Ricky Hatton: Manager Speaks On The Shock, The Plans, and The Goodbye

Ricky Hatton’s Sudden Death Hit Fans Hard, But Nobody Harder Than His His His Long-Time Manager and Mate Paul Speak. Nearly Three Decades Together – Belts, Vegas Lights, Drinking Stories, Comebacks, Collapses – And Speak’s The One Who Walked Into That House and Found Him.

The Day Everything Went Quiet

Speak Was Meant to Drive Ricky To The Airport for Flight to Dubai. Instead, He stepped into Silence.

“The Lights We’t, which I thought was strange. I thought he’d overslept, but it’s not unusual. People do Oversleep,” Speak Told Boxing News online.

“So, I Went Inside – I Have A Key – Shouting, ‘Rick, Rick, Wake Up!’ I Heard Music Coming From UPSTAIRS, So I Went Upstairs … I Took A Look At Him … I Had To Take Some Time To Process It. “

Then Came The Moment NOBODY Should Face.

“I Was in a State and Confusion and Loss and Many More Emotions. Then I Called The Police And The Ambulance.”

“Ricky Had Plans, Not E Exit”

Speak’s Clear On One Thing – This Wasn’t Looking Man Looking Out.

“I firmly believe He didn’t do it. It’s for the Coroner to determine, But He Had It All For Live.”

Ricky Had Plans Stacked Up.

“He’d Arranged to Take the Oasis Next Week. Hey planning to Thailand for the WBC Convention and A Holiday After His Fight. He’d Just Booked to Christmas for Tenerife.

His Daughters Had Never Seen Him Box, So He was Excited That. So Many Things for Him to Live – Hey Was in a Really Good Place. “

This Wasn’t The Broken Ricky From A Decade Back. This was a man trying to Live Again.

Clearing The Rubbish and Setting The Record Straight

Paul’s Had Enough Of The Gossip.

“I Want to Get The Truth Out Speculate Lot.

And He’s Seen The Draws Days Before.

“IF THIS WAS 10 Years ago, It Wouldn’t Have A Big A Big A Shock AS Was. I’ve Been With Ricky To The Very Highest Mountains in Lowest Chasm in Life.”

Ricky Hatton – One of Ours, Always

Ricky Was Manchester’s Pub Lad Who Punched His Way To Top. He gave us costa tszyu, Those Vegas Nights Against Mayweather and Pacquiao, And An Army of Fans Singing “Blue Moon” Louder Than Any’s Ever Heard. And He Showed Us The Crash That Fame: Depression, Loneliness, Addiction. He didn’t hide it. He spoke it.

That’s Why Fans Loved Him – He Was Real. Flawed. Tough. One of Our Own, and Hey Always Will. Ricky Hatton Wasn’t Perfect – And That’s Exactly Why He Meant So Much. Hey Was Ours. A Fighter Who Could Knock A Man Cold On Saturday Night and Still End Up The Boozer Morning Lads.

So When The Glasses Go Up and The Songs Start, Send Him off The Only Way That Fits:

“There’s Only Ricky Hatton … One Ricky Hatton … Walking Along, Singing song, Walking in a Hatton Wonderland.”

Ricky Hatton’s Career Highlights

• Professional debut: September 1997, Manchester
• Captured First Title: British Light-welterweight belt in 2000
• IBF Light-Welterweight Champion: Beat Kostya Tszyu (June 2005, TKO 11) – Career-defining win
• Ring Magazine & Linear Champion: Earned After Tszyu Victory
• WBA Light-Welterweight Champion: Defeated CARLOS MAUSA (Nov 2005) to Unify IBF & WBA
• Moved Up to Welterweight: Beat Luis Collazo (2006) for WBA title
• Return to Light-Welterweight: Won Ibo title vs Juan Urango (2007)
• Las Vegas Nights:
• Lost to Floyd Mayweather Jr. (Dec 2007, TKO 10) – Huge British fan Takeover in Vegas
• Beat Paulie Malignaggi (Nov 2008, who 11)
• Lost to Manny Pacquiao (May 2009, one 2)
• Comeback Fight: 2012 vs Vyacheslav Senchenko (Lost, Body Shot Ko) – Final Professional Bout
• Career Record: 45 WINS, 3 Losses, 32 Kos