THERE WAS ONLY ONE
of the people, a man with world title belts, fame and riches, who never, ever forgot his roots. Ever. He was one of us. That was reflected in the many, many tributes to his life in the days that followed. Not surprising, either. It always gladdened your heart to see Ricky, during his prime years and after his career, to be with him, to be around him. Funny man. Always making you laugh. Ready, always, to have a pint with you; regale you with stories; make you roar with laughter. And grin at you, delighted that he was entertaining you. Ricky Hatton reached fame and fortune as a brilliant fighter meeting the pound-for-pound leaders of his day. One night against Kostya Tszyu in Manchester propelled the “little lad from a council estate” (as Hatton often referred to himself, self-effacingly) to an American journey at a time when it was a prerequisite to being “great,” to cross The Pond and conquer the U.S. market. After being perfectly promoted by Frank Warren in the U.K., he traversed the Atlantic under promoter Dennis Hobson, accompanied by trainer Billy Graham, strength and conditioner Kerry Kayes and an ever-growing multitude of frenzied fans. They loved the ex-carpet fitter’s fighting style (his father, Ray, said Ricky was so poor as a fitter that it was a good thing he could box), and they loved drinking with Hatton afterward. And how Ricky indulged them, being among them. Hatton, whose pallid face cut and marked easily, had earned his stripes in the U.K. Known variously as The Hitman, The Manchester Mexican, The Pride of Hyde, Ricky “Fatton” and eventually The People’s Champion, Hatton won the vacant British title against Jon Thaxton in October 2000, overcoming a bad cut over his left eye in the opening round to win on points. Three years earlier, Hatton had made his professional debut against Colin McAuley in the prosaic setting of Kingsway Leisure Centre in Widnes. I was there that night, having been told by Warren that he had a rising star on
his hands. Hatton won by a technical knockout in the first round. His second fight signaled bigger times ahead when he boxed at Madison Square Garden on the undercard of that thriller between Prince Naseem Hamed and Kevin Kelley. Ricky made the lesser World Boxing Union belt his own with a stoppage of Tony Pep in the fourth round, then made 15 defenses with notable performances against Eamonn Magee, having been put down early in the fight, and later Ben Tackie and Ray Oliveira. By then, with 38 fights undefeated and seven years as a professional under his belt, Hatton was matched against dangerous puncher and top five pound-for-pound fighter Tszyu, a naturalized Australian from Russia who was the decided favorite. It was to be a halcyon moment. For Hatton, for Manchester, and for British boxing. On June 5, 2005, on one of the greatest nights in modern British boxing history, Hatton defeated Tszyu, the Ring/ IBF junior welterweight champion, by TKO. After relentless attacks, the Australian retired on his stool before the 12th round began. Ricky later told me that it was his “Everest,” and it propelled him to widespread acclaim. He sold out venues again and again. Every time, Ricky’s presence turned it into a boxing festival, a great
celebration. All because the fans loved him. What followed the Tszyu triumph were huge nights in the USA – in Las Vegas, a quintet of contests, including famous fight weeks leading to Mayweather and Pacquiao. It made Ricky a modern icon in British boxing, with those grunting body shots, a relentless machine in the ring. But outside the ring, Ricky did not have a bad bone in his body, and he never lost the common touch. The memories of Hatton are deep and intense. There was always access. He brought celebrity into his fight nights: the footballer Wayne Rooney, Liam and Noel Gallagher (front men of Oasis), who all carried Hatton’s belts on the night he landed the perfect body punch against Jose Luis Castillo in Sin City. The stars became Ricky’s mates. As did so many boxers. He truly inspired a generation. There was a beautiful tribute from Roberto Duran, Ricky’s hero: “My dear Ricky Hatton, it pains me deeply to learn of your passing. You were always a gentleman and a great person. I enjoyed all your fights, and I remember as if it were yesterday the day I welcomed you at the Panama airport and took you everywhere,” Duran wrote. “I will remember those moments, your
Mxrtinzz nxils formzr four-wzight titlzholdzr Kxzuto Iokx. Before getting into his outstanding, decorated career at junior welterweight and welterweight across 48 fights, the importance of the man himself resonates just as powerfully. This was a man the world. A journey toward greatness. We were all devastated to learn that Ricky had died alone, at home. But Ricky Hatton will never walk alone. “Blue Moon” – his walkout song and the anthem of his beloved Manchester City – and his legions of supporters will always be there with him, in spirit, in the bars, and chanting his name. Just as they did, memorably, singing his name along the Las Vegas Strip, even after Hatton had lost to Floyd Mayweather Jr. in 2007 and Manny Pacquiao in 2009. They sang “There’s only one Ricky Hatton” and of the “Hatton Wonderland.” And it is fair to say that no one else comes close in popularity or adoration from the British boxing community in the last half-century. Ricky is arguably the most popular boxer Britain has ever had. So many of us felt as if we had lost a best friend Sunday, September 14, upon learning of Ricky’s tragic passing. Millions of us. That’s what Ricky, the one and only Ricky Hatton, made you feel like. He made everyone he knew feel special.
RICKY HATTON WILL FOREVER BE REMEMBERED AS THE
QUINTESSENTIAL PEOPLE’S CHAMPION WHO FOUGHT AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL WHILE NEVER ABANDONING HIS ROOTS By Gareth A Davies T he people’s champion, Ricky Hatton, the fighter and the consummate entertainer, entered into his eternal second too early at the age of 46, leaving memories and sadness for millions of fans and an enormous legacy as a sports star of British society. Gone is Ricky, leaving the echoes of chants from great nights, leaving memories of friendships as much as the fights, as much as the fight weeks, the endless stories and the famous drinking sessions afterward. It encompassed so many features, Hatton’s journey across
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