Ricky Hatton was my favorite active boxer back in the 2000s when I first started watching boxing closely. I followed his career, from his early fights, when he upset Kostya Tszyu, shut Jose Luis Castillo’s body down, to even his big losses to Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao. Win or lose, I always rooted for Ricky, even if it hurt towards the end. A big part of me becoming a boxing fan was watching his fights and being enamored by his style of going to the body with relentless pressure, as well as his humility even at the peak of his powers. He also struggled with his mental health, and his honesty about it was helpful.
My top two personal favorite boxers both carry the nickname ‘Hitman’ — Thomas Hearns and Ricky Hatton. Perhaps that’s not a coincidence as both their styles were the ones I wanted to emulate the most when I started training. While my martial understanding would expand and evolve beyond the rock-em-sock-em stage, the child in me still yearned for the simpler days when all I cared about was being at my computer, watching countless fights, and lurking in boxing and MMA forums. Ricky was a big part of that for me.
I was in the middle of working a pro wrestling show when I got the news that he passed away, having to commentate the main event immediately after. I dedicated my work to his memory right then and there, narrating every story point and calling every move like how Ricky used to throw body shots — with unrelenting tenacity and grit that I hopefully carried over.
Summary of Ricky Hatton’s Boxing Career
Ricky Hatton turned pro in 1997 at 18 years old, quickly building a reputation as a relentless body-punching pressure fighter that earned him his nickname. He won the WBU light-welterweight title in 2001, which he would defend 15 times. He ended many of those contests with body shot knockouts, endearing him to the British public and earning him a loyal and boisterous fanbase.
He was considered one of Britain’s top prospects by 2004, although critics would accuse him of being ‘protected’ as he fought only domestic-level opposition at that point.
That would change in June 2005 with his upset of the IBF light-welterweight champion, Australian boxer-puncher Kostya Tszyu, forcing the former Soviet fighter to retire on his stool after 11 brutal rounds. It was Hatton’s breakout performance, putting him on the global stage.
Hatton would then unify the IBF and WBA light-welterweight titles five months later by defeating the Colombian maverick Carlos Maussa. He then moved up to welterweight the next year to fight Luis Collazo for the WBA title, although he did look vulnerable at the higher weight.
He went back down to light-welterweight and recaptured the IBF title against Juan Urango. He then defended it against Jose Luis Castillo in what was likely the greatest performance of his career, putting down the Mexican great with a signature left hook to the liver in the 4th round.
In December 2007, he challenged Floyd Mayweather at welterweight. While he had a strong early start, he was gradually picked apart by the Philly shell user’s counterpunching. Hatton was stopped in the 10th round after being dropped twice, including by one of the most spectacular check hooks ever landed in boxing. It would be his first ever loss after a 43-win streak.
Hatton returned in 2008, beating Juan Lazcano and Paulie Malignaggi at light-welterweight. He would then go against Manny Pacquiao in 2009 for the IBO and The Ring light-welterweight titles. It would only take the Filipino dynamo just two rounds to knock the Brit out with a devastating left hand.
This loss would lead to Hatton’s physical and mental decline, struggling with depression, substance abuse, and weight gain.
Three years later, Hatton attempted a comeback against Vyacheslav Senchenko, but he would be stopped with a body shot in the 9th round. He then retired permanently with a record of 45 wins and 3 losses, with 32 wins by the way of knockout.
Ricky Hatton’s Style
Hatton was the archetypal pressure fighter, chipped off the old blocks like Julio Cesar Chavez and Roberto Duran. He constantly moved forward, kept going inside, clinched up and punched on the break, used shoulder bumps and forearm frames to break his opponents’ rhythm, and always threw punches in bunches.
He had relentless stamina, especially when he was coming up in the early 2000s. That stamina did start taking a hit due to him not staying in shape in between fights as he swore to always eat a full English breakfast every morning — a habit that earned him the nickname ‘Ricky Fatton’.
His combination of inside fighting mastery, toughness, and relentless aggression earned him a loyal and passionate fanbase that fed him energy and confidence. The louder his fans chanted, the more vicious he got in the ring. As long as his opponents were slower and less comfortable in the pocket than him, they were sitting ducks against his onslaught.
However, while he had decent head movement, he did have a tendency of keeping his chin up whenever he charged in — a habit that got him caught with a Pacquiao left hand and a matador-like Mayweather check hook. He also would get reckless in exchanges, which you couldn’t really blame him for since pressure fighting was the one thing he was great at.
Due to his short reach and one-dimensional style, he wasn’t much of a counterpuncher. He only jabbed on exits, and he would often forget to do that. This made him less of a threat at the summit of the light-welterweight and welterweight divisions. He was not a technician, but he made good use of everything he had.
The Rise of Ricky Hatton
I chose these particular fights to highlight Hatton’s career not only for being spectacular victories, but they also showcase his gritty, crowd-pleasing style. He continued a long line of body snatchers from the British Isles like Bob Fitzsimmons and Barry McGuigan.
