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Ricky Hatton
MBE
Ricky Hatton 2009.jpg
Hatton in 2009
Statistics
Real name Richard John Hatton
Nickname(s)
  • The Hitman
  • The Manchester Mexican
  • The Pride of Hyde
  • Fatton
Rated at
  • Light-welterweight
  • Welterweight
Height 5 ft 6 in
Reach 65 in
Born (1978-10-06) 6 October 1978 (age 46)
Stockport, England
Stance Orthodox
Boxing record
Total fights 48
Wins 45
Wins by KO 32
Losses 3

Richard John Hatton (born on October 6, 1978) is a British former professional boxer. He competed from 1997 to 2012. After his boxing career, he became a boxing promoter and trainer.

During his time as a boxer, Ricky Hatton won many world championships. He held titles in the light-welterweight division and also one in the welterweight division. In 2005, he was named Fighter of the Year by The Ring magazine, the Boxing Writers Association of America, and ESPN.

In 2000, Hatton won the British light-welterweight title. The next year, he won the World Boxing Union (WBU) title. He defended this title successfully fifteen times between 2001 and 2004. His biggest achievement came in 2005 when he beat Kostya Tszyu. This win earned him the International Boxing Federation (IBF), Ring, and lineal titles. Later that year, he also defeated Carlos Maussa to win the World Boxing Association (WBA) title. This made him a unified light-welterweight world champion.

In 2006, Hatton moved up to the welterweight division. He won a tough fight against WBA champion Luis Collazo, earning a world title in a second weight class. He returned to light-welterweight in 2007. There, he won the IBF title for a second time, along with the International Boxing Organization (IBO) title. Later that year, Hatton faced his first career defeat against Floyd Mayweather Jr.. This was a fight for the World Boxing Council (WBC), Ring, and lineal welterweight titles. In 2009, he lost his IBO, Ring, and lineal light-welterweight titles to Manny Pacquiao.

After a long break, Hatton announced his retirement from boxing in 2011. However, in 2012, he decided to make a comeback. He fought Vyacheslav Senchenko but lost. After this match, Hatton announced his final retirement. He remained retired for 13 years before announcing another comeback in 2025.

Ricky Hatton is known as one of the most popular British boxers ever. His fans would travel in huge numbers to support him. He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2024.

Early Life and Training

Ricky Hatton was born in Stockport, England. He grew up in a pub in Hyde, Greater Manchester. He started training at the Sale West ABC gym. He went to Hattersley High School.

Both his grandfather and father played football for Rochdale. Ricky even had a trial for their youth team. But he found a local boxing club in Hyde and started training there. His entrance music for fights is the Manchester City club song "Blue Moon".

When he was 14, his uncles took him to Manchester United's Old Trafford stadium. They watched a boxing match between Nigel Benn and Chris Eubank. After leaving school, Hatton worked in his family's carpet business. However, after an accident where he cut his fingers, his father made him a salesman to keep him safe.

Amateur Boxing Career

Ricky Hatton had a short amateur career. He won seven British titles. He also represented his country at the 1996 AIBA Youth World Boxing Championships. He was eliminated in the semi-finals, which caused some debate. Four out of five judges thought Hatton won, but the scoring rules meant he lost. It was later found that one judge had taken a bribe. Feeling disappointed with the amateur boxing system, Hatton decided to become a professional boxer at age 18.

He trained at Billy "The Preacher" Graham's gym in Moss Side. Other boxers there included Carl Thompson and Michael Gomez.

Amateur Achievements

  • ABA national junior champion (class C) – light-welterweight (1994)
  • ABA national junior champion (class A) – light-welterweight (1995, 1996)
  • ABA national junior champion (class B) – light-welterweight (1997)
  • ABA national champion – light-welterweight (1997)

Professional Boxing Career

Light-Welterweight Division

Early Fights

Ricky Hatton's first professional fight was on September 11, 1997. He fought Colin McAuley in Widnes and won by a technical knockout (TKO) in the first round. His second fight was at Madison Square Garden in New York. He fought on the same night as the big match between Naseem Hamed and Kevin Kelley. Soon, he was fighting on the undercards of major British boxing events.

