Ricky Hatton insisted today the idea of fighting Amir Khan “hasn't entered my head”. Khan's WBA light-welterweight title victory over Andreas Kotelnik on Saturday fuelled talk of a showdown between the two Brits.

Khan himself believes that the fight would be “huge” and said: “If my trainer Freddie Roach thinks it's the right move for me to make, then I'm going to make that move.”

However, Hatton has yet to make a decision on his future and admits he is not missing boxing since taking a break following his crushing second-round knockout by Manny Pacquiao in May.

The 30-year-old, who has been released from hospital after a bad stomach bug, said: “I'm not thinking about boxing at the moment. Maybe I'll wake up one day and think let's give it another go, but I might not. I'm not missing it. Fighting is the furthest thing from my mind.

“I'm delighted for Amir. I can't praise him enough. He's gone back to the drawing board and answered any questions there might have been about him. But the fact that he's won a world title has not made me any closer to a comeback. It hasn't entered my head.

“I don't think I have to beat Amir Khan to prove anything.”

Hatton's increasing vulnerability to faster, more tactically astute opponents was exposed by Floyd Mayweather Jnr in December 2007 and by Pacquiao.
Despite those defeats, Hatton still has a record to be proud of.

He said: “When I look back at my career nobody expected me to do what I've done. I won five titles at two different weights. I've only lost to the pound-for-pound best fighters in the world. If I don't fight again I can hold my head high. Maybe somewhere down the line I might think about giving it another go and if he is still world champion then obviously he would be a possibility.”

Frank Warren, who used to promote Hatton and now works with Khan, hopes that his former charge does not return to the ring. He said: “From a personal point of view, Ricky Hatton shouldn't be fighting. It's not good for boxing and more importantly it's not good for him. Financially, it is a great fight and I think Ricky would get stopped again by Amir. I don't think Ricky could cope with that pace. If he wants to do it then I'm sure it could happen. But from his health point of view, he should definitely retire.”

Warren went on: “You know what happens? The fight happens and then down the road, God forbid anything happens to Ricky Hatton, everybody blames boxing, instead of greed.”

Former WBO cruiserweight champion Enzo Maccarinelli today confirmed his retirement after losing to Russian Denis Lebedev on the undercard to the Khan fight.

The 28-year-old Welshman was stopped in the third round having been knocked out by Ola Afolabi in March and David Haye last year.

Maccarinelli said: “That's it, there was nothing there on Saturday, that wasn't me. Take nothing away from Lebedev, he was a strong fighter, but everyone who has seen me and knows me will recognise that two years ago this kid wouldn't have gone two rounds with me.”