Frampton Comes Alive

Carl Frampton has retained his European Super Bantamweight title by knocking out Jeremy Parodi of France in the sixth round at the Odyssey Arena.

The contest was billed as an IBF world championship eliminator and promoter Barry McGuigan will now be looking to get his fighter a major title contest.

Frampton, 26, was in control from the start, outclassing an opponent beaten just once in 37 previous contests.

Northern Ireland's Frampton has won all of his 17 professional fights.

A composed Frampton was on the front foot from the off, his left jab getting through early on and a couple of combinations troubling his opponent in the opening round.

The home favourite remained on top in rounds two and three, pushing his opponent back at every opportunity.

A solid left hand in the fourth sent Parodi staggering back and, with Frampton targeting a cut above the Frenchman's left eye, a couple of big right hands had him shaken.

A fierce left to the body thrown by Frampton at two minutes 59 seconds of the sixth was too powerful for the Frenchman and he fell to his knees to be counted out.

This was Frampton's first fight since claiming the European crown by beating Kiko Martinez in the ninth round in Belfast in February.

Frustratingly for Frampton, though, Spaniard Martinez won the IBF super-bantamweight title in his next fight and the Belfast man's camp are expected to seek a rematch.

In July, Frampton had to pull out of a contest at Wembley because of an ear injury .

On Saturday's undercard, Ricky Hatton protégé Ryan Burnett, 21, also from Belfast, stopped Reynaldo Cajina of Nicaragua in the second round of their bantamweight contest.

Jamie Conlan was a first-round winner over Argentinean Walter Rojas while Marc McCullough won the vacant Irish featherweight title by beating the experienced Limerick fighter Willie Casey.

Dungiven's Eamonn O'Kane became the new IBF Inter-continental middleweight champion with a points victory over Welsh man Kerry Hope.

Related articles

• Belfast boxer Carl Frampton on verge of world title after win in home city
• Barry McGuigan: 'Carl Frampton is on the cusp of something very, very big'
• Frampton stops Parodi in sixth round
• Carol Frampton boxer is the next superstar - Barry McGuigan
• Frampton With Title Shot - McGuigan
• Klitschko beats Povetkin to retain titles

Hatton Reveals Battle with Depression

Ricky Hatton says depression almost drove him to suicide after he was knocked out by Manny Pacquiao in 2009.

In an exclusive interview on BBC Radio 5 live, Hatton explained how his life spiralled out of control in a battle with drink and drugs.

Hatton confirmed his retirement in July and now runs a successful promoting business.

But he said: "I was so down, I was crying and breaking out and contemplating suicide."

Hatton lost to Manny Pacquiao in Las Vegas in May 2009 with a brutal second-round knockout.

He said: "I was going deeper and deeper into depression.

"I was getting depressed. I was going out and having a few drinks. The worst thing you can do with depression is add alcohol to it.

"I needed something to get my backside into gear and pull my finger out. Sometimes you have to hit rock bottom to think, 'Blimey Ricky, get a grip'.

"Depression is a serious thing and, after my defeat to Manny Pacquiao, I contemplated retirement and didn't cope with it very well."

The former boxer's predicament was exposed in a newspaper sting where he was shown taking cocaine.

Hatton added: "For someone in my position taking drugs once is nothing short of disgraceful.

"The reason behind my actions and the way I was behaving wasn't a drink or drugs thing, it was depression. I was so down, I was crying and breaking out and contemplating suicide.

"Half the things I was doing I didn't even read about in the paper. I can't even remember the night it happened - that's what depression does to you.

"I was having blackouts, days on end whether I was drinking or not when I couldn't remember what had happened in my life.

"I thank the News of the World because who knows where it could have ended up.

"A lot of people say, 'I've tried committing suicide' - but there's saying it and doing it and it was coming on a regular basis.

"Being a proud man and a warrior, to get splattered in two rounds like I did, was really hard to come to terms with.

"When I tried to get back into training, I realised the hunger was gone and my career was over.

"Everything got on top of me and it was a really horrible time in my life. I would go out, have a few drinks, start sulking and start feeling sorry for myself.

"I kept coming home and crying to my girlfriend saying, 'I want to end it, I don't want to live'.

"Depression is a very serious thing. People don't realise how deadly it can be."

You can hear more of this interview on BBC Radio 5 live Breakfast on Friday, 30 September 2011.

RICKY HATTON'S CAREER

Born Stockport, 6 Oct 1978

Turns pro in 1997

21 fights unbeaten and becomes British light-welterweight champion in 2000

Wins WBU light-welterweight title in 2001

Beats IBF light-welterweight champion Kostya Tszyu by TKO in Manchester in 2005

Points victory over Luis Collazo in 2006 sees him become WBA welterweight champion

Awarded an MBE but loses first fight in December 2007 - knocked out by Floyd Mayweather Jr

Beats Juan Lazcano and Paulie Malignaggi in 2008 but knocked out by Manny Pacquiao in May 2009

Hatton Finally Confirms Retirement

Ricky Hatton, Britain's former two-weight world champion, has announced his retirement from boxing.

The 32-year-old has refused to confirm his retirement since his last fight two years ago when he lost to Manny Pacquaio.

Hatton has been linked with several big-name fighters since, most notably the only two men to beat him – Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr – but he now appears ready to call time on his 14-year professional career.

The Manchester Evening News reported that the Stockport-born fighter will announce his retirement on Thursday afternoon signalling the end of a dramatic career that has seen him achieve success at welterweight and light-welterweight level.

Hatton beat Jon Thaxton to become the British light-welterweight champion in 2000 and went on to dominate the division, with his most notable victory at that weight coming in 2005 against the IBF champion Kostya Tszyu.

Hatton then beat Carlos Maussa before moving up to welterweight where he defeated Luis Collazo to claim the WBA world title.

Rapidly earning a reputation as one of Britain's most popular sportsmen, Hatton went on to challenge Mayweather in Las Vegas. Billed as the defining fight of his career, watched by millions around the world, Hatton failed to take the American's WBC welterweight title after being knocked out in the 10th round.

Undeterred by his first loss in boxing, Hatton returned to winning ways with victories over Juan Lazcano and Paulie Malignaggi before calling out Pacquiao.

The two met at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas in May 2009, when Hatton was knocked out cold in the second round to leave the Mancunian with a 45-2, 32KOs record.