The Boxing world was hit with a significant blow on Sunday, September 14th when it was revealed that former two-division world champion and Hall of Famer Ricky Hatton had passed away at the age of 46. For those who followed the Jr. Welterweight and Welterweight divisions in the late 1990s and early 2000s, it was hard to not notice and like a fighter like Ricky Hatton.
A fighter with an aggressive, yet tactical style with an emphasis on applying constant pressure and often overwhelming his opponents with volume punching, it did not take long for Hatton to not only make a name for himself, but also develop a fan following that was truly unique. In an era that predated the advent of global digital streaming that we all enjoy today, this observer first became aware of Hatton thanks to the now defunct ShoBox: The New Generation Boxing series that was a cornerstone of United States premium cable network Showtime for many years before the network opted to exit the sport and shutter its sports division at the end of 2023.
It was on the ShoBox series, which was developed to be and quickly became a proving ground for prospects on the rise, however, that Hatton was able to make his presence known to American Boxing fans. It was during this period, which was around the same time as the legendary trilogy of fights between Arturo Gatti and Micky Ward, that Hatton impressed me as having a similar style as those legends, a come forward fighter that did not take a backwards step and was more than willing to walk through whatever an opponent was able to dish out. After watching his fight against Eamonn Magee in 2002, my first time seeing Hatton in action, a fight that he won in an eighth round stoppage, I immediately began dreaming up a scenario where Hatton would potentially face either Ward or Gatti seeing as not only all three having similar styles, but also all three coincidentally being in the same 140lb. Jr. Welterweight division. As mouth watering as those potential fights were, unfortunately they were not to be as Ward retired after the conclusion of the three fights with Gatti, and Gatti though going onto win a world title in the division chose to go in a different direction in the final years of his career rather than face a fighter like Hatton.
Hatton would prove to be the fighter that would become the central figure of the Jr. Welterweight division a few years later. It was on June 4, 2005 before a sold out crowd at the M.E.N Arena in Manchester, England, Hatton’s hometown, where the unbeaten star, who was viewed as an underdog, forced the legendary longtime Jr. Welterweight world champion Kostya Tszyu into quitting on his stool prior to the twelfth and final round of a grueling back and forth battle, which were the type of fights that Hatton specialized in.
As one who covered that fight for a now defunct outlet twenty years ago, I remember how those I spoke about the fight with did not view it with much interest, primarily with regard to the casual sports fan here in the United States. From my perspective, as great a fighter as Kostya Tszyu had proven to be throughout his career, he was at a point going into that fight where both injuries and inactivity seemed to be catching up with him and I openly questioned whether or not at that stage, he could physically deal with a younger, more aggressive fighter who set a non-stop pace. It would be that pace that broke the great champion down not just into retiring on his stool, but retiring from the sport as well. What I will always remember about that fight other than how classy Tszyu was in defeat was essentially passing the torch to Hatton as the number one fighter in the Jr. Welterweight division, but the eruption of the crowd in attendance when the fight was stopped in what was an emotional scene as Hatton, who won the IBF and Ring Magazine World Jr. Welterweight titles from Tszyu, celebrated his triumph with his corner and his family who were sitting ringside. It truly gave one an appreciation for the atmosphere that can be felt in combat sports and remains one of my favorite fights that I have covered in my 30 years writing about combat sports with Boxing as my primary sport.
The atmosphere that made a Ricky Hatton fight unique was not just the energy in knowing that regardless of who he was fighting, it would likely be fan-friendly, but Hatton’s following, which would eventually follow him here to the United States in the thousands for his fights here, would often include a band that would play and chant “There's Only One Ricky Hatton!" not just before a fight,but during the entire pre-fight build up, during the undercard bouts and finally during his bout. A uniqueness that I cannot recall seeing before I began covering Hatton’s fights or since. Perhaps what drew fans in beyond an entertaining crowd pleasing style was Hatton, was also one of the most classy individuals in the entire sport and the friendly demeanor he had along with that class was very endearing and in my view, a throwback to many of the great fighters of previous eras in the way he represented the sport.
Despite a lengthy reign atop the Jr. Welterweight division in which he fought and defeated several of the top fighters of his era, Hatton will be remembered by some for being on the losing end of two fights in which he came up against the best pound for pound fighters of his era in Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao, despite being stopped by both, it did not diminish a Hall of Fame career where he also went on to win a world title in the Welterweight division as well.
It would be those losses, however, that would send Hatton into a three year retirement in which he struggled with his mental health. A subject that in addition to other struggles he faced outside the ring, he spoke openly about.In what would prove to be his final fight in November 2012, Hatton put forth a valiant effort in losing via stoppage to former Welterweight world champion Vyacheslav Senchenko, bringing an illustrious career to a close having only lost three of forty-eight professional fights with thirty-two knockouts registering a career knockout percentage of over 71%.
Earlier this year when I was informed that Hatton would be looking to get in the ring one more time, I was naturally curious, but at the same time not surprised because there have been many fighters that have reentered the sport in recent years, and, despite how long it had been since he last competed, I was nonetheless intrigued, as I was always appreciative of that relentless pressure style, that had an emphasis on both attacking an opponent's body as well as volume punching. Unfortunately, it was not meant to be. As disappointing as the prospect of a comeback that will not happen might be for some fans, the loss of not only a great fighter and champion, but also a man who was a credit to a sport that needs to be represented well hurts even more.
I join the rest of the Boxing community in mourning the loss of Ricky “Hitman" Hatton. There truly was only one. God bless you.
“And That's The Boxing Truth."
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