By Chris Williams: I think I’m speaking for everyone here when I say Ricky Hatton should retire from boxing. If there was ever a good time for this argument to be made it was after Hatton got drilled into the canvas by boxing’s pound-for-pound star Manny Pacquiao in a 2nd round KO on Saturday night at the MGM Grand, in Las Vegas, Nevada.

All total, Hatton went down three times in the fight and looked as shot a fighter that I’d ever seen before. I expected going into the fight that Pacquiao would turn Hatton into another Oscar De La Hoya, but I didn’t realize how quick it would be. It was like watching De La Hoya vs. Pacquiao in fast speed, except De La Hoya was much more competitive with Pacquiao than Hatton.

The fight pretty much could have been stopped at the end of the 1st round when Pacquiao knocked Hatton down twice. The first knockdown was from a right hand from Pacquiao, and the second came with seconds remaining in the round with Pacquiao hitting Hatton with a big left, sending him diving to the canvas.

Hatton looked dazed and confused after getting up, appearing in shock. I guess I can’t blame him because he was fighting a so-so round up until the last minute when Pacquiao got serious with him and hit him with a big right hook. In Hatton’s corner, he spent have the time looking at his assistant trainer for advice and the other half listing to head trainer Floyd Mayweather Sr.

That wasn’t a good thing, because it seemed like Hatton wasn’t entirely focused on the advice that Mayweather Sr. was giving him. Hatton should have been listening because Mayweather was giving him some helpful advice, telling him to use his jab, move his head, none of which Hatton was using.

Hatton then went out for the 2nd round and did little, getting hit often with right hooks and left hands by Pacquiao. The end came when Pacquiao drilled Hatton with a perfect left hand that sent Ricky down on his back. The fight was stopped, and that was it for Hatton.

It was one of those types of knockouts that often have lasting damage. Even if Hatton does want to come back from this defeat, and I imagine he probably will knowing him, I can’t see Hatton having any success. Hatton will step in the ring and probably get knocked out again unless he’s very careful and fights in a different way. Hatton looked like the complete opposite of what he was against Paulie Malignaggi.

In that fight, Hatton used head movement and jabbed frequently. But for some reason, Hatton chose to do none of those things against Pacquiao on Saturday night. Hatton seemed to be trying to outslug Pacquiao using his old style. I don’t know if this was something that Hatton came up with at the last second, because in watching him spar, he fought completely different, fighting the same way he had against Malignaggi.

I wonder if Hatton listened to some ding bat’s advice telling him to put a lot of pressure on Pacquiao. That’s probably it. Instead of using the safe, defensive method that Mayweather Sr. had been trying to drum into his thick skull, Hatton went out and tried to use his old style and got knocked out for it.

It’s too bad, because the loss is a crippling blow for Hatton’s career. He could maybe work his way back into some more big money fights at some point if he was determined, but given his age and the huge amount of money he’s already made in the sport, I doubt that Hatton would want to do the hard work necessary to come back from this.

Hatton needs to fight better opponents when not facing fighters like Mayweather Jr. and Pacquiao, and try to use the skills that Mayweather Sr. had been trying to teach him. After this fight, my guess is that Mayweather Sr. is gone from Hatton’s camp. Who knows? Maybe Hatton will try and get Freddie Roach to train him, but it won’t matter unless Hatton actually uses what has been taught to him. He didn’t against Pacquiao, that’s for sure.