Hatton to fight on with De La Hoya the target

RICKY HATTON has made up his mind to fight on following the first defeat of his career to Floyd Mayweather in Las Vegas on Saturday night.

Some big names including former world heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis had called on Hatton to quit following his 10th-round knockout loss.

But Hatton believes there was no shame in the manner of his defeat and will be back to reign at 140lbs and ensure his career has a happier ending.

Hatton said: “I’m not going to finish. My training camp went really well and the top and bottom of it is I got beaten by the better man.

“He beat me. It wasn’t my night and he got the tactics and the game-plan right. I’ll be damned if Ricky Hatton is going to finish the last fight of his life being knocked out.”

Hatton’s handlers will now aim to convince him that his future lies in the light-welterweight division where he continues to reign as the widely-regarded number one.

His trainer Billy Graham has long maintained that Hatton would only ever return to the 147lbs limit for super-fights against the likes of Mayweather. Now he wants Hatton to return to his natural limit and concentrate on cleaning up his rivals, who include Junior Witter, Gavin Rees and New Yorker Paulie Malignaggi.

Graham said: “I’m not being wise after the event but I’ve always said Ricky is a natural at 140lbs and from now on I think he should stay there. It was well worth going up to challenge Mayweather because it was such a big and lucrative fight, but now Ricky can go back to his own category.

“The knockout will only affect him if he wants it to. I don’t see any reason why he should quit now. He’s still far better than any other light-welterweight in the world.”

In the aftermath of his painful defeat Hatton admitted Mayweather’s tough tactics had ensured he was beaten at his own game.

“If you watch the fight he was using his elbows and putting his shoulder across but I’m not knocking Floyd because I’m not exactly Mother Teresa in the ring myself. I’m no shrinking violet.

“If I could have cracked him with an elbow I would have. But I got cut and made the cardinal sin of losing my composure, and got a point deducted.”

Hatton’s handlers are expected to continue talks with Oscar De La Hoya about a projected summer meeting at Wembley despite the defeat.

“But the early indications are that the chances of such a match-up have receded due to the manner of Hatton’s defeat to Mayweather.