More than a decade has passed since Ricky Hatton stepped into the ring with Floyd Mayweather in what is remembered as one of the American’s toughest tests in his boxing career.

Mayweather retained his WBC, The Ring and lineal welterweight titles with a win via TKO in the 10th round but he woke up the following morning with plenty of bruises.

"Ricky Hatton is probably one of toughest competitors I've faced,” Mayweather admitted after the fight, which took place in Las Vegas on December 8, 2007.

“I hit him with some big ones but he kept coming and I can see why they call him the 'Hitman'."

It was a moment in Hatton’s career that he will never forget, with thousands of British fans supporting him at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

Yet he reflects on the bout with a tinge of regret about some of referee Joe Cortez’s decisions.

Cortez deducted Hatton a point in the sixth round after he appeared to hit Mayweather on the back of the head while the American was rested between the ropes.

Some boxing fans believe Hatton remains bitter

After the contest, Hatton complained that Mayweather got away with many fouls. “I don’t want to sound like a broken record going on,” he said. “But, let’s be honest, the ref was poor. It’s his fault, not Floyd’s.”

Has Hatton forgotten how his dream of inflicting the first defeat on Mayweather’s record was taken away from him?

Absolutely not.

The 39-year-old reminisced about the fight in an interview with iFL TV on Thursday night, and it’s hard not to get a sense that he remains rather bitter.

Hatton: 'I’d like another crack at that d***head'

When asked who would he like to fight if he made a sensational return to boxing, Hatton replied: “Obviously Mayweather would probably be the one, he was certainly one of the best of all-time, he was the best pound-for-pound.

“He’s the best so I’d like to fight the best.

“I thought I was a little hard done by last time. It’s not sour grapes and he may have still beat me even if we had a different referee but that’s what ate me up.

“I’m not saying I would have beat him anyway but I’d like another crack at that d***head, yeah!”

Is he still bitter? Some believe so. The recurring message is: Get over it.

To his credit, Hatton has heaped praise on Mayweather since their contest, calling him a "genius" inside the ring.

"After every single fight I've had, it was the only fight where I've sat in the changing rooms, bit down and thought to myself 'wow, he was good'," Hatton told ESPN last year.

"Just his defence, his movement and just how clever he was.

"He knew when to put his foot on the gas a little bit, when to soak it up a little bit, let me blow myself out, let the storm blow itself out a bit and then put his foot on the gas.

"I would go as far and say a genius, absolutely great."