Michael Stewart
Early in his career, when he was still fighting within the confines of the British boxing scene, he put up this impressive performance in his 15th defense of the WBU super-lightweight title against the 36-2-2 American veteran Michael “No Joke” Stewart. Hatton downed him twice in the 1st round, then once again in the 5th round to take the technical knockout win.
He would defend his WBU title one last time against another American veteran Ray Oliveira before challenging Kostya Tszyu for the IBF and The Ring super-lightweight championships.
Kostya Tszyu
This matchup against “The Thunder From Down Under” was bound to be an action-packed fight, but detractors threw doubt at Hatton’s pressure style against the Russian-Australian’s more diverse style and experience. Even though this was to be Hatton’s step-up to the world stage, the fight was still held in his home court, Manchester Arena.
Tszyu was a heavy favorite coming into this contest, being undefeated with 38 wins and no losses, with 28 wins by way of knockout. Over 22,000 people who attended the bout witnessed one of the biggest upsets in British boxing history, with the Aussie champion’s trainer throwing in the towel before the 12th round.
This would be Kostya Tszyu’s last ever fight, retiring soon after this fight with a record of 38-1. There were rumors of him making a comeback in January 2007 and April 2010, spurred on by an interview on 19 April 2010 in an Australian TV program where he expressed his desire to fight the likes of Shane Mosley, Manny Pacquiao, and Floyd Mayweather. However, he would never step foot in a boxing ring as a professional ever again.
Tszyu would leave his family in Australia to move back full-time to Russia, got remarried, had two more children, and opened a restaurant in Moscow. His two children with his first wife, Tim and Nikita, would go on to follow their father’s footsteps, with Tim becoming WBO junior-middleweight champion in 2023.
I pointed that out just because I thought it was interesting. Tim Tszyu is also a prodigious body puncher who is at a low point in his boxing career as of this writing.
Jose Luis Castillo
Taking place at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas on 23 June 2007, in what would perhaps become his greatest performance, Hatton defended his IBO super-lightweight title against one of the best lightweights of the era, Jose Luis “El Temible” Castillo, who had a 55-7-1 coming into this fight.
Even if you could say Castillo was starting to go over the hill at this point as a 15-year veteran (he debuted in 1990), he was still in good condition at 34 years of age with an impressive resume and a diverse skillset. He wasn’t exactly chopped liver.
Two years prior, Castillo was defeated by the late Diego Corrales in one of the greatest comeback victories of the 2000s, with Castillo knocking his opponent down twice in the 10th round before getting clocked with a “perfect right hand” then getting hit by a barrage while trapped against the ropes until the referee stopped the fight. Corrales accomplished this by spitting out his mouthpiece with every knockdown to buy time to recover.
He would then win a rematch against Corrales five months later by 4th round knockout, making things a bit more convincing on his behalf. Losing is a part of boxing, but being able to avenge your losses with greater results is the mark of a formidable warrior.
And well before that, on 20 April 2002, he fought a rising Floyd Mayweather, who was still well in his “Pretty Boy” phase. Along with Marcos Maidana, it was arguably the closest anyone got to putting a blemish on Mayweather’s then-future 50-0 record.
I pointed out these two parts of Castillo’s history to show that he was a serious customer. If there was anyone Hatton could’ve fought back then who would elevate him, it was Jose Luis Castillo. It would’ve been enough to give a good showing and get the nod, but Hatton did it so convincingly that it erased doubts on whether he was indeed among the world’s best.
Paulie Maliniaggi
Paulie is a loudmouth. He was pretty good, but he also liked to flap his lips — that was just who he was. He also had hand speed, athleticism, solid boxing ability, and a fairly durable chin — the last of which makes punching him in the mouth a somewhat guilt-free experience.
This would be the last great victory of Ricky Hatton’s career. It also had an eventful pre-fight buildup since both boxers loved to talk. Paulie was a counterpuncher, while Ricky was a countertalker. It made for an interesting dynamic between the two.
The Decline of Ricky Hatton
Perhaps it’s unkind to call it a decline, but they were still his two major blemishes on his record. Against these two elite opponents, the style that made him famous would also be his Achilles heel. However, he expressed himself in the ring the only way he could possibly have. He did so without hesitation, and that’s why he should be respected.
Floyd Mayweather Jr.
It was a battle between two undefeated champions to see who would be the king of the division. Someone’s 0 had got to go on 8 December 2007 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. It was Hatton’s fourth fight in America and his third time under the bright lights of Sin City.
Unlike the Floyd Mayweather who the aforementioned Jose Luis Castillo fought, this was “Money” Mayweather — the man who would become the defensive master we know today. I think Hatton would’ve had a better chance against “Pretty Boy” Floyd who took more chances with hands that were not yet fragile. This version of Mayweather, with his decreased output and more patient pace, is a lot more dangerous for a charging bull like Hatton.
