to a hospital for a precautionary brain scan, which revealed no damage.

"He's perfectly all right," Ray Hatton told BBC on Sunday. "They've checked him out. He's had all the tests and everything. He's not got a mark on him."

The loss may leave a lasting mark on the fighter's confidence, however, with Hatton's flimsy defense making him an easy target. Ray Hatton said his son, whose other loss was a 10th-round knockout defeat to Floyd Mayweather Jr. in December 2007, would now have to consider whether to carry on.

"Obviously, we will support him in whatever he does and we'll leave that with him," Hatton said. "At this moment in time, he's probably got a few mixed feelings about it. He'll make that decision whichever way he wants to and the family will support him.

"I don't think he would let anybody make that decision for him. He would make it himself, that's one thing I am absolutely certain of. He's very, very strong willed."

Ray Hatton said his son did not need to continue boxing for the money, and that the fighter was convinced he had caught Pacquiao with some good punches before he was knocked out.

"He just said, 'The old heart ruled the head again, dad; steaming in, got my warning signs in the first round. Set off OK at the start of the second round, caught Manny with a few shots. Really worried Manny a little bit. Manny was just throwing wild shots.' He said, 'Then the heart ruled the head again and I went steaming in.'"

Hatton's trainer Floyd Mayweather Sr. called on him to quit. "I would suggest he retire. At the end of the day, it's his decision. He tried twice. He failed twice. He lost to my son and to lose to someone below that, it's time to leave the ring," he said.





 

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