RICKY HATTON insists recognition is more important than alphabet titles after shrugging off the fact Saturday’s showdown with Paulie Malignaggi will not be for the IBF light-welterweight belt.

Ricky Hatton delivered a performance of vicious efficiency to hammer Jose Luis Castillo to fourth-round defeat in Las Vegas and secure his place in the pantheon of his generation’s pay-per-view superstars.

EVERY time Ricky Hatton gazes up towards the bright Las Vegas sky he is reminded of the reason why he has earned the right to top the bill in the entertainment capital of the world.