The Hitman

By Aiden McLaughlin

“A friend, a mentor, a warrior.”

 

The words of former, fellow boxing world champion Amir Khan overnight after the news came through that Ricky Hatton has been found dead at his home in Greater Manchester.

 

In the early 2000’s, British boxing was riding a wave of success. On the back of a golden generation of middleweight/super-middleweight boxers, like Nigel Benn and Chris Eubank, plus Canadian turned Brit Lennox Lewis who was ruling the heavyweight scene, Hatton was an up and coming excitement machine in the light-welterweight division, whose busy, relentless fighting style and everyman appeal out of the ring saw him gather a loyal and huge following amongst not just boxing fans, but a wider audience.

 

American boxing legend Thomas Hearns may have been the most famous fighter to be nicknamed ‘The Hitman’ but Hatton would go on to do the undoubted reference justice. After building up an impressive 38-0 win/loss record, Hatton got his big chance at the age of 26, when he fought Australian legend Kostya Tszyu. Tszyu had been world champion for over a decade and was a huge favourite against the Mancunian.

 

But roared on by 22,000 fans at the Manchester Arena, Hatton reached the peak of his boxing journey, winning by technical knockout when the champion failed to leave his stool for the twelfth and final round, a defeat that sent Tszyu into retirement.

 

Over the next four years, Hatton would go on to have a 45-2 record, with those defeats coming against legends Floyd Mayweather Jr and Manny Pacquiao, both being mega-fights at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. After retiring following the defeat to Pacquiao, a further defeat followed three years later in a one-off comeback attempt. 

 

A huge Manchester City fan, Hatton was loved by both the red and blue sides of Manchester as well as people throughout the country. Those visits to Las Vegas would see tens of thousands of his supporters make the trip over to watch him in person.

 

His appeal wasn’t just his boxing achievements, but his down to earth personality, and his plain, simple living away from the sport. He was well known for his ballooning weight in-between fights, loving nothing more than going down to the local pub for a few pints of Guinness and cooking up a full English breakfast.  It was all business when it was time to get back into camp though, with Hatton’s dedication there for all to see, although the yo-yo lifestyle would eventually take its toll on his performance in the ring.

 

His mental struggles were well known. He had fallings out with trainers, parents, girlfriends, but the public always backed him. Finding his way outside of fighting was tough for Hatton; he tried being a promoter. He followed the reality tv route than many retired sportspeople try. But his depression always remained and although his cause of death at the age of 46 is yet to be confirmed, it seems certain that he is yet another person to sadly have taken their own life. 

 

Hatton would enter the boxing ring to the Manchester City anthem Blue Moon

 

 

and the club held a minute’s appreciation before their derby against Manchester United overnight. 

 

In a city that is divided along footballing lines, it was the perfect fixture, the perfect way to honour Hatton on the saddest of days.