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Former British boxing champion Ricky Hatton, 30 years old, remains in the hospital in Manchester with a suspected stomach virus. He was admitted early Tuesday to Tameside General Hospital when he had complained about severe stomach cramps and chest pains.

Some fans had thought that Ricky Hatton have caught the dreaded swine flu, but doctors had already ruled swine flu out. The doctors also initially believed that the former IBF junior welterweight champion Ricky Hatton was suffering from a bad case of food poisoning. However, tests are still being conducted to further validate their diagnosis.

“He suffered sever stomach cramps and was in absolute agony. It was thought at first he had swine flu but it seems he had caught some kind of gastric bug,” Ray Hatton explained.

His agent Paul Speak said: “He is still waiting for the results, but he could be allowed home on Friday.”

Ricky Hatton’s father, Ray Hatton, was told by the doctors that his son might have had the virus for a while now but was not able to realize it.

Ricky Hatton should keep watch of his lifestyle from now on, because his body is also his money machine. If Hatton loses his health, he will also lose income. He should take care of his body and be more careful of what he eats, because he is not getting any younger. And just maybe, he is applying to much pressure to his body.

Right now, there is a possibility that Ricky Hatton (45-2, 32 KO’s) will be returning to the ring this November to face the unbeaten WBA welterweight champion Vyacheslav Senchenko (29-0, 20 KO’s). But to me, Senchenko is not the best choice for him to fight. Ricky Hatton could be in big trouble against him, since Senchenko has the winning momentum on his side. In addition to that, Senchenko is a really skilled boxer.

Amir Khan is also one of his potential opponents, however he has to win against Andreas Kotelnik this Saturday night to be able to get a receptive fight with Hatton.

Hopefully, Ricky Hatton will get well soon and get his desired comeback fight.

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Freddie Roach is confident that Amir Khan (20-1, 15 KOs) will win against the Ukrainian Andreas Kotelnik (31-2, 13 KO’s) in July 18, and that this win will open up an opportunity for a Khan-Hatton showdown. Roach thinks that the fight will receive great feedback in the UK, since both fighters are fairly popular there.

“… I think it would be a huge fight, here in the United Kingdom you would sell a lot of tickets and make a lot of money, so why not?” Roach explained. “I think it would be a huge great fight. I think it could happen soon to be honest with you.”

This fight may be able to bring a lot of money for both Amir Khan and Ricky Hatton. However, it still depends on the result of the Khan-Kotelnik bout. If Amir Khan loses to the Ukranian light welterweight champion, which most critics think is very likely to happen, then people might lose interest in a Khan-Hatton fight. In addition to that, Hatton seems to be interested in the WBA title, and if Khan cannot win the title, then Hatton might look for other bouts somewhere else.

Roach told Sky Sports News that Hatton might not be able to resist a possible bout with Khan once Khan has the WBA title around his waist.

Ricky Hatton, needs a huge win right now, to give him a boost and put his career back on track, after being dismantled by a second round knockout from Manny Pacquiao, past May 2.

Khan is a perfect target for Hatton, because of several reasons. First, Khan is very popular, and a fight with Khan can generate more ticket sales. Second, Khan has a weak chin, if Hatton can take advantage of Khan’s vulnerability then there is a good chance of him winning without having his own chin tested.

This could be Hatton’s chance to reacquire his glory and honor as a boxer. He is already 30 years old and could be past his prime, but he wants to prove his critics otherwise.

Both fighters will have to face their fears of being knocked out by their opponents.

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Floyd Mayweather Sr. discuss the comments made by fellow trainer Freddie Roach.Roach recently came on record stating that he would be disappointed if Manny Pacquiao was unable to knockout Ricky Hatton inside of 3 rounds in their highly anticipated clash on May 2nd. Mayweather who’s never short of words, especially when Roach is involved, fired back, “He better get ready to be disappointed then. Hatton is going to stop Pacquiao before 3. We’re going to put hands on him” Floyd Mayweather Said.

Regarding why he thinks Hatton will stop Pacquiao, Mayweather replied, “He’s been stopped to the body twice. but a lot of peaople don’t know that but one guy hit him in the body and he was crawling arround and couldn’t get up. Another guy hit him with a straight right hand to the body and he didn’t move at all.

Mayweather is adamant that Hatton is planning of not letting the judges decide the outcome of the fight. “Ricky is is going to hurt this guy. He’s not playing games. Roach thinks because Lil Floyd did that to Hatton, that Manny can too. but he ain’t no Lil Floyd!”

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The pair face of each other in Las Vegas on May 2nd with the winner of their battle crowned boxing’s pound-for-pound king.