In 1999, the British Boxing Writers' Club named Hatton their Young Boxer of the Year. He won his first international title in May 1999. He defeated Dillon Carew for the WBO inter-continental light-welterweight title.

Hatton won his next four fights quickly. Then, he won the WBA Inter-Continental title by beating Giuseppe Lauri. The next month, he fought Jon Thaxton for the vacant British title. Hatton won on points, even though he got a cut above his left eye. This was the first time he had fought for more than six rounds. He had surgery on his eyebrow to prepare for a world title shot. In March 2001, Hatton won the vacant WBU title. He knocked down his opponent, Tony Pep, three times.

Hatton vs. Tszyu

On June 5, 2005, Hatton fought IBF and The Ring champion Kostya Tszyu. Tszyu was considered one of the best boxers in the world at the time. Hatton won by TKO when Tszyu could not continue after the eleventh round. Many experts thought Hatton had little chance to win this fight. His victory was seen as one of the best by an English boxer in the last 20 years.

Unifying Light-Welterweight Titles

On November 26, 2005, Hatton won the WBA light-welterweight title. He defeated Carlos Maussa in the ninth round. In December, Hatton was named the 2005 Ring Magazine Fighter of the Year.

Hatton gave up his IBF title on March 29, 2006. He chose not to defend it against Naoufel Ben Rabah because he wanted to move up to the welterweight division. Hatton then signed a new contract for three fights in the United States.

Welterweight Division

Richard Hatton (boxer) training 1y2006
Hatton training in 2006

Hatton vs. Collazo

Hatton moved up a weight class to fight American Luis Collazo for the WBA welterweight title. This fight happened on May 13, 2006. Hatton won the WBA title from Collazo. He started strong, knocking Collazo down in the first few seconds. However, it became one of the toughest fights of his career. Some boxing experts even thought Collazo won, but many believed Hatton did enough early on to secure the victory.

Return to Light-Welterweight

Hatton vs. Urango

Hatton's first fight back at light-welterweight was against IBF light-welterweight champion Juan Urango. This was for Urango's title and the vacant IBO title. The fight took place on January 20, 2007, in Las Vegas, Nevada. Hatton's promoter wanted him to move back down to set up a fight with José Luis Castillo.

Hatton won a twelve-round unanimous decision (UD) against Urango. This allowed him to win back the IBF light-welterweight title. He won almost every round on all three judges' scorecards. Castillo also won his fight on the same night, setting up their anticipated match.

Hatton vs. Castillo

Hatton had to give up his IBF title again on February 10 to fight Castillo. Their fight was on June 23, 2007, in Paradise, Nevada. In the fourth round, Hatton landed a powerful left hook to Castillo's body. This punch sent Castillo to the floor. Hatton later said that the punch broke four of Castillo's ribs. Castillo could not stand up and was counted out. This was the first time in his career that Castillo had been knocked out.

Return to Welterweight

Hatton vs. Mayweather Jr.

Mayweather Press Conference - 2007
Hatton and Floyd Mayweather Jr., 2007

On July 27, Hatton agreed to fight Floyd Mayweather Jr. on December 8, 2007. This was seen as one of the biggest welterweight fights since 1999. The MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas was the location. Hatton started the fight strongly, putting pressure on Mayweather in the early rounds. In the first round, Hatton hit Mayweather with a left jab that made him lose his balance.

In the third round, Mayweather landed a punch that cut Hatton above his right eye. In round six, the referee took a point away from Hatton. Hatton became angry at this decision, which he later said made him lose his focus. Hatton fought well until round eight. Then, Mayweather started to adapt and counterattack. Mayweather knocked Hatton down in the tenth round. Hatton got up, but Mayweather continued his attack. The referee stopped the fight, and Hatton's corner threw in the towel. Mayweather won the fight. This match received a lot of attention, with both boxers promoting it heavily.

Second Return to Light-Welterweight

Hatton vs. Lazcano

Hatton, Smile - 2008
Hatton in 2008

On May 24, 2008, Hatton defeated Mexican Juan Lazcano by unanimous decision. The scores were 120–110, 118–110, and 120–108. This fight took place in front of 55,000 fans in his hometown at the City of Manchester Stadium. This was a record for a boxing match in Britain after World War II. Hatton kept his The Ring and IBO light-welterweight titles.