However, it did mean an aggressive pressure fighter like Hatton had time to do some work. While Mayweather was downloading battle data into his supercomputer, the Hitman was hitting. By the middle rounds, you can say Mayweather had most of that data processed and was just calculating the best way to put his opponent away. Hatton was still fighting hard, as Howard Lederman surmised in his unofficial score card.
Then in the 10th round, Floyd saw a chance.
Mayweather backed up to the red corner and Hatton charged. Money got the timing down, pivoted to the outside while throwing a counter left hook. The punch hit its mark, Hatton fell forward, hit his head on the corner, then fell back.
It’s still one of the most beautiful knockdowns in boxing.
Hatton got up, as a warrior like him would. Ricky had heart, but his equilibrium was shot. Mayweather hit two more left hooks to the head, Hatton tried to stay up with the aid of the ropes, but he slipped off and fell down. The referee called it, and the Hitman’s 0 became a 1.
Manny Pacquiao
Most would think this matchup between two volume punchers would make for a 12-round firework show, but I knew right off the bat that they were absolutely not alike. Pacquiao’s style and speed were Kryptonite for Hatton. He wouldn’t be staying still long enough to be a target for Hatton’s body punching, and the southpaw advantage would help Pacquiao step to the dominant angle to land that vaunted left hand that earned him his first nickname — The Destroyer.
It pains me to admit that this was the one fight I actually bet money on due to peer pressure, and I bet on Pacquiao. There was a weird thing going on at the height of Pacquiao’s boxing fame as middle-class, university-educated young Filipino adults tended to view him as a symptom of a disease. They despised how he was a ‘man of the people’ — a hero of the poor and unfortunate souls who tended to vote for ‘traditional politicians’. There was a strong bias against Pacquiao, and I took advantage of it.
As soon as the fight was made, I knew this was going to be a bad matchup for Hatton, but I couldn’t have predicted how quick it was going to be. I was already learning about the orthodox vs. southpaw matchup, and I knew a good bit about Pacquiao’s game at that point. All casual fans knew was that he was inhumanly fast, putting all of his success up to his athleticism, and I can’t blame them for it. However, when it comes to the type of crowd I’m usually in, there’s a lingering bias which only grew when Pacquiao ran for public office.
I remember a good friend of mine saying, “Hatton is also fast anyway.” On a related tangent, he also expressed how “we should respect the judges’ decision” after the Pacquiao vs. Tim Bradley fight, where one of the judges would later give another dubious verdict in the Mayweather vs. Canelo Alvarez fight that resulted in her license not being renewed. As much as I respect that friend — I treat him as a brother — he talks out of his ass when it comes to boxing. I’m fine with throwing him under the bus here since I’ve said it to him personally before.
This fight won me ₱3,000, which I’m a bit ashamed of because I had to bet against my boy. However, I did get some satisfaction in taking the money from an asshat (not the good friend). I didn’t have a smile on my face when I made him pony up. There was no doubt in my mind that Pacquiao’s left hand was going to land square on the chin, the only questions were how hard and how soon. It turned out to be a perfect left hand in the 2nd round.
To further emphasize on how strong the bias against Pacquiao was, as well as how dumb casual viewers can get when it comes to boxing, I vividly remember an acquaintance commenting on a post I made in Plurk (Remember that site?) about how rude it was for Pacquiao to have ended the fight so soon since it didn’t give TV networks more chances to run advertisements. Seriously, that actually happened.
Yes, I’m an asshole and ‘not a true fan’ for betting against my favorite boxer. However, I knew the game and I had to shut a douchebag up. The experience further turned me off from both gambling and discussing combat sports with casual fans.
Ricky Hatton as Trainer
There’s something to be said about bruisers who become trainers. Most would think the less technical the fighter, the less technical their coaching would be, but that’s far from the truth. Freddie Roach is a good example of someone who was limited in their own boxing, but their mistakes in the ring informed their teaching. This is true for teachers in other fields as well.
Since he hung up his gloves for good, he went on to train his son Campbell. However, he didn’t have the same power as his dad, retiring in July 2025 at an early age of 24 with a record of 16 wins and 3 losses — two of which were in his last two fights — with only 5 wins by way of knockout. He cited the loss of his ‘mojo’ and the death of a close friend as reasons for walking away from the sport. Campbell now installs solar panels for a living as of this writing.
The Legacy of Ricky Hatton
Ricky Hatton is remembered as a working class hero, a distinction that holds great significance in Britain. He may have not been a complete boxer, but he was completely authentic.
He left a boxing legacy that will keep him remembered forever. He was all about action with his vicious body punching and his personal mix of fearlessness and self-depracating humor. He enjoys a massive fan following even after his death.
He was a unified champion at 147 pounds, world titleholder at 154 pounds, and one of Britain’s most beloved boxers, despite having come short against the GOATs of his era — Mayweather and Pacquiao. He went further than anyone could’ve thought was possible.
Whenever the song Blue Moon plays, people will be reminded of Ricky Hatton.
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