By John F. McKenna (McJack): Knowing when to retire and stay retired has long been the nemesis of most aging fighters. History is replete with the names of great fighters who stayed around too long.

The most agonizing thing for a boxing fan is to watch a once great fighter attempt to recapture the glory of their youth. Many boxing fans wept at the spectacle of the once great Joe Louis being stretched out on the ring apron when he was knocked out by future Heavyweight Champion Rocky Marciano. Even Marciano wept when he visited Joe in his dressing room after the fight. The specter of what had happened to his boyhood idol is one of the reasons that Rocky retired at the top of his game and stayed retired, in spite of huge amounts of money being waved in his face for just one more fight.

Joe Louis’s good buddy Sugar Ray Robinson also witnessed what happened to Joe Louis and swore that no one would have to tell him when it was time to hang up the gloves. Contrary to what boxers say they frequently have to go through humiliating losses to mediocre opponents before they get it. Sugar Ray fought on for at least ten years past his prime and wound up fighting in small towns for a few hundred dollars before he finally hung up the gloves in 1965. The same fighter who in 1951 had a record of one hundred and thirty one victories with one loss was losing almost every other fight by the time he retired.

The list of fighters who did not know when to give it up goes on and on. Muhammad Ali was well past his prime when he lost his title to Leon Spinks who was in his eighth pro fight when he lifted the title from the once great Ali. Although Ali came back and became Heavyweight Champion again for an unprecedented third time when he won the title back from Spinks, he was nowhere near the fighter he once was. Ali was already exhibiting the signs of pugilistic Parkinson’s disease and yet he came back again for the terrible beating he received from Larry Holmes, who had once been Ali’s sparring partner.

It has long been argued that the same thing which makes a fighter great is the same thing that makes him fight long after he has lost the gifts which made him a great fighter in the first place. A great fighter is able to snatch victory out of the jaws of defeat.

In most cases a fighter is the last one to realize that he no longer is able to reach down into that abyss of hidden talent. He always thinks he can pull it out. Witness Roy Jones and Shane Mosley who continue to attempt to defy logic even though it is evident to almost everyone that their skills are greatly diminished.

It is hopeful that Ricky Hatton avoids the temptation to go to the well one more time in an attempt to accomplish something that he could not a couple of years ago. Every fighter wants to go out with a victory. Ricky Hatton had the misfortune of fighting Manny Pacquiao when he was at the top of his game. Hatton has the heart of a tiger. It was not supposed to end the way it did, with Ricky being knocked senseless by a Pacquiao left hook at the end of the second round. He must avoid the temptation to come back to make things right and enjoy the life he has made for himself.