Hatton is a two-time IBF and IBO Light Welterweight Champion, having relinquished the IBF belt, only to step back down to the weight class and beat Juan Urango. He was the WBA Welterweight Champion, but relinquished this title on 31 August 2006 [1]. Hatton is also the former WBU, WBA Light Welterweight Champion. He is undefeated with a career record of 43 wins (31 by KO), 0 losses and 0 draws.Born in Salford, Hatton was raised on the Hattersley council estate in Hyde, Greater Manchester.Both his grandfather and father played for Manchester City football club, and Hatton had a trial for the youth team. But Hatton found a local Boxing Club in Hyde, which he still trains at, and found he enjoyed the sport. Hatton's entrance music is the MCFC club song "Blue Moon" as performed by the band "Supra". Aged 14, Hatton was taken by his uncles Ged and Paul to Manchester United's Old Trafford stadium to watch the second fight between Nigel Benn and Chris Eubank.Hatton joined the family carpet business on leaving school, but after cutting three of his fingers his father made him a salesman to protect his body.
Hatton's debut fight was on 11 September 1997 against Colin McAuley, while in his second fight Hatton boxed at Madison Square Garden in New York.On 5 June 2005 Hatton beat Kostya Tszyu, then widely regarded as one of the top pound-for-pound boxers in the world (although he had only fought one fight, a three-round knockout of Sharmba Mitchell, in the previous 29 months), by a technical knockout after the Australian failed to answer the bell for the 12th round. Hatton was a heavy underdog for this fight, and the victory announced his entry to the upper echelon of the world boxing scene. Prior to the fight the majority of boxing critics had given Hatton little or no chance and this victory was regarded as one of the best victories by an English boxer in the last 20 years. Critics denigrate his generally unimpressive level of opposition prior to the Kostya Tszyu bout (Hatton's only notable win was over ex-champion Vincent Phillips, who was years removed from his peak), but Hatton has expressed his desire to meet the most potent challengers and establish a legacy.On 26 November 2005 Hatton won the WBA title when he defeated Carlos Maussa in the ninth round of a unification bout. In December Hatton was named the 2005 Ring Magazine Fighter of the Year.Hatton surrendered his IBF belt on 29 March 2006 after refusing to fulfil a mandatory defence against number one contender Naoufel Ben Rabah, because he intended to move up to the welterweight class.
Hatton's first fight back at Light Welterweight was against the current IBF Light Welterweight Champion Juan Urango on January 20, 2007 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Hatton's promoter Dennis Hobson stated that the impetus for moving back down was to set up a fight with Jose Luis Castillo, a fighter who nearly beat Floyd Mayweather Jr. at Lightweight in 2002.Hatton ended up winning a 12 round unanimous decision against Urango, to re-capture the unified IBF and IBO Light Welterweight titles. He won all but one round on all three judges' scorecards. Castillo, who was on the undercard, also won (via split decision), setting up their long-awaited fight. Hatton was forced to relinquish his IBF title again on 10 February, to be able to fight Castillo.
Saturday, June 23, 2007, at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada Hatton fought Castillo. In round four, Hatton landed a "perfect" left hook to the liver, which put Castillo to the canvas, Ricky later claimed that 4 of castillo's ribs were broken with this one punch. Unable to stand up, Castillo was counted out for the first time in his career. Hatton retained the IBO Light Welterweight championship, with his record now standing at 43 fights, 43 wins, with 31 coming by way of knockout.
Hatton agreed terms on Friday July 27, for a December 8, 2007 welterweight fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr which is dubbed as the biggest fight in the history of the sport. The MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas was announced as the venue on August 17, 2007. This fight was agreed less than three months after Mayweather had said he planned to retire following a victory over Oscar De La Hoya. The fight will pit a pair of unbeaten fighters to decide who is the best pound for pound fighter.this is 100% unofficial , purely a fansite and hopefully gets ricky's approval.
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