Ten years ago, Ricky Hatton propelled himself towards global stardom with victory over Kostya Tszyu, then the world’s No 2-ranked pound-for-pound boxer. In a vicious battle, the Siberian ironman quit on his stool after 10 rounds of breathtaking assaults from Hatton, who was a huge underdog on the night.
It was the moment American boxing writers dubbed Hatton as ‘The Manchester Mexican’ for his exciting, come-forward style.
? Ricky Hatton’s five defining fights
Hatton, speaking exclusively to The Daily Telegraph, looks back on it now as his crowning moment in the ring, although he later became more famous for his sojourn against the best in the world, including Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao, in Las Vegas rings.
But on that night a decade ago, fighting at the MEN Arena, the home venue for the adoring fans following the little blue-collar lad from Hyde, the gathering erupted as ‘Hitman’ Hatton secured the IBF 140lb title.
“I’m absolutely flabbergasted to think it’s been 10 years. I tell the boys in the gym that their career will come and go so fast,” explained Hatton, now 38 and trainer and promoter to a group of fighters. “That 10-year anniversary just goes to prove it because it’s gone so, so fast. It’s unbelievable.”
Recalling the build-up and the fight, Hatton believes it was his greatest moment, and deep within himself, admitted that he was never as motivated again. Everything was right for that fight. In spite of the pressure on Hatton, he had even played in a local pub darts league 48 hours before the contest.
“Once you had achieved Mount Everest, you have to really try and psyche yourself up to get going again. I achieved Everest with that Tszyu fight and then it was Maussa for my second world title, Collazo, Urango and so on. You have to psyche yourself up that little bit more to get out of bed in the morning.”
Hatton celebrating his victory over Tszyu
“I trained harder than I’d ever done and there were no corners cut. But the hunger I had before the Tszyu fight wasn’t the same before the Mayweather fight. It was just different. You can’t put your finger on what it is. You feel comfortable. If you feel comfortable, what do you do? You sit in your arm chair and relax. I’d reached a stage of comfort. By the time of the Mayweather fight, I was Ricky Fatton. I’d been going up and down in weight since I was 18. My body had been through it. I had a lot of defences of the WBU title and maybe it all took its toll. I certainly didn’t feel fresh.
“Kostya Tszyu was universally recognised as the undisputed champion at 140lbs. Oscar De La Hoya described him as a knockout machine and he was. He was such a spiteful, horrible puncher. He fought for the knockout. That was his style.
“We only boxed for the IBF title, but he never lost the other two. He vacated them. He was one of the best light welterweights of all-time.
Hatton was beaten by Floyd Mayweather
“It’s not often a fighter like that comes to Britain, let alone Manchester to fight a Mancunian. It was in my hometown in front of 20,000 and the the fight was absolute war. If I’d have knocked Kostya out it wouldn’t have been any better than him quitting on his stool. For someone like that to stop on his stool said a lot. He’s not a quitter, he just had had enough. He didn’t want any more.”
Hatton had been a huge underdog, because of his style. But he was confident, after 15 defences of the lesser WBU crown, that he could do a number on Tszyu.
“They were talking about it being one of the biggest wins in a British ring if I’d managed to pull it off,” he said. “I was a massive underdog. I think I started at about 6/1. He was such a formidable champion. When you look at my style, very aggressive and attack-minded, and Kostya’s style, with that horrendously powerful right hand, you thought, style-wise, that wasn’t really the world title we should be going for. I think that’s what Frank was thinking. But I never shied away from a challenge. I wanted to be the best and Kostya Tszyu was the best in the division. I wanted to be the best 10-stone fighter in the world. That’s what me and my trainer Billy Graham wanted from day one. He was the best and not only was he the best he happened to be No 2 pound-for-pound in the world.”
Tszyu (right) was ranked No 2 pound-for-pound in the world when he fought Hatton
In spite of the nerves, Hatton had the one advantage. Absolute belief in himself, an unbeaten record, and the comfort of being at home. “I was very, very nervous. Who wouldn’t be? But I was also extremely confident. And when I look back at my career, my 15 defences of the WBU title – I think Frank Warren did an exceptional job of bringing me through. I ticked every box along the way. I had fights where I was cut, I had fights where I’d been cut and given one more round to finish my opponent. I’d suffered knockdowns against Eamonn Magee. I fought guys on the fringe of world-class like the Oliveiras, the Tackies, the Phillipses. I don’t think my preparation could have been better.
