Hatton not ready to decide his future

Ricky Hatton says a firm decision on his boxing future will have to wait as he is “still not in the right frame of mind” to make the call in the wake of his crushing second round knockout defeat to Manny Pacquiao.

Hatton was speaking at length for the first time since his loss at the opening of his new gym in Hyde tonight, where he also admitted his failure to wrest the pound for pound crown from Pacquiao was “very embarrassing”.

Hatton has been urged to retire by most prominent boxing figures but there remain plenty of possibilities including fights against the big-punching former lightweight Michael Katsidis or even Amir Khan.

Hatton said: “I’m just going to have a holiday with my family then I’ll make the decision. I’ve been very down needless to say. It was very embarrassing but it’s not exactly doom and gloom.

“When my mind’s in a little bit better form and certainly a bit clearer then I’ll make a decision. No-one planned that result but this is boxing. I’m still not in the right frame of mind to make a big decision like that just yet.”

Hatton’s intention is for his new gym to be used by the growing stable of fighters joining his fledgling promotions company, for whom he has signed an eight-fight television deal with Sky Sports.

Although the deal does not involve any prospective future Hatton fights, it may be another temptation for Hatton to continue boxing, with his company yet to ink another headline act.

But Hatton sounded like a former fighter when he said: “After being a champion yourself the next best thing to replace being a champion would be to give back some of the happiness I got from the sport.

“I think it’s clear what my intentions are in promoting – to try to be the best. As far as carrying on fighting, I’m going to go away with my family, get my head in a nicer place and make a very, very important decision.”