Hatton lets IBF belt go

Boxing: Ricky Hatton has confirmed he will relinquish his IBF light-welterweight title in order to step up a division to meet…

Boxing: Ricky Hatton has confirmed he will relinquish his IBF light-welterweight title in order to step up a division to meet Luis Collazo.

Hatton seized the IBF belt with last year's victory over Kostya Tszyu before unifying the WBA belt with victory over Carlos Maussa.

But Hatton has chosen to take on America's WBA welterweight king Collazo in Boston on May 13th in an attempt to become a two-weight world champion, rather than taking on IBF 10-stone mandatory challenger Ben Rabah.

A statement from the 27-year-old Mancunian said: "It is with the greatest regret that I must surrender my IBF light-welterweight title.

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"Winning the IBF Championship was without doubt the greatest night of my life and to have to give it up outside of the ring is truly a painful experience."