Ricky ''hitman'' Hatton

Richard "Ricky" Hatton MBE (born October 6, 1978, in Stockport, Cheshire, England) is an English boxer.

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 Stockport, Cheshire, Hatton was raised on the Hattersley council estate in Hyde, Cheshire.

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 Manchester City FC 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 echelons 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.