Boxer Ricky Hatton has settled a £1.4m claim for unpaid wages from his former trainer. The ex-light welterweight world boxing champion was being sued by Billy Graham for money he claimed he was owed after being sacked in 2008. Both parties reached an undisclosed but "mutually acceptable" deal on the third day of a hearing at Manchester's Civil Justice Centre. The 32-year-old, who was made an MBE in 2007, has not fought since May 2009. Mr Graham had accused the Manchester boxer of failing to pay him in relation to two fights, against Juan Lazcano and Floyd Mayweather. After the outcome, Mr Graham said that he was happy with the outcome and was keen to move on with his life. The Manchester boxer beat Tony Pep to win the WBU light-welterweight title in May 2001 and added the IBF crown by memorably stopping champion Kostya Tszyu in 2005. Continue reading the main story Start Quote It was Ricky who I trusted. I always thought his dad would short-change me End Quote Billy Graham He successfully moved up to welterweight, taking the WBA crown, but was outclassed by Mayweather in December 2007 before being floored three times inside two rounds by Pacquiao 18 months later. Mr Graham, 53, told the hearing that he had always received 10% of the purse in Hatton's fights. He claimed he was not paid at all for Mr Hatton's fight against Juan Lazcano at the City of Manchester Stadium in May 2008, and that he was owed money for the clash with Mayweather in Las Vegas in December 2007. He accused the fighter's father Ray Hatton of short-changing him by getting him to sign an agreement for a fixed amount of just over £451,000 - despite a total purse for the Mayweather fight alone of more than £10m, after lucrative pay-per-view deals in both the US and the UK. The court heard Mr Graham was Mr Hatton's trainer between 1997 and 2008 covering 45 fights, 22 of which were world title contests. Billy Graham Billy Graham trained Ricky Hatton for 11 years When the boxer was asked what he thought of Mr Graham, he said: "We were just totally on the same wavelength when it came to boxing." But Mr Graham's barrister brought up a £30m counter-claim which he said Mr Hatton was pursuing against Mr Graham following accusations of a poor training camp. Mr Hatton said he was unaware of the counter-claim and that his father dealt with financial issues. Earlier Mr Graham said: "It was Ricky who I trusted. I always thought his dad would short-change me." A joint statement released after the hearing said: "Billy Graham, Ricky Hatton and Punch Promotions Ltd have today agreed to put their differences behind them and have ended the court proceedings on mutually acceptable terms. "Those terms shall remain confidential to the parties."
They nearly always settle out of court once opposing briefs have gleamed a pile of ££££££££££ out of both party's. Ray Hatton was attempting to do a Warren & litigate graham into bankruptcy but it just goes too show what a shower of **** that family are. What proberbly went down here was something like the £450K to show the taxman & the rest paid on the QT but ray bumped him. Now we'll never know, but these sort of stupid vindictive actions end up costing them a pile more & open up a whole can of worms that they'd rather remain buried, as if this case had proceded then a full financial forensic investigation may have been ordered. Hatton would have had too pick up grahams legal tab for sure & that would have been monster. As a good barrister friend of mine once told me, NEVER EVER FIND YOURSELF AT THE MERCY OF THE COURT as this is the last place you'll ever get what can be perceived as a fair & just conclusion in what seems too most as the blindingly obvious. We employ dickension justice according to our own set of rules!
ray should of put some carpet down for ricky against pbf and pac......maybe ricky wouldnt be a ****ing ****** now. lost all respect for hatton now, you wouldnt even be a boxer at the level u were if it wasnt for the preacher you ****ing scummy judas ****.
Saw Ricky yesterday morning and he looked nervy pacing the reception area ... his dad was just arriving ...
