Ricky Hatton - Just a Man

I was a boy of just 14 when I first saw Ricky Hatton fight on TV, I had grown up listening to my dad talk of the great Sir Henry Cooper and my older brother go on about the Benn, Eubank, Collins, golden era of British boxing.

As I stared up at the screen watching Hatton demolish the "world class" Tony Pepp (I was not old or cynical enough to see through Sky's and *****'s Bull****) I knew I had found MY hero. Hatton had it all, an all action style, brutal body punching and dizzying lateral movement. I told everyone I met that Ricky Hatton from Manchester was the next big thing in boxing.

It wasn't just his boxing that appealed to me, I also brought massively into his man of the people persona. Here was the kid of the estate here was one of us.

I wasn't alone, Ricky was selling out the MEN for fun regardless of the shite he was fighting and bandwagon gathered moment towards a genuine world title fight (after nearly stalling with about 5 too many WBU defences at the MEN).

I remember the night of the Tszyu I could barely breathe I was so nervous, and I remember buying every single newspaper in the shop on the Monday after it so I could absorb every single report on the night.

After the Tszyu fight he became one of the most recognisable men in sport and it wasn't just me that Idolised him literally almost every lad my age that I knew became fans of the Hitman and there would often be conversations in the Pub about who he would fight next and if he would beat floyd etc.

Personally I was becoming more of an educated boxing fan and was spending less time on the Ricky Hatton Forum and more time looking at boxing in general, on sites such as this and Boxrec.

I had began to have my doubts about Ricky Hatton the Fighter and Ricky Hatton the man long before he lost to Mayweather but I had brought my ticket for the roller coster and was strapped in for the ride.

I remember being at a house party type thing for the Mayweather fight with 20-30 lairy and drunk people and after the KO for about 5 minutes there was total stunned silence. I was like the England football team had lost at penalties. People loved him that much, one lad that was there said it was like watching one of your best mates get beat up.

Since the Mayweather fight its safe to say that his carefully constructed man of the people persona has been shattered. He sacked his trainer and best friend Billy Graham, then allegedly tried to rip him off for his final pay check. He got caught out in a hotel room with strange women and stranger powder. There were story's of him being rude to fans and of fallings out with his family.

Its safe to say that to some extent people like Betty Swollocks were right my Hero wasn't quite the man I believed him to be as a young kid.

But **** it...

As you grow up you get used to that. You find that some of your mates only have your back until there is money or birds involved. You find that your step dad wasn't watching your Sunday League football games because he cared about you, no he was doing it because he wanted to shag your Mum.

People are people and Ricky Hatton is just a man going thorough life, fighting his own demons. I think he knows his life hasn't panned out like he thought it would, and he has made some pretty big mistakes along the way. And Now he is seeking salvation in the one thing he has always done best.

On Saturday night as our sports last true crossover star puts on his armour for one final charge, there will be a corner of Leicester (my flat) that will be forever Hatton (Even if he is a bit of a *****).

War Ricky :happy:happy:happy:happy

 

Thanks lads am buzzing for Saturday! Looking forward to Munroe on the undercard too! :bbb