Ricky Hatton RIP

RIP Ricky, my biggest regret is not going to Vegas.

Really strange as you will always have a link to my wedding day. I got married 04/06/2005. We weren’t allowed music past 12 and the hotel didn’t have the ability to show the boxing.

We were all stood in the hotel lounge, drinking watching a fuzzy screen listening to the radio of your fight.

What a legend. Your signed photo lives proud on my office wall.

RIP - there’s only one Ricky Hatton
 
Tough and honest watch from a man who knew the score - There's only one Ricky Hatton - tear jerker


That’s an unbelievable watch.

The first time I saw Ricky fight I was sat in the pub next door to Highbury and Islington tube station. I was waiting for a friend to turn up and was watching Fight Night on Sky Sports and didn’t know anything about him.

His all action fighting style grabbed me first and foremost, and I couldn’t take my eyes off him. You could see he was a warrior.

And then I saw his shorts and that he was a blue.

We were supposed to be going to a gig over the road but I had to stay to the end of the fight to make sure he won.

And that was it I was hooked.

I only made it to a relatively small number of his UK fights. Three or four fights at the arena. But every time he won, more and more fans of other clubs that I know were always in awe, that just like Oasis, he was one of us.

I was there for the big win v Kosta. One of the great nights in boxing history. The arena was feral that night. He was roared to victory.

I was also at the icing on the cake v Lazcano at the Etihad. What a night that was. But I couldn’t make it to Vegas but stayed up to watch them all and was devastated by the defeats to Floyd and Manny.

As a kid I remember McGuigan v Pedro Mendoza at Loftus Road. The people’s champion winning with the country roaring him on. I’m not sure we’ll ever see it again in our life times but Ricky did that too.

He brought us all together.

A boxing legend but more importantly a gentleman and one of us. You’ll never be forgotten.

Rest in peace, Ricky x
 
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I thought Manning had a house next to Boggart Hole Clough, Blackley ?…. Maybe he moved to Alkrington in later years.
I think he was born near BHC and then maybe lived there later in life.
But he definitely lived on Mainway for a long time.
I used to walk past his house to get a bus into town ( 17,163,122) ,and that was back in the 1970s.
He had the 2 cars on the drive -
A white Roller - BJM 1 .
A Cadillac - 1 LAF.
 
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I see Tyson Fury has turned up in a specially made suit consisting of pictures of himself. What a total cock and how disrespectful.
Apparently it's part of an ongoing joke that him and Ricky used to have mate. There is a video of Ricky slagging him off when he wore it in a press conference with David Haye a few years ago!

Ricky would have laughed!
 
There was a moment outside when the wagon carrying the Yellow Only Fools & Horses van reversed into an expensive looking motorbike, this was while the service was on!

It was like a deleted scene out of fools and horses (the one when Rodney was an undertaker)! Ricky would have been pissing his sides at that!
 
Who's arguing? I made it clear in my post that I wasn't going to argue all night about it. My final point was that, as you alluded to, it was a day to mourn and celebrate the life of a true legend of the sport. His day. Yet Fury turns up in that suit, covered in pictures of himself. And that's my last word on it.
It was a joke between mates, Fury will be devastated that he lost probably the only person who has pretty much the exact same career (both 2 time world champions, and both lost to the best in the world), and suffered like him because of being world champion and still not thinking they were good enough at times!
 
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Can we rename the north stand after him?
He was a Manc first and foremost IMO, a statue at the Arena would be good

I think we should do something at the campus College in his honour, to encourage local kids to get into boxing/sport and education! That would be a proper lasting tribute to him!
 
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There was a moment outside when the wagon carrying the Yellow Only Fools & Horses van reversed into an expensive looking motorbike, this was while the service was on!

It was like a deleted scene out of fools and horses (the one when Rodney was an undertaker)! Ricky would have been pissing his sides at that!

I was stood behind the barrier right where that happened. I couldn't see what was going on but heard the furore, then the tall bald bloke wheeled the bike and parked it where I was stood. No idea who he was or why the bike was parked there. It was a beautiful bike though.
 
Great send off Manchester. Just watched the Adam Smith eulogy on Sky. Heartbreaking. Sorry if I missed it previously discussed but were there any other City contingent there other then Sumberbee, Lake, Morrison, Dickov & Liam? Thought Pep, Noel, Foden etc would be there. Understand some are away on international duty etc.
 
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RIP Ricky, my biggest regret is not going to Vegas.

Really strange as you will always have a link to my wedding day. I got married 04/06/2005. We weren’t allowed music past 12 and the hotel didn’t have the ability to show the boxing.

We were all stood in the lounge, drinking and watching a fuzzy screen, the one where there are no more programmes on for the night, listening to the radio of your fight.

I was in Boxx in Manchester about a year ago with my kids and my eldest said, “Ricky Hatton is over there” , I tried to take a sneaky photo, I don’t know why as you would have gladly had a photo, I just didn’t want to bother you. I wish I had now.

I hope you are at peace.

Take care Ricky, we will all be with you some day

What a Legend, what a Man, what a Blue
 
RIP Ricky, my biggest regret is not going to Vegas.

Really strange as you will always have a link to my wedding day. I got married 04/06/2005. We weren’t allowed music past 12 and the hotel didn’t have the ability to show the boxing.

We were all stood in the lounge, drinking and watching a fuzzy screen, the one where there are no more programmes on for the night, listening to the radio of your fight.

I was in Boxx in Manchester about a year ago with my kids and my eldest said, “Ricky Hatton is over there” , I tried to take a sneaky photo, I don’t know why as you would have gladly had a photo, I just didn’t want to bother you. I wish I had now.

I hope you are at peace.

Take care Ricky, we will all be with you some day

What a Legend, what a Man, what a Blue

And that's the thing, he would have gladly had a photo with you because he always wanted others to have the best time and wouldn't let you down. But sometimes I think that constant willingness to make everyone else happy can sometimes take something out of yourself.

It's an incredible trait to have so many demons yet still can't stand the thought of letting someome like a fan down. He was really caught between two worlds of being a legend but also a regular lad. I think it's a near impossible task. He said he used to feel embarrassed driving a nice car through where he grew up. Those little internal battles just eat away at people like Ricky who are very kind hearted.

A lot of people come into their own when they pass away... but all the great things people say about Ricky now, they also said when he was alive. That's when you know he was a genuinely good lad.
 
That Adam Smith eulogy … I honestly have never heard such a deeply moving tribute to anyone in my life. An here’s the thing…everything he said about the man was true, ask anyone in Hyde who knew him. If we can learn anything, it shows how hard it is to maintain authenticity and real fame, particularly for working class people.
 

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