“Even early on in my career I boxed at Madison Square Garden as a youngster, as well as Atlantic City and Detroit. By the time I got the Tszyu fight, I’d boxed some decent opponents, had loads of tough fights and had had some ups and downs. Nothing that Kostya could have done to me would have been a shock. I had all that experience from my previous fights. I don’t think I could’ve been better prepared. I was massively confident even though nobody ? and I mean nobody ? gave me a chance.”
Everything seemed right for Hatton in the build-up. There were no injuries, and he even luxuriated in home comforts. “The timing was perfect. I couldn’t have been any sharper for that fight. I was red hot that night. I stayed at home the night before the fight. I liked to be surrounded by my mates, by my family. The week of the fight I was in the pub playing darts and pool. I was still playing darts on the Thursday for the team I played for. They were saying, Ricky shouldn’t your mind be on the fight? Trust me, my mind was on the fight, but it helped me relax. Everyone’s different…”
By the time of the Mayweather fight, Hatton was known as ‘Ricky Fatton’
In the dressing room, and as Hatton and trainer Graham walked to the ring, they talked again and again of how Hatton had been written off by the critics. “What fuelled me was the fact that nobody gave me a chance. Everybody was picking him in one round, two rounds, three rounds, and me not to see halfway. They thought with my reckless defence that I would march right onto a right hand and that would be it. That infuriated me. So many people were picking him. That’s why I was so pumped up when I got in there. I had no problem getting myself pumped up, but I had a bit of an extra incentive that night.”
The contest itself was relentless, a paean to the brutal artistry Hatton espoused. “I think I broke his heart. Not in the sense that I took everything he hit me with ? he hit me with the same right hands he’d used to knock out previous opponents ? but more in the sense that when he tried to bully me, he got some back. When he tried to hit me low, he got it back straight away. He got it back tenfold. It was a build up of everything. In close I was able to maul him and push him around and take that right hand away. If he hit me on the back of the head, I’d do the same to him. I don’t think he expected that because he’d had so many clean wins with that right hand. I beat him at his own game. He’s a monster, Kostya Tszyu, and I monstered him that night.”
It was around 2am when the fight ended, with Hatton’s name ringing out in the streets of Manchester as the folk hero gained a new status.
“It was arguably Manchester’s best boxing night. The fans loved me before that fight but then they realised I could go over to America and beat the best ? that’s when they really got behind me. He quit on his stool as if to say ‘no more’. It couldn’t have finished better if I’d hit him with a left hook and knocked him out. For a champion as respected as Tszyu ? one of the best light welterweights of all time ? to quit on his stool and say ‘no more’ was the best ending possible.”
Hatton on Prince Naseem Hamed’s Hall of Fame induction:
“I’m absolutely delighted for him. I think it’s long overdue, to be honest. If you think how exciting he was for boxing, the fan base he had ? love him or hate him ? his style, I think he’s one of the best British boxers we’ve ever had. I know he fought Barrera and got beat and then disappeared off the face of the Earth, and that was a little disappointing for me as a Naseem Hamed fan, but at the end of the day he’s entitled to do that. Marvin Hagler, one of the greatest middleweights of all time, got beat by Leonard and we never saw him again. But we have to look at the fights they won, the things they did in the past and vote them on merit. Naseem Hamed’s induction is long overdue.”
Hatton on the Khan/ Brook/ Mayweather match-ups:
“The fight against Algieri was seen as a fight Khan should pass with flying colours. There was no doubting the decision, but he didn’t look great. If he was going to get the fight with Floyd Mayweather, that’s got to be his shop window. He didn’t quite get it after great performances against Luis Collazo and Devon Alexander last year. I’m not sure he’ll get the Mayweather fight. I hope I’m wrong, he’s going to hang on because he wants to fight the best, and I don’t blame him for hanging on. If it doesn’t happen with Mayweather, one of the biggest fights out there is Kell Brook and Amir Khan. It could do 80,000 at Wembley. It’s not a just financial thing but the reputation of the two men, and their rivalry could build a legacy fight like Benn and Eubank. We’re lucky to have another brilliant rivalry.”
