Ricky Hatton has expressed anger and disappointment over Scott Quigg’s defection to rival British promoter Eddie Hearn and revealed the unbeaten junior featherweight contender snubbed an offer to fight in America under Golden Boy Promotions.

Englishman Quigg, 24, ended his long-time association with Hatton Promotions last month when he became the latest big name in British boxing to link up with Hearn’s Matchroom stable.

Hatton admits he could take legal action against Quigg (25-0-1, 18 knockouts), having helped mastermind his rise up the ladder. But the former junior welterweight champ believes it would be a costly exercise and a pointless one given Quigg’s decision to turn his back on the opportunity to showcase his talents in the States.

In a stinging lengthy statement released to the media on Thursday, Hatton let rip at what he sees as nothing short of betrayal by a fighter in whom he had invested so heavily, while questioning why Quigg, THE RING’s No. 4-rated 122 pounder, would choose to ignore advise from Golden Boy supremos Richard Schaefer and Oscar De La Hoya.

“In a last ditch effort to reassure Scott of his future, Richard Schaefer and Oscar De la Hoya agreed to do a conference call along with myself and Scott to advise him on what was the best way forward for his boxing career and what we could do for him,” said the ever-popular  fighter-turned promoter from Manchester. 

“When Scott was offered this chance he told Hatton Promotions that he’d already made up my mind up. He wanted to leave. At this stage I resigned myself to the fact that was it, Scott wanted to go.”

Hatton also added that Quigg had sidestepped an all-British showdown with rising Northern Ireland contender Carl Frampton. Ironcially, Frampton, managed by Barry McGuigan, recently severed ties with Matchroom, signing with Frank Warren and Box Nation.

“Scott was asked what he thought of a fight with Carl Frampton,” he said. “I was prepared to work on putting together an opportunity in relation to this. Scott said he felt he was 12 months off that fight.”