On October 6, 1978, one of the best British boxers, an amazing knockout artist adored by the audience, was born. Ricky Hatton(45-3, 32 KO). The world welterweight champion, with his aggressive and spectacular fighting style throughout his 15-year professional career, has always guaranteed great emotions in the ring.

Ricky was born in Stockport, and from an early age, like most of his peers, he was interested in football. The future thunderstorm of the rings probably took his example from his grandfather and father, who were professional players in the past. Young Hutton was so good that, performing in small local children's groups, he was once invited by a coach to Manchester City, and it seemed that a football career was open to him. However, unfortunately for football, Ricky soon discovered a new passion - boxing. And he loved her with all his heart. Despite this, football still plays a big role in his life. Ricky continues to play in amateur teams in his free time, in addition, he is a loyal and ardent fan of the Blues, and his official song, which always led him to the ring before fights, was the Manchester City anthem: “Blue Moon”.

As a result of regular boxing training, he quickly made progress, and, interestingly, already at the age of 10 he received his widely known and very suitable nickname “The Hitman.”

“I’ve always been a big fan of Tommy Hearns and everyone thinks I got my nickname from him. But the first time I walked into a boxing gym, I was 10 years old, and I put on my gloves and started pounding the bag furiously. Seeing this, my coach said - Look at him, see what kind of devil he will be. This is a little killer,” Hutton recalls with a smile.

He competed as an amateur in 1997 and achieved, among other things, seven national junior welterweight titles, and also represented England at the World Youth Championships in 1996.

He became a professional at the age of 18 and made his debut in September 1997. He received his first serious title three years later, defeating John Thexton(34-11, 19 KO) and won the prestigious British champion belt in the British Isles. In 2001, he became the world champion in the little-known version of the WBU (World Boxing Union), the title of which he successfully defended 15 times, most of these triumphs took place at his beloved M.E.N. Arena in Manchester.

It was there that in June 2005 he made history by winning ahead of schedule against one of the best fighters of those years, without division into weight categories, an outstanding Kostya Tszyu(31-2, 25 KO). “The Hitman” boxed the then IBF champion like he was fighting for his life and ended up winning at the end of this great fight, ultimately forcing Russian born Konstantin to capitulate after the eleventh round. After this defeat, living permanently in Australia and bearing the eloquent nickname “Thunder from Down Under,” Tszyu ended his sports career.

The king is dead, long live the new king. Now it is Hutton's star that has lit up with great brilliance. Five months after that stunning triumph, the “Hitman” from Manchester added the WBA belt to his collection, knocking out the Colombian in the ninth round Carlos Mauss(20-5, 18 KO). The next victims of the British were such stars as a points victory over the then WBA welterweight champion, Luis Collazo(37-7, 20 KO), always an insanely dangerous Colombian Juan Urango(24-3-1, 19 KOs), next comes tough as steel, whom Hatton knocked out in the fourth round, a wonderful Mexican warrior - Jose Luis Castillo(66-13-1, 57 KOs).

Unfortunately, as is usually the case in life, beauty does not last forever. The very popular Ricky around the world was brutally dealt with by the one and only Floyd Mayweather Jr.(50-0, 27 KO). In December 2007, at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas filled with thousands of British fans, “Pretty Boy” surpassed the brave and undefeated Englishman in 43 fights, defeating him in the tenth round.

Of course, a few months later, namely in May 2008, Hatton returned to the ring, defeating a good Juana Lazcano(37-5-1, 27 KOs). Back in the same year in November, he defeated a very fast and extremely uncomfortable Paula Malignaggi(36-8, 7 KO) and in May 2009 stood face to face with another star of our favorite sport, Manny Pacquiao(59-7-2, 38 KO).

Unfortunately, as in the case of his rivalry with Mayweather Jr., Ricky suffered a crushing defeat. The well-adapted “Pac Man” turned off his lights with his terrible left hand in the second round.

This was the end of the great Hitman. True, the Briton returned for one more fight in November 2012, but the famous Ukrainian Vyacheslav Senchenko(37-2, 25 KOs), with his strong and precise performance in the ninth round, explained to him that time cannot be stopped in place, and he is no longer the same fighter as before.

