Duo urge Hatton to retire

by Niamh O'Mahony , 31 May 2009

Ricky Hatton has once again been urged to retire from boxing, this time by both Joe Calzaghe and Darts legend Phil Taylor.

The Briton was floored by Manny Pacquiao in the second round of their bout in Las Vegas earlier this month and is set to make a final decision on his future in the coming weeks.

However, there have been plenty of calls for Hatton to hang up his gloves once and for all, having also previously been beaten by Floyd Mayweather Jr.

"It was a devastating loss against Pacquiao and I think it's time for him to retire," Calzaghe told the Daily Star Sunday.

"The most important thing in boxing is your health. I watched the fight and Ricky took some heavy shots. He just didn't seem to turn up on the night.

"Maybe he'll want one last fight in Manchester to get a win. You wouldn't blame him if he felt that way."

The Welshman's stance was echoed by Taylor, who insisted that Hatton was "like a brother" to him.

"Hopefully he will call it a day," the 14-time Darts World Champion said, speaking to The People. "If he asked me what to do I would tell him to enjoy what he has done during his career.

"I am not sure if he will [retire], because he will probably want to come back as a winner and then retire. But I would tell him to retire now. I was absolutely gutted for him watching the fight."

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