Hatton used his jab well and controlled the fight early on. In round eight, Lazcano hit Hatton with a left hook that made him unsteady. In round ten, Hatton was hurt again by a left hook. Despite this, Hatton outworked Lazcano and won most of the rounds.

Hatton vs. Malignaggi

Hatton fought Paulie Malignaggi of the United States on November 22, 2008. This fight was for Hatton's The Ring light-welterweight title. It took place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. Hatton was trained by Floyd Mayweather Sr. for this fight. Hatton controlled the entire fight. He defeated Malignaggi by TKO in the eleventh round when Malignaggi's trainer stopped the fight.

Hatton vs. Pacquiao

Hatton and Pacquiao with trainers
Hatton with his trainer Floyd Mayweather Sr. (left), Manny Pacquiao (second from right) and Freddie Roach, 2009

Hatton fought Manny Pacquiao on May 2, 2009, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. The fight was at light-welterweight, a weight class where Hatton had never lost before. Pacquiao defeated Hatton by knockout in the second round. Pacquiao knocked Hatton down twice in the first round and then one more time in the second round. After this loss, Hatton took a break from boxing.

In a June 2010 interview, Hatton said he was not very interested in fighting again. He mentioned that boxing started as a hobby and helped him become a better person. He said he did not feel the "fire in the belly" to fight or train. However, he also added that he was only 31 and not to count him out.

Comeback at Welterweight

Hatton vs. Senchenko

On September 14, 2012, Hatton announced he would return to professional boxing. A fight was planned for November that year. Tickets for his comeback fight sold out in two days, even before his opponent was announced. His opponent was later revealed to be Vyacheslav Senchenko. Hatton had gained a lot of weight during his break. Before his comeback, he worked hard to lose weight, going from about 98 kg to 67 kg to meet the welterweight limit.

Hatton started the fight strongly but did not time his punches well. Senchenko used his longer reach to land jabs and gained control as the fight went on. In the ninth round, a left hook to the body sent Hatton to the floor. Hatton was counted out by the referee. This was the third time Hatton had been stopped in a fight. His record became 45 wins and 3 losses. He announced his final retirement right after the fight. He said he needed one more fight to see if he still had it, and he realized he did not.

Final Comeback

On July 6, 2025, Hatton announced he was coming out of retirement at 46 years old. The fight was set to happen in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on December 2. He was scheduled to fight 46-year-old Eisa Al Dah. Hatton said he was excited about the fight and hoped it would lead to more boxing events in Dubai. The fight was announced through a virtual meeting because Hatton could not travel due to an injury. Al Dah, who was also the promoter, had not fought since 2021.

Outside the Ring

Hatton Health and Fitness - geograph.org.uk - 1459424
Hatton Health and Fitness - Hatton's gym in his home town of Hyde, Greater Manchester.
Ricky Hatton speaking
Hatton speaking at an event in Staines-upon-Thames, April 2024

Ricky Hatton is a big fan of Manchester City football club. His father and grandfather both played for the club. Hatton even had a trial for City's youth team. His entrance music for fights was the club's song "Blue Moon."

About his nickname, "The Hitman," Hatton said he got it on his first day at the gym when he was 10 years old. His amateur coach saw him hitting the bag and said, "Look at him, look how evil he is. He's a little Hitman."

Ricky Hatton as Ricky Fatton
Hatton parodying himself as "Ricky Fatton", 2008

Boxing fans sometimes called Hatton "Ricky Fatton." This was because he would gain a lot of weight between fights, sometimes 15 to 20 kg over his fighting weight. Hatton always ate a full English breakfast before his fights. He also enjoyed drinking Guinness when he played darts. Experts believed his diet between fights might have affected his performance in later matches.

Hatton appeared on the Friday Night with Jonathan Ross show in March 2007. When the host, Jonathan Ross, held pads for Hatton to hit, Hatton knocked a pad off Ross's hand with a powerful left hook. On October 13, 2007, Hatton was interviewed on Parkinson. He gave Michael Parkinson a custom pair of boxing shorts with the Barnsley football club emblem, as Parkinson supports Barnsley.

