By Sean McDaniel: If Ricky Hatton (45-2, 32 KO’s) knows what’s good for him he’ll resist the urge to come back to boxing and focus instead on promoting and training fighters. Hatton is no longer the youthful fighter that he was earlier in his career when he beat the likes of Kostya Tszyu and Jose Luis Castillo.

Hatton is almost 33, and hasn’t fought in three years since being stopped by Manny Pacquiao in the 2nd round in May 2009. With the way that Hatton ballooned up in weight during his time off from boxing, it would be a terrible idea for him to try and make a comeback now.

At this point Hatton would likely take a beating even against a guy like Paulie Malignaggi, who he previously beat in 2008. That was a long time ago, and Hatton isn’t the same fighter he was back them. Malingaggi has kept active all these years while Hatton hasn’t. Malignaggi would very likely box circles around Hatton if he got him in the ring at this point, and I think Malignaggi knows that.

Hatton just needs to enjoy his retirement and focus on his other line of work. Unless he’s experiencing money problems of one sort or another, I see no reason for him to stage a comeback at this point. There just isn’t anyone that Hatton can really beat in the light welterweight division at this point. The division has gotten a lot better since Hatton last fought there and he’d have to dodge pretty much everyone if he wanted to avoid taking another knockout loss.

Hatton’s reckless style of fighting would expose him to all kinds of punishment if he decided to make a comeback now, because that style of fighting is one that is generally reserved for the younger fighters, not someone that is in his early 30s and hasn’t fought in three years.