James and Ricky
When Ricky Hatton was beaten on points by Floyd Mayweather Jnr, in Las Vegas, last December, many critics said it was time to throw in the towel and retire. Hatton said no. When he scraped a win on points over Juan Lazcano in May of this year, many said he was past his best. Hatton, unsurprisingly disagreed.
Then, having hired Floyd Mayweather Snr as his trainer, 'The Hitman' returned to the MGM Grand in Las Vegas and wowed spectators and pundits alike with a thrilling eleventh round victory over Paul Malignaggi. This win proved the doubters wrong and has led many to state that Hatton is back to his best.
As I peered over the hoards of people who had assembled, to get a glimpse of Ricky Hatton, at the launch of his autobiography, I wondered what the man at the centre of all the fuss thought of the attention.
After all this isn’t something your average lad from the Hattersley council estate, in Hyde, or any other lad, from any other place, for that matter, is likely to experience. The signing was only supposed to last an hour, but Ricky was adamant he would sign for every fan that had come to see him.
People of all ages, races, backgrounds and sexes had congregated from all around the country for a squiggle that apparently read Ricky Hatton ‘Hitman’. Two long hours past and the crowds of people who had come to see their hero were finally ushered out of the busy book store on London’s Oxford Street, by the burly security men.
But instead of going home, many opted to stay, singing a catalogue of songs, including ‘Blue Moon’ and ‘Hatton Wonderland’ that are synonymous with the pint-sized boxer, on fight night, outside the front of the building, on the busy shopping street. This was something ‘The Hitman’ clearly enjoyed, and took enormous pride from. With his baseball cap pulled over his thick eyebrows, covering much of his face, he began to jump around, firing jabs into the air. He evidently worships his fans, as much as they worship him.
As I made my way over to the man who is as well known for his hard-drinking lifestyle out of the ring, as his boxing in it, he put out his cut and bruised drinking hand saying, “Your hands are soft. Can’t be a boxer.” To which we shared a mutual grin. Despite his publicist wanting the interview to be conducted in one of the many back rooms, Rick, as he wanted to be called, decided he would rather wonder around the cd section as we chatted. As soon as the shop floor was cleared we made our way passed the menacing security, towards the music section. “Can you see any Oasis?”, he asked.
Reflecting on what he had seen, and heard, during the course of the afternoon, the people’s champion looked up and smiled. The steely glare that is so prominent during his weigh-ins was replaced by a look of almost childlike excitement, that made his face come alive. He explains, “I feel no different to the man in the crowd, but it’s nice to reward them. I don’t think there’s ever been a British boxer with a fan-base like mine.”
There is no question, he is a talented fighter, but it is his character as much as his skill that has made him one of the most loved of all the British boxers, followed by Hollywood stars and adored by the likes of David Beckham and the Gallagher brothers. “A lot of fighters shut themselves away. I’m not like that,” he said. “As long as they’re not getting in the way of my training, anybody, who wants, can come to the gym, especially those from my local area. I like to think I’ve done the area proud, and people shouldn’t be excluded, especially kids.”
Despite his fame, wealth, and superstar status he still likes to drink a pint, or two, of Guinness and play darts at the New Inn, the pub his parents once owned, on a Thursday night, with his legion of fans, who he now refers to as “my friends”.
This part of his lifestyle, however, is often criticised. In between fights, Ricky has seen his weight balloon to an astonishing 180lb, 40 over what it should be. Often only making the weight he needs to weeks before the fight. This has resulted in his fans jokingly renaming him ‘Ricky Fatton’, which the affable boxer likes to play along to, opting to wear a fat suit into the ring. “I’ll still go down the pub with the lads, and eat my fry ups. That will never, ever change. That’s me, and that’s what makes me who I am. I like to let my hair down. I know I do it a bit more and a bit heavier than most, but if I only had to lose 3lb before a fight I’d probably go out drinking the week before anyway.”
Still wondering through the music section, Ricks attention is drawn to a C.D called ‘Footie Anthems’, which immediately brings us on to his love of Manchester City, the club for which his father and grandfather both played, and the team he supported as boy. He, too, might have been a footballer, as he was on City’s books as a teenager, but he was a better boxer. “A lot of people like watching football, but I’m a die-hard. When City get beat on a Saturday, that’s my weekend ruined,” he said. “When we play United, I’m just as much up for that as for my fights.”
‘The Hitman’, who has come from the heart of working-class England and represented his community with intelligence, humour and decency continued, “I go to as many away games as possible. It’s nice at away games because I stand in the queue, buy a ticket and then sit with the rest of the City fans. People find it strange, you know. I will be in the queue for a pie and Bovril at half-time and fellows will ask, ‘What are you doing here, Ricky?’ But if they knew me personally, they would know I don’t see myself as any different to them.”
This said it all. Success, fame and wealth have not turned his head, nor have they diluted the straightforwardness that has always been his way. It is this sort of attitude which has undoubtedly assisted Hatton in his comeback after the Mayweather defeat and has now, after beating Malignaggi, helped him to restore his reputation as one of the greatest British boxers of all time.
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