RICKY HATTON has revealed he felt ‘suicidal’ after hanging up his gloves.
The former world champion, 42, has reflected on life after boxing ahead of Mike Tyson’s comeback.
Ricky Hatton ended his boxing career with a record of 45-3Credit: Getty Images – Getty
Tyson, 54 will return to the ring for the first time since 2005 when he faces Roy Jones Jr, 51, later this month.
Like Tyson, Hatton felt the need to make a comeback in 2012 after he announced his retirement in 2011.
The Brit likened the buzz of boxing to a drug as he revealed the end of his career left him feeling suicidal.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, Hatton said: “I was suicidal.
“It’s like a drug that feeling of the crowd roar and singing your name.”
Before he continued: “It was probably the worst part of my life.
“From 16 when I left school I was training with Billy Graham practically as a pro but fitting a few carpets to pay for my upkeep.
“I’ve been boxing everyday of my working life and then to suddenly be sat on your sofa in the living room with nothing to do was very hard.
Ricky Hatton struggled to cope after his retirement from boxing Credit: PA:Press Association
“I was getting more and more down about it which consequently led me going to the pub every day because I had nothing to do. It spiralled down from there.
“It’s very hard to replace [boxing] when you have 40,000/50,000 singing ‘there’s only one Ricky Hatton’ and your hand gets raised in front of thousands at the MEN Arena, then all of a sudden that’s gone.”
Hatton made a comeback against welterweight star Vyacheslav Senchenko in 2012.
But his return to the ring ended in misery after he was knocked out by the Ukrainian.
He continued: “I wanted to make a comeback because I felt in my mind that I had let people down. I was the people’s champ, kid next door and all of a sudden I’m depressed, taking drugs and feeling suicidal. I felt I needed to do it to get my respect back.”
Hatton, who won world titles at light-welterweight and welterweight, hit rock bottom when he gave in to booze and drugs before finally admitting himself to a rehab clinic.
When quizzed about Tyson’s upcoming bout, Hatton revealed his concerns ahead of the fight.
He added: “I am concerned because of the things I’ve just mentioned of not wanting to say goodbye and for it to go on forever and ever.
Mike Tyson, aged 54, will make his comeback to boxing later this month Credit: Instagram / @miketyson
“I do worry for him because I am proud of him but on the other side I’m thinking ‘don’t do it Mike’ and I think I’m more towards the latter because of his age.
“One of the sayings of boxing who are making a comeback is it doesn’t matter how old you get, you never lose your punch.
“There’s never one truer saying.
“But I’ll tell you what you do f****** lose as you get older – your resistance.
“More damage can be done once you’ve copped one.
“You lose your mobility, your agility to get out of the way of the punch.
“If we say the art of boxing is to hit and not get hit, there’s more of a chance getting hit the older you get.”
George Foreman thinks Tyson’s comeback at the age of 54 this weekend is ‘temporary insanity’.
But former heavyweight king Tyson has hailed reports of record pre-fight PPV sales for his comeback.
Mike Tyson vs Roy Jones Jr – Live stream, UK start time, date, undercard, and rules for massive boxing fight
Source: Boxing - thesun.co.uk