After hanging up his gloves, Ricky could not cope with the new reality for a long time, as a result of which, after some time, information appeared in the media about his addiction to drugs and. Fortunately, the former champion, with the help of his family and specialists, managed to defeat those pursuing him, and currently satisfies himself as a trainer and promoter.

Interestingly, many journalists and experts believe that Ricky’s failures and quick end to his career are largely responsible for his not very sporty lifestyle between fights. The crowd favorite was known for not denying himself anything, and between fights he could gain a lot of weight and weigh more than 80 kilograms, while his starting weight was 63.5 kilograms.

Manny Pacquiao - Ricky Hatton. I will present you with detailed material about the famous fight. Behind-the-scenes intrigue, pitfalls, and consequences of a historic knockout.

After beating Oscar De La Hoya on December 6, 2008, American boxing experts began to think: Who will be Pac-Man's next opponent? They didn't have to think long. Already in mid-December 2008, negotiations began on organizing the next megafight: " Pacquiao - Hatton"The boxers gave verbal consent to the fight.

After the defeat from , he returned" into action". Defeated Juan Lazcano and Paul Malignaggi. He and his team gladly jumped at the opportunity to fight Pacquiao. Moreover, the fight was planned in the junior welterweight division, where the Briton was most comfortable. If you remember his performances at welterweight, against Luis Collazo and Floyd Mayweather, it seemed that Ricky was losing all his main trump cards there: Hatton owned the secondary IBO belt and the very prestigious magazine title. BOXING RING"It was these regalia that were to be at stake on May 2, 2009 in Las Vegas.

However, not everything was so simple. Verbal consent had to be supported by documentation. This is where problems arose. Manny flatly refused to sign a 50/50 split of PPV sales, insisting on 60/40 ( in your favor). Hatton's side expected an equal share of income from paid broadcasts. All this got to the point that on January 22, a rumor appeared in the media that the fight had been cancelled. Bob Arum, the Filipino's promoter, did not want the cancellation and made concessions to his boxer. He increased Manny's fee from $11 million to $12 million, and an agreement was reached with Ricky's team to split pay-per-view revenue 52 to 48 in Pacquiao's favor. The obstacle has been removed. On January 23, 2009, the contract was signed.

The promotion of the battle began. Press tour. Manny visited Manchester, where Hatton gave him a Manchester City football club shirt and beat him at darts. Pacquiao had trouble throwing the dart accurately. The atmosphere was more than favorable and friendly. Talks began in April, just before the main event.

It should be noted that few took Roach's words seriously. Before this event, Freddie was wrong several times in his predictions for fights. Therefore, the current prediction was received with a smile. However, Roach was right. Freddy kept adding " fuel to the fire" and expressed the opinion that Hatton does not have an understanding with his new coach, Floyd Mayweather Sr. In part, this was supported by some information from the British staff.

Bookmakers have set their odds for this fight. Pacquiao was the favorite at the rate of 2 to 1. Hatton was sensitive to these figures.

Ricky was ranked 8th in the pound for pound rankings, while Manny was ranked first. Hatton did not box very well with fighters who stood in a right-handed stance. Boxing experts recalled. The problem of the left-handed stance was also relevant because Hatton was uncomfortable throwing his strongest punches with a front left. However, Ricky himself hinted that he and his coach had prepared several " surprises".

At the beginning of the battle it became obvious that " surprise“Hatton was under the usual pressure that he was accustomed to. Manny was ready. In the first two minutes of the fight, his right hook hit Hatton’s chin 7 times.” Homemade preparation"The Filipino's work worked. Ricky was open to this blow during his spurts. Moreover, often, at the moment of his attacks, he found himself in a frontal position, which made the task even easier for Pacquiao. 8, a side right punch threw the Briton to the floor. This became the beginning of the end. Manny managed twice more." thrust"Hit his right and add a left. Hatton fell again. Only the gong saved him from further trouble.

It is worth paying tribute to the British. In the second round, he took an outright risk, knowing full well how it would end for him. Ricky landed several accurate punches from the right, but it was just a drop in the bucket compared to his opponent’s hits. 10 seconds before the end of the round, Pacquiao threw a brutal left hook, sending Hatton into a dull knockout, which was later recognized as " best knockout of 2009". Referee - Kenny Baylis stopped the fight.