Pacquiao’s mouthy coach Freddie Rouch warned ‘The Hitman’;”If you try to box Manny,you’ll get killeed.
mouthy told manny that if it goes past three rounds, I’d be mad at him.

Roach is a sworm enemy of Hatton’s trainer Floyd Mayweather Snr and claims his fellow American is too late to save the Manchester idol from defeat.

Last year Billy Graham has been replaced by Mayweather Snr,but Roach said:”He’s going to try and make him a better boxer, but obviously it is too late to change him at this stage of his career.

Roach said that I’ve been with Manny eaight years and I have never tried to change him, just improve on what we do.

“Ricky and Floyd have totally different styles. The best way for Ricky to fight is like he does.”

The duo have been fierce rivals ever since Mayweather Snr replaced Roach as the trainer of Oscar de la Hoya.

Mayweather Snr dubbed his enemy ‘Joke Coach’ Roach, who even boasts that Pacquiao’s chief sparring partner, Jorge Linares, is better than Hatton.

“We figure that if Manny can look sharp against a fighter like Linares, he can look sharp against anyone.

“Good work is good work. I don’t care what style it is. Linares makes Manny think and not many fighters can do that.

“Ricky’s very basic. Linares is a thinker and it raises Pacquiao’s game.”

Roach clearly hopes to unhinge Hatton, who jetted off to Las Vegas yesterday to prepare for his IBO and Ring Magazine light-welterweight title defence.

He has also demanded that Joe Cortez, the referee Hatton was critical of when he suffered his only loss in 46 fights to Floyd Mayweather Jnr in December 2007, is in charge of the Pacquiao fight.

Hatton has ignored gobby Roach and flew off to the Nevada desert after promoting his welterweight brother Matthew’s sixth-round stoppage of Ted Bami in Altrincham on Saturday night.

Matthew will box on his brother’s undercard alongside British Olympian Joe Murray, who won his professional debut on the same bill, outpointing Sid Razak in a six-round featherweight bout.

Hatton said: “It was an exceptional performance from Joe. He won every round and nearly got him in the end.”

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STATS

Welterweight
43-1 | 31 KOs

Nickname
The Hitman

Hometown
Manchester, England

Date of Birth
October 6, 1978

Height
5′6″

At the age of 28, Ricky is a nine-year pro. The two-time IBF Jr. Welterweight world champion, and former WBA super lightweight and welterweight world champion, he has beaten defending world champions in four of his last five fights.

In his most recent fight in June, 2007, he defended the IBO Jr. Welterweight World title with a devastating 4-round stoppage against former Lightweight World Champion Jose Luis Castillo.

On January 1, Ricky was recognized by the Queen of England in the annual New Year’s honors list, and received the title MBE (Member of the British Empire). The ceremony took place at Buckingham Palace, and he will now be known as Ricky Hatton, MBE.

Ricky had a breakout year in 2005 – his accomplishments stood heads and shoulders above those of every other fighter in the world, and he was voted “Fighter of the Year’ by The Boxing Writers Association of America, and The Ring.

From TheRing-online.com, December 21, 2005: The Ring is pleased to announce that it has selected Ricky Hatton as 2005’s Fighter of the Year. Hatton is the first-ever British boxer to receive the award since its inception in 1928.

Hatton earned top honors by stopping long-reigning junior welterweight champion Kostya Tszyu at the end of the 11th round on June 4 in Manchester, England. In his second bout of the year on November 26, Hatton knocked out WBA Junior welterweight titleholder Carlos Maussa in the ninth round in Sheffield, England.

“Not only did Hatton take the title away from one of the greatest 140-pounders of all-time and make his first defense against a highly rated challenger, he did it in the sort of entertaining and definitive manner that attracts fans and fills venues,” said The Ring’s Editor-in-Chief Nigel Collins Hatton joins a long list of famous fighters to win The Ring’s Fighter of the Year award, starting with then- heavyweight champion Gene Tunney, Other past recipients include Muhammad Au (’63, ‘72, ‘74, ‘75, ‘78), Joe Louis (’36, ‘38, ‘39, ‘41), Rocky Marciano (’52, ‘54, ‘55), Ray Robinson (’42, ‘51), and Mike Tyson (’86, ‘88).

Ricky has been the biggest draw in Great Britain for several years, with a huge, fanatical following in his hometown of Manchester.

Regarding his nickname, Ricky said, “I’ve always been a fan of Tommy Hearns, and everybody associates that that’s where I got it from, but everybody’s a Tommy Hearns fan. I got the nickname the first day I walked in the gym. I was 10 years old and put a pair of gloves on and started walloping the bag, and my amateur coach said, ‘Look at him, look how evil he is. He’s a little Hitman.’”

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