Ricky Hatton's lawyer dismisses claims the fighter is on the comeback trail

Ricky Hatton's lawyer Gareth Williams on Tuesday scuppered reports that the fighter was contemplating a comeback, insisting they were "nothing more than conjecture" after sources close to the light-welterweight had revealed the Mancunian was back in training.

Williams, the fighter's lawyer and chief executive officer of Hatton Promotions, the fighter's boxing and clothing promotions company, said on Tuesday that Hatton has been active in the gym, but those sessions "had been mistaken for him being back in training for a fight."

"The fact that he has been reported as getting ready for his next fight is nothing more than conjecture," said Williams.

"Ricky has been in the gym a few times, and he is keeping in shape. Ricky was often criticised for ballooning in weight between fights, but he has been going to the gym purely from a fitness perspective."

It is almost two months to the day since Hatton lost for the first time at light-welterweight, outmuscled and out-punched at 140lbs for the first time in his career by the Filipino phenomenon Manny Pacquiao at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Since then, Hatton has given no public indication of his intention to fight on.

Williams added: "At this time all his energies are focused on Hatton Promotions, which has upcoming shows in Altrincham, Newport and Manchester over the next two months.

"People have seen him going to the gym and have put two and two together and come up with the notion that he is in training for a comeback. That is spurious, because he has talked to no-one and is no discussions whatsoever at this time about another fight.

"I travelled back from a Hatton Promotions show in Portsmouth last weekend with Ricky and we were laughing at reports in the weekend papers that he was making a comeback. They are all nonsense. As and when Ricky Hatton decides about his future, he will make a full public announcement."

There had been reports that Hatton was contemplating a comeback fight in Manchester or Cardiff, with Amir Khan a potential opponent. Khan faces Andreas Kotelnik in Manchester for the World Boxing Association 140lb title on July 18.