Ricky Hatton has confirmed that he will retire from boxing for good following last night's crushing knockout defeat to Vyacheslav Senchenko.

Senchenko stunned a packed MEN Arena by stopping Hatton in the ninth round with a fierce body shot, bringing an abrupt end to a keenly-contested welterweight fight.

Hatton admitted that the defeat has left him heartbroken and also insisted that the bout will be his last.

He told reporters at the post-fight press conference: "I don't want to put myself or Jennifer trough this any more.

"I need to be a real man and that means not putting my family through this again.

"Tonight is closure for me. I don't have it any more. That's the end for Ricky Hatton."

The former two-weight world champion finishes his professional career with 45 wins and three defeats.