Hatton received the MBE award in 2007 for his contributions to sport.

In 2008, he started hosting his own live chat show called Ricky Speaks on Nuts TV.

His father, Ray Hatton, who was also his manager, mentioned that there were talks about a possible rematch with Mayweather. However, at that time, they were more focused on a fight with Manny Pacquiao. Hatton did fight Manny Pacquiao on May 2, 2009.

Hatton hosted an episode of WWE Raw on November 9, 2009, at the Sheffield Arena. He even defeated professional wrestler Chavo Guerrero in a match.

In September 2023, it was announced that Hatton would be competing in the sixteenth series of the ITV1 skating competition Dancing on Ice in 2024.

In 2023, a documentary called Hatton was released on Sky TV. It explored Hatton's career, especially his relationship with his trainer Billy Graham. The documentary was well-received and was nominated for a BAFTA award in 2024.

Family Life

Ricky Hatton's mother, Carol, still works at a carpet stall in Glossop Market. His father, Ray, was his manager and also manages Ricky's brother, Matthew Hatton, who is also a boxer. Ricky and his girlfriend, Jennifer Dooley, lived in his house in Hyde, which he called the "Heartbreak Hotel" after his favorite artist, Elvis.

Hatton has a son named Campbell. Ricky set up a trust fund to make sure his son was always taken care of. Campbell has followed in his father's footsteps and is now a professional boxer. He is trained by Ricky's brother, Matthew Hatton.

Charity Work

Hatton supports The Village News, a local children's newspaper in Haughton Green that raises money for charity. He helped them at a charity auction by appearing and signing boxing gloves, which helped raise £1,600. Hatton was also a special guest speaker for The Toby Henderson Trust at a sports dinner. Thanks to Hatton's help and donations, a lot of money was raised for the Centre for First Initiatives in Crosby, Liverpool.

In 2013, Hatton became a patron for Barnabus, a homeless charity based in Manchester.

Fans and Popularity

Ricky Hatton had many loyal fans who were very loud and supportive during his fights. A common chant was a changed version of the Christmas song "Winter Wonderland" with lyrics promoting Hatton.

Hatton's fans also liked to tease his opponents by singing "Who Are Ya?", a popular chant in English football. Ricky Hatton, along with Floyd Mayweather, is even mentioned by New York rapper GZA in his 2008 album, Pro Tools.

Hatton Promotions

Ricky Hatton has his own boxing promotion company called Hatton Promotions. This company works with boxers like Anthony Upton, Sonny Upton, Paul Upton, Lucas Browne, Cameron Hammond, Damien Hooper, Zhanat Zhakiyanov, Adam Etches, Matty Askin, Scott Jenkins, Sergey Rabchenko, and Ryan Burnett. On February 11, 2017, Zhanat Zhakiyanov became the first fighter under Hatton Promotions, and trained by Hatton, to become a world champion. He defeated Rau'shee Warren to win the WBA bantamweight title.

Training Career

Ricky Hatton is also a boxing manager and trainer. He trains Nathan Gorman, who is the great-nephew of Bartley Gorman. He also trains Zhanat Zhakiyanov and Irish champion Paul Upton. Hatton is also the trainer for Tommy Fury, who is the younger brother of Tyson Fury. Hatton was in Tyson Fury's corner for his fight against Deontay Wilder in 2018. On December 1, 2023, Hatton guided Chloe Watson to a win over Justine Lallemand. This win earned Watson the vacant European female flyweight title.