Manny not only won, but literally ran over Hatton. He became the second boxer in history to reach the 6th weight category ( Oscar De La Hoya was the first). But that was only the beginning. Pacquiao will become a champion in two more divisions and set an absolute record: champion in eight weight categories. It is unlikely that anyone will be able to surpass this achievement in the near future.

The defeat shocked Hatton so much that he announced his retirement from sports. Ricky later admitted that after this fight he was tormented by thoughts of suicide. Fortunately, the Briton overcame all the difficulties and is now engaged in coaching and developing his promotion.

Recently, boxers who come from European countries quite rarely surprise sports fans with serious achievements. Not long ago, the glorious career of a true knockout artist, the British Ricky Hatton, who dominated the professional ring in the early 2000s, ended. It is about his life path and achievements that we will talk in the presented material.

early years

Ricky Hatton was born on October 6, 1978 in the English town of Stockport, located near Manchester. The father of the future boxer, Roy Hatton, was a player in the professional football team Manchester City. Since childhood, Ricky himself dreamed of becoming a football player. However, at the age of 10, he watched several Mike Tyson fights, which made a lasting impression on him. Soon the boy decided to sign up for boxing. Ricky Hatton began to regularly visit an amateur club in the city of Manchester.

In addition to football and boxing, the young man was also fond of playing darts. To this day, throwing darts remains one of Hutton’s favorite pastimes, to which he devotes a considerable part of his free time.

Ricky made his final choice in favor of boxing at the age of 13. This was due to the guy’s victory at the school championship. It is noteworthy that Ricky Hatton knocked out all his opponents in the tournament in the first round. The same thing happened the next year. Then no one else had any desire to fight against him. Thus, Hatton Ricky felt his first taste of victory and earned the respect of those around him.

Amateur career

Starting with participation in school and regional tournaments, Ricky Hatton rapidly rose in the ranking of non-professional boxers. The most significant achievement of the athlete in his amateur career is winning a bronze medal at the junior championship, which took place in 1996 in Havana. In the semi-finals, Hatton faced Russian boxer Timur Nagradze. Four judges gave preference to Ricky. However, one of them noted Nagradze’s advantage, with a margin of as much as 16 points.

According to the summation of points, the victory went to the Russian boxer. Later, a thorough investigation into this fact was carried out, the results of which showed that the suspicious decision of one of the judges was associated with his receipt of a bribe. As a result, several sports figures were deprived of their licenses. However, Ricky Hatton had to be content with the bronze award.

Start of a professional career

Thanks to his success in the amateur ring, Hatton Ricky did not go unnoticed. The famous promoter Frank Warren had his eye on the talented, promising boxer, who offered the guy the first professional contract in his life. Ricky happily accepted the offer.

Hatton fought his first fight as a professional in September 1997. As often happens at the start of the career of promising fighters, his opponent was a rather mediocre, already middle-aged boxer, Kid MacAulay. Ricky won the match by knockout in the first round.

By 1999, Hatton had 10 victories and not a single defeat. In the next fight, the young boxer technically knocked out Englishman Tomi Peacock and won the British champion title. That same year, Ricky defeated Guyanese opponent Dillon Carew and received the title of intercontinental champion, according to the WBO version. In March 2001, the British champion defeated the experienced boxer from Canada Tony Pep and was awarded the WBU championship belt. Hatton managed to successfully defend his existing titles four times over the next year.

In 2002, the young boxer had the most difficult and dramatic fight at the start of his professional career. His opponent was the Irish champion nicknamed Terminator Eamon McGee. Already in the first round, Hatton found himself on the ring platform after an unexpected biting blow to the jaw. However, Ricky managed to regain consciousness and win on points.

Achievements

Throughout his professional career, Ricky Hatton fought 47 fights. Of these, 44 times the boxer emerged victorious. The athlete has 31 victories by knockout. At various times, Hatton held the world welterweight championship belts, according to the WBA and IBF versions.

