Related News
Hatton urges help for former pugilists
Print Edition
FORMER world champion Ricky Hatton says more needs to be done to help boxers who struggle to adapt to life outside the ring at the end of their careers.
Hatton, 38, was one of Britain’s most popular boxers, becoming world champion at light-welterweight and welterweight.
But he plunged into depression after a brutal loss to Manny Pacquiao in May 2009 and says he made attempts to take his own life “several times”.
“More should be done for boxers,” Hatton told BBC Radio 4 on Thursday.
“Footballers have an agent who looks out for them and a football club that gets behind them. Whereas boxers, it’s like once your time has gone it’s ‘On your way’ and move on to the next champion coming through.
“The thing is with boxers, we don’t come from Cambridge (University) and places like that. We come from council estates. So in boxing it’s very, very hard.
“If boxing had a professional boxing association or something like that, I think it would be a better place.
“It seems to be happening more with boxers. It’s an individual sport, so you get in the ring on your own and then when you retire you tend to spend the rest of your life on your own.”
Hatton’s compatriot Tyson Fury vacated his two world heavyweight titles in October after admitting he took cocaine to deal with depression.
British ex-world champion Frank Bruno has also struggled with depression.
Hatton said he had tried to make contact with the outspoken Fury — who hails, like Hatton, from Manchester — but had not received a reply.
Hatton was stripped of his boxing license in 2010 after admitting to using cocaine and retired in 2011. He made a brief comeback in 2012 before retiring again and is now a promoter and trainer.
“I tried to kill myself several times,” said Hatton. “I used to go to the pub, come back, take the knife out and sit there in the dark, crying hysterically.”
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