Professional Boxing Record

Professional record summary
48 fights 45 wins 3 losses
By knockout 32 3
By decision 12 0
By disqualification 1 0
No. Result Record Opponent Type Round, time Date Location Notes
48 Loss 45–3 Vyacheslav Senchenko KO 9 (10), 2:52 24 Nov 2012 Manchester Arena, Manchester, England
47 Loss 45–2 Manny Pacquiao KO 2 (12), 2:59 2 May 2009 MGM Grand Garden Arena, Paradise, Nevada, US Lost IBO and The Ring light-welterweight titles
46 Win 45–1 Paulie Malignaggi TKO 11 (12), 0:48 22 Nov 2008 MGM Grand Garden Arena, Paradise, Nevada, US Retained IBO and The Ring light-welterweight titles
45 Win 44–1 Juan Lazcano UD 12 24 May 2008 City Stadium, Manchester, England Retained IBO and The Ring light-welterweight titles
44 Loss 43–1 Floyd Mayweather Jr. TKO 10 (12), 1:35 8 Dec 2007 MGM Grand Garden Arena, Paradise, Nevada, US For WBC and The Ring welterweight titles
43 Win 43–0 José Luis Castillo KO 4 (12), 2:16 23 Jun 2007 Thomas & Mack Center, Paradise, Nevada, US Retained IBO and The Ring light-welterweight titles;
Won vacant WBC International light-welterweight title
42 Win 42–0 Juan Urango UD 12 20 Jan 2007 Paris, Paradise, Nevada, US Retained The Ring light-welterweight title;
Won IBF and vacant IBO light-welterweight titles
41 Win 41–0 Luis Collazo UD 12 13 May 2006 TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts, US Won WBA welterweight title
40 Win 40–0 Carlos Maussa KO 9 (12), 1:10 26 Nov 2005 Hallam FM Arena, Sheffield, England Retained IBF and The Ring light-welterweight titles;
Won WBA (Unified) light-welterweight title
39 Win 39–0 Kostya Tszyu RTD 11 (12), 3:00 4 Jun 2005 MEN Arena, Manchester, England Won IBF and The Ring light-welterweight titles
38 Win 38–0 Ray Oliveira KO 10 (12), 1:38 11 Dec 2004 ExCeL, London, England Retained WBU light-welterweight title
37 Win 37–0 Michael Stewart TKO 5 (12), 2:57 1 Oct 2004 MEN Arena, Manchester, England Retained WBU light-welterweight title
36 Win 36–0 Carlos Wilfredo Vilches UD 12 12 Jun 2004 MEN Arena, Manchester, England Retained WBU light-welterweight title
35 Win 35–0 Dennis Holbæk Pedersen TKO 6 (12), 2:32 3 Apr 2004 MEN Arena, Manchester, England Retained WBU light-welterweight title
34 Win 34–0 Ben Tackie UD 12 13 Dec 2003 MEN Arena, Manchester, England Retained WBU light-welterweight title
33 Win 33–0 Aldo Nazareno Rios RTD 9 (12), 3:00 27 Sep 2003 MEN Arena, Manchester, England Retained WBU light-welterweight title
32 Win 32–0 Vince Phillips UD 12 5 Apr 2003 MEN Arena, Manchester, England Retained WBU light-welterweight title
31 Win 31–0 Joe Hutchinson KO 4 (12), 1:16 14 Dec 2002 Telewest Arena, Newcastle, England Retained WBU light-welterweight title
30 Win 30–0 Stephen Smith DQ 2 (12), 0:28 28 Sep 2002 MEN Arena, Manchester, England Retained WBU light-welterweight title;
Smith disqualified after his cornermen entered the ring
29 Win 29–0 Eamonn Magee UD 12 1 Jun 2002 MEN Arena, Manchester, England Retained WBU light-welterweight title
28 Win 28–0 Mikhail Krivolapov TKO 9 (12), 2:31 9 Feb 2002 MEN Arena, Manchester, England Retained WBU light-welterweight title
27 Win 27–0 Justin Rowsell TKO 2 (12), 0:36 15 Dec 2001 Wembley Conference Centre, London, England Retained WBU light-welterweight title
26 Win 26–0 Freddie Pendleton KO 2 (12), 2:40 27 Oct 2001 MEN Arena, Manchester, England Retained WBU light-welterweight title
25 Win 25–0 John Bailey TKO 5 (12), 0:36 15 Sep 2001 MEN Arena, Manchester, England Retained WBU light-welterweight title
