By Sean McDaniel: Like a lot of fighters that strike it rich with a huge fight or two, Ricky Hatton’s career seems to have reached a stall after his huge money fight against Manny Pacquiao in May. Since being destroyed by Pacquiao in two quick rounds, Hatton has been unusually quiet about his future plans. For a person that has always been quite open in the media about his life, plans and personal thoughts, it seems strange that Hatton is suddenly mute when it comes to his career.
Nothing really has changed recently other than Hatton received a second huge payday, as well as a second loss to go along with it. I don’t think for a second that the loss has made Hatton hesitant about continuing his career, because if Hatton was a poor fighter I have no doubt in my mind that he would make the decision immediately to continue on with his career.
There’s something about being poor which forces people to do the hard thing, because there’s fewer alternatives to choose from when you don’t have then big kind of money that Hatton now has. There’s nothing wrong with a fighter not wanting to struggle through tough training camps and further adversity once they’ve struck rich, because after all, who needs to be sweating it out in a gym when they’ve got millions off dollars in the bank.
However, the effect that money often has on an fighter’s career is often negative I must say. They either celebrate with rich foods by eating and drinking themselves to the point where their once great skills quickly erode, or they often become sedentary, staying at home watching television and not training.
Either way, I think it often ends bad when fighters starting making huge money. Manny Pacquiao thus far is an exception of fighter that hasn’t lost his skills or ambition despite making tons of money in the ring. With him it’s a little different, because he gives away most of it and doesn’t seem comfortable sitting around and eating like many fighters tend to do once they get wealthy.
Pacquiao stays active with friends and doesn’t just sit around getting lazy. If this were Pacquiao who had just been knocked out in the 2nd round, I don’t think for a second he would be considering retirement. On the contrary, Pacquiao would immediately say that he was getting back in the ring to continue with his career, even though Pacquiao has made millions already. For him, it’s pride, obligation and his love for the sport of boxing. He’s not going to think of himself or wanting to take the easy way out by retiring so that he could avoid having to work his way back on top.
With Hatton, however, he seems like a different fighter since getting big money in his fights with Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Pacquiao. I don’t think the knockout from Mayweather had anything to do with Hatton’s off performance against Pacquiao. I think it was a case of the easy life that Hatton has led since getting huge money in the Mayweather bout has had the effect of making him soft.
Hatton doesn’t seem to have the fierce pride that he once had now that he’s gotten fat and rich. I think Hatton would be so much better off if he were dirt poor again, and fighting like he once did without big money being waived in front of his nose.
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