The most significant fights

In 2005, Hatton faced a truly serious opponent for the first time. The British boxer’s opponent was IBF champion Konstantin Dzyu. In a rather dirty match, filled with fouls and numerous tackles, Ricky won a controversial victory. During the break between the final rounds, Ju refused to continue the fight, citing an injury.

In 2007, a meeting was organized between two previously undefeated boxers - the British Hatton and the American Floyd Mayweather. In the first rounds, no one had a clear advantage. However, towards the end, Mayweather began to dominate, throwing Hatton into the ropes and ring platform. In the 10th round, the American began to openly finish off his opponent, which forced the referee to stop the match.

In 2009, the fight between Pacquiao and Ricky Hatton took place. In the first round, the Filipino champion knocked down the Briton several times. However, Hatton managed to come to his senses. At the end of the second round, a powerful side kick hit Ricky's jaw, which led to a heavy knockout. Despite the opinion of numerous experts that the meeting would be equal, the fight between Pacquiao and Ricky Hatton was one-sided.

End of career

Hatton's heavy defeats from Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao became a moral shock not only for the British champion himself, but also somewhat of a surprise for the entire boxing world. It was the fights against these opponents that put an end to Ricky's glorious career.

In 2012, Hatton decided to return to the professional ring. In the battle against the Ukrainian Vyacheslav Senchenko, the Englishman suffered another defeat. The meeting ended for Ricky with a knockout in the 9th round. After such an unsuccessful return, the British champion decided to finally give up boxing.

Over American Jesse Vargas and became the World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight champion. Lenta.ru recalls other striking fights of the famous boxer.

November 11, 2003. Manny Pacquiao - Marco Antonio Barrera

Pacquiao is the first and so far only boxer to win titles in eight weight categories. He started with the lightest category (up to 50.84 kilograms) and successfully rose to the first middle category (69.91 kilograms). Despite his occupation, Pacquiao is extremely religious. He constantly talks about God at press conferences, and after each fight he thanks the Almighty for his help. also by his hostility towards gays.

In 2003, in the USA, the 26-year-old Filipino met the most experienced Mexican boxer Marco Antonio Barrera. In the first round, Pacquiao was knocked down, but this misunderstanding only provoked the athlete, hungry for victory. He bombarded his venerable opponent with punches throughout the entire fight. As a result, Barrera himself was knocked down twice, and in the 11th round, the coach could not watch his charge being simply beaten, and asked to stop the fight. This is Pacquiao's first truly significant victory.

May 8, 2004. Manny Pacquiao - Juan Manuel Marquez

Already in the first round, Pacquiao sent the Mexican to the floor three times, but he got up each time. It was a real battle - the fight lasted all 12 rounds, the judges recorded a draw. The Filipino and the Mexican met three more times - Pacquiao prevailed twice, Marquez won once by knockout.

December 6, 2008. Manny Pacquiao - Oscar De La Hoya

Barcelona 1992 Olympic champion Oscar De La Hoya, nicknamed “Golden Boy,” was at that time the most famous of all the Filipino’s rivals. To meet him, Pac Man jumped to welterweight, skipping one category. De La Hoya, who had an advantage in height and arm length, was considered the undisputed favorite, but already in the debut it became clear that the experts were deeply mistaken. The American simply did not have time to react to Manny’s lightning-fast attacks: despite the “Golden Boy’s” long arms, he was getting hit hard.

Before the ninth round, the American's corner stopped the fight, and Pacquiao ascended to the boxing Olympus. De La Hoya, by the way, received such a painful blow to his pride that he never returned to the ring - the fight with the Filipino was the last in his career.

May 2, 2009. Manny Pacquiao - Ricky Hatton

The fight was a title fight. The offender of the legendary Russian boxer Kostya Tszyu, Briton Ricky Hatton defended the championship belt of the International Boxing Organization (IBO) for the second time. The fight that the audience expected did not work out - already in the first round, Hatton suffered heavy knockdowns twice. It all ended at the end of the next segment, when Pacquiao’s signature left landed on Ricky’s jaw - this knockout was recognized as the best at the end of the year. Another title for the Filipino, and the British were still being pumped out by doctors for a very long time.