Ricky Hatton struggled to understand what had happened immediately after his defeat to Floyd Mayweather.
But a little later, as he sat in the after-fight party and sipped his drink he winked and said, "Well, you win some you lose some. Or in my case you win 43 and lose one. Sod it, the Fat Man will return."
It was classic Hatton and typical of the man's attitude to life.
He had slipped back into the relatively spartan routine in Las Vegas that had underpinned his victory over Jose Luis Castillo back in June.
Along with his brother Matthew and friend and stable mate Matthew Macklin, Hatton moved into the same house in the Summerlin suburb of Vegas, around six miles from the glitz, glamour and temptations of The Strip. Out went the diet of burgers, chips and Guinness and in came freshly prepared meals of steamed fish, chicken and pasta cooked by the same Vegas hotel chef, hired for Û15,000.
Hatton did try to slip in an order for black pudding at one point, but was thwarted by his chef's blank looks.
And when his mate Macklin rolled in at 2am a week before the fight he was greeted with a bucket of ice water wielded by The Hitman. Hatton blasted: "You won't ever do that again, will ya? If I can't drink you can't drink, and I'm gagging for it mate."
When his girlfriend Jennifer Dooley arrived two days before the fight she was only allowed to visit the boxer for half-an-hour. "Any longer and I'd have got my leg over,"
Ricky explained.
Hatton said living at the house was like being "banged up in Strangeways Prison".
For a lad from Hattersley who likes to party, only the lure of Mayweather's welterweight crown could have had him tucked up in bed by 10pm after a day mostly spent relaxing between spells of exercise.
It can never be all work and no play for Ricky Hatton and he was laughing with excitement when he managed to buy a swivelling, singing head of Elvis for a few dollars.
A slightly more expensive purchase was an official leather fight-night jacket. Asked why he'd stumped up Û375 when he could get one free from the promoters, Hatton said: "I don't want nothing for free. I work hard for what I get and I pay for stuff, right!"
It was a similar story when he finally decided to shoot some craps at the MGM. Despite his face being emblazoned all over the casino the croupier asked innocently, "So, sir, are we here for the big fight?"
"Yeah, I'll have the best view in the area," replied Hatton. Only then did the poor man recognise him. In a fluster he apologised and said he'd get the manager to take Hatton to the VIP lounge.
"You're all right pal," Ricky replied, "I don't do VIP really."
It's the sort of down-to-earth attitude that endeared Hatton to fans in this country and in the States
And it's in the genes. When Brad Pitt visited Hatton in his changing room before the fight and claimed to have always been a big fan, Hatton's uncle Jed turned to his mates and said, "That's funny because I haven't seen him much around Wythenshawe!"
Hatton may have lost the fight but he won an army of admirers - and he will be back.
Ricky ready for a well-earned break
Ricky Hatton's family are planning a January break as the Hitman licks his wounds.
Mum Carol said: "We're going to have a nice Christmas at home. He's going to Tenerife in a couple of weeks and we're all going on holiday in January."
Carol, who took in every punishing blow as her son lost to Floyd Mayweather in Las Vegas, said Ricky was "in fine spirits". Certainly last weekend's defeat hasn't undermined his love of boxing - Ricky headed north to Scotland for the weekend to take in the Steven Foster-Alex Arthur title fight in Edinburgh.
Mum Carol added: "Ricky's friends with Steve and Alex. He'll be up there until Sunday evening.
"After that I think it's feet-up time!"
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JONATHAN PEARCE
ALEC STEWART
THE MOLE