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10/01/2006 Archived Entry: "Ricky Hatton Interview"
Ricky Hatton Interview
Hall of Fame Fundraiser Rousing Success
By Dave Iamele
Photos © Marianne Iamele
Ricky Hatton: England's first Ring magazine Fighter of the Year
The International Boxing Hall of Fame fundraiser featuring England’s 140-lb. sensation, Ricky “the Hitman” Hatton, on September 13 was a well-attended event that went off without a hitch. A silent auction, raffles, and sales of HOF merchandise helped boost the income from ticket sales, and fans and HOF supporters were given the opportunity to purchase limited, high quality blow-up photos of Hatton’s title-winning bout with Kostya Tszyu, and the champ signed each one personally for the buyer.
One of the nicest touches of the night, and just one good example of what a classy guy Hatton is, was when HOF Executive Director, Ed. Brophy, announced to the crowd that Hatton had generously donated $1,000 to assist the hall’s fundraising efforts. Another bonus was Canastota’s own three-time champ, Carmen Basilio, being among those in attendance, and he hammed it up with Hatton, playfully cuffing him about.
An interesting connection between Hatton and the HOF is that HOF president and boxing judge, Don Ackerman, was one of the three judges scoring the Hatton/Tszyu bout. He said it was a tremendous bout not only because of Hatton’s surprising dominance over the rugged Russian, but also because of the over 20,000 Hatton fans all screaming and cheering, chanting, and singing for their hero. You could see Don getting excited just reminiscing over the experience.
Chatting with the Champ
The 140- and 147-lb. champion Ricky Hatton (41-0 w/30 KO’s) was very generous with his time despite the fact that he’d just recently flown in from England and had only just returned from Georgia (more on that later) and would be jetting off to Vegas the next day. When you throw in a couple hours of signing autographs and posing for photos, he was very, very generous. Here’s our conversation:
Q: This is your first visit to the Hall of Fame. Is being inducted something you think about?
A: Yeah. I mean, when I first started, I’d have never dreamed of it. But when I first started, I’d never dreamed of becoming a world champion. But, to win three [championships] with two at different weights [140 and 147 lbs.], and to win the Ring [magazine] belt, I think it’s in me grasp, so to speak. So, yeah. I’ve done a lot, but I’ve still got more to do in my career, so I hope something like this will fall into place. I’d be a dream, yeah. It’s one of my main goals to have that plaque up there with me face on it.
The 2 time 140 lb. & 147 lb. Hitman loves the "old timers" like the 2 time 147 lb. & 160 lb Canastota Clouter, Carmen Basilio
Q: How did your “Hitman” nickname come about?
A: Me first amateur coach. I always had a real aggressive style, and he said, “look at him; he’s an animal, isn’t he? He’s a little hitman, there!” and it just stuck, basically.
Q: How did it come about that you fought your second pro fight at Madison Square Garden?
A: My promoter at the time was promoting Prince Naseem Hamed, so when he fought Wayne McCullough, I fought on the under card. It was very fortunate, really. It’s a great experience, especially when you’re just starting out.
Q: You’ve been big for a long time in England, but US fans really only discovered you last year when you destroyed Kostya Tszyu to win the IBF 140-lb. title. Do you consider that match to be your most important bout up until now?
A: Yeah, absolutely, because not only did I win the title, but I beat the number-one guy in the division. He was the undisputed champion: not only was he the IBF champion, but he just vacated the other belts [WBC, WBA]--he never lost them in the ring--so he was the undisputed champion, and I think he was number two in the world pound-for-pound. So, to beat someone like that is unbelievable, and I think it went down back home as one of the best British wins we’ve ever had. So, I feel really, really honored to have people think that highly of the win.
Q: Your last fight was at 147 lbs. against Luis Collazo, and it was a tough, close bout, and now you’re moving back down to 140. Could you fight at 147 lbs. again?
A: Possibly, yeah. I was due to fight at junior welterweight [140 lbs.] seven weeks before the Collazo fight. I was supposed to fight Juan Lazcano, but he pulled out of the fight with an injury. Collazo was the only top opponent available. So, while some people usually get two or three fights to get used to a new weight division, I did it in seven weeks and fought the world champion straight away, so it was really a junior welterweight fighting the welterweight champion. That’s why I’m moving back down. Obviously, it was very, very different, but I wouldn’t change it for the world. Not many people can have their debut at welterweight and have a chance to win the world title with only seven weeks to prepare, but I’m gonna move back down to the weight that I’m comfortable at, yeah.
Q: I understand your next bout will be in January on HBO against Juan Urango for your old IBF junior welterweight title. Tell us about that.
A: That’s right, yeah. It will be at the Phillips Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. Hopefully, Jose Luis Castillo is on the under card. We’re trying to build up for a match against him in June…obviously, should I win the title.
Q: I hear you have finally straightened out your promotional problems back home with Frank Warren. That must be a load off your mind.
A: Absolutely, absolutely! Yeah, that’s right; he pulled out of me court case. I was glad to see the end of it, really. It’s been a real disturbing time when I’ve just been trying to get on with me career, but hopefully that’s the end of that and we can move on. It’s nice to be going into training camp without that looming over me. I’m glad it’s all over.
Q: You known to be a “down-to-Earth” kind of guy. What’s your secret to staying humble?
A: Don’t know. I’d put it down to me family and friends. I get so much attention, especially back in England…praise and pats on the back. There’s no end to it, really, but it seems a natural thing to me.
Q: So, your friends keep you from getting a swelled head?
A: That’s right, yeah! My friends don’t treat me as Ricky Hatton: world champion. They just treat me as Ricky. A lot of people say “ain’t it good how you can stay humble and maintain that,” but I don’t know what the answer is, really. It just seems something I get praise for that I should do anyway, you know?
Q: Your son, Campbell, is five now. What if he came to you one day and told you he wanted to be a boxer?
A: I’d support him, obviously, because it’s done very well for me, you know, and I’m sure it would do very well for Campbell if that’s what he wanted to do. I’d much rather he do something else, to be quite honest. I mean, hopefully, I’m taking the punches so he won’t have to, and he can move on to do something else. But boxing’s done really well for me, and it’s the greatest sport in the world, and if he wanted to do that, he’d get my full support. But I’d much rather see him do something else rather than see him in there fighting.
Q: You were the first British boxer to ever win Ring magazine’s fighter-of-the-year award. You won it last year, and they’ve been presenting the award since 1928. Is that a special honor for you?
A: It’s one of the things I’m proudest of, really. I feel it’s one of my greatest accomplishments, especially when so many of the English fighters I’ve always admired had never done it. So, it’s a great thing, really.
Q: I asked Dennis Hobsin, Hatton’s new promoter, what the chances were for a Ricky Hatton/Floyd Mayweather bout in ’07.
DH: Every chance. I think it’s an absolute natural, and boxing needs it. It has Leonard/Duran written all over it, and from our point of view, it will be the first Duran/Leonard. It’s the natural boxer against the fighter, and it’s a fight we fancy. Obviously, it’s going to generate lots of money for both fighters, and for each of them, it’s a defining fight. There are one or two other big fights out there for Ricky, but that’s the one that we’re after. There’s no other fight out there for each fighter that could generate these kinds of dollars, so if there’s a will, there will definitely be a way.
* * *
So, those are the Hitman’s thoughts. He was a great guy, and it’s easy to see why he’s so well liked across the pond. I’d like to thank the champ for his time and Ed Brophy and the HOF staff for all their assistance.