24 Win 24–0 Jason Rowland KO 4 (12), 2:08 7 Jul 2001 Manchester Velodrome, Manchester, England Retained WBU light-welterweight title
23 Win 23–0 Tony Pep TKO 4 (12), 2:30 26 Mar 2001 Wembley Conference Centre, London, England Won vacant WBU light-welterweight title
22 Win 22–0 Jon Thaxton PTS 12 21 Oct 2000 Wembley Conference Centre, London, England Won vacant British light-welterweight title
21 Win 21–0 Giuseppe Lauri TKO 5 (12), 1:57 23 Sep 2000 York Hall, London, England Retained WBO Inter-Continental light-welterweight title;
Won WBA Inter-Continental light-welterweight title
20 Win 20–0 Gilbert Quiros KO 2 (12), 1:48 10 Jun 2000 Fox Theatre, Detroit, Michigan, US Retained WBO Inter-Continental light-welterweight title
19 Win 19–0 Ambioris Figuero TKO 4 (12), 0:49 16 May 2000 Spectrum Arena, Warrington, England Retained WBO Inter-Continental light-welterweight title
18 Win 18–0 Pedro Alonso Teran TKO 4 (12), 2:55 25 Mar 2000 Liverpool Olympia, Liverpool, England Retained WBO Inter-Continental light-welterweight title
17 Win 17–0 Leoncio Garces TKO 3 (8), 1:37 29 Jan 2000 MEN Arena, Manchester, England
16 Win 16–0 Mark Winters TKO 4 (12), 0:51 11 Dec 1999 Everton Park Sports Centre, Liverpool, England Retained WBO Inter-Continental light-welterweight title
15 Win 15–0 Bernard Paul RTD 4 (12), 3:00 9 Oct 1999 Bowlers Exhibition Centre, Manchester, England Retained WBO Inter-Continental light-welterweight title
14 Win 14–0 Mark Ramsey PTS 6 17 Jul 1999 The Dome Leisure Centre, Doncaster, England
13 Win 13–0 Dillon Carew TKO 5 (12), 2:00 29 May 1999 North Bridge Leisure Centre, Halifax, England Won vacant WBO Inter-Continental light-welterweight title
12 Win 12–0 Brian Coleman KO 2 (10), 1:18 3 Apr 1999 Royal Albert Hall, London, England
11 Win 11–0 Tommy Peacock TKO 2 (10), 2:21 27 Feb 1999 Sports Centre, Oldham, England Won vacant Central Area light-welterweight title
10 Win 10–0 Paul Denton TKO 6 (8), 0:19 19 Dec 1998 Everton Park Sports Centre, Liverpool, England
9 Win 9–0 Kevin Carter TKO 1 (6) 31 Oct 1998 Bally's Park Place, Atlantic City, New Jersey, US
8 Win 8–0 Pascal Montulet KO 2 (6) 19 Sep 1998 Arena Oberhausen, Oberhausen, Germany
7 Win 7–0 Anthony Campbell PTS 6 18 Jul 1998 Ponds Forge, Sheffield, England
6 Win 6–0 Mark Ramsey PTS 6 30 May 1998 Whitchurch Leisure Centre, Bristol, England
5 Win 5–0 Karl Taylor TKO 1 (6), 1:45 18 Apr 1998 MEN Arena, Manchester, England
4 Win 4–0 Paul Salmon TKO 1 (4), 1:47 27 Mar 1998 Ice Rink, Telford, England
3 Win 3–0 David Thompson TKO 1 (4), 1:25 17 Jan 1998 Whitchurch Leisure Centre, Bristol, England
2 Win 2–0 Robbie Alvarez UD 4 19 Dec 1997 Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, US
1 Win 1–0 Colin McAuley RTD 1 (4), 3:00 11 Sep 1997 Kingsway Leisure Centre, Widnes, England

Exhibition Boxing Record

Professional record summary
0 fights 0 wins 0 losses
No. Result Record Opponent Type Round, time Date Location Notes
1 N/A 0–0 (1) Marco Antonio Barrera N/A 8 12 Nov 2022 Manchester Arena, Manchester, England Non-scored bout

Pay-Per-View Fights

No. Date Fight Billing Buys Network Country
1 8 Dec 2007 Mayweather vs. Hatton Undefeated 920,000 HBO United States
1,150,000 Sky Box Office United Kingdom
2 2 May 2009 Pacquiao vs. Hatton The Battle of East and West 850,000 HBO United States
900,000 Sky Box Office United Kingdom
Total sales 3,820,000

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Ricky Hatton para niños

  • List of boxing families#Hatton family
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