Cosmo Centrefold Hall of Fame

From: Cosmo UK

Ricky Hatton

A boxer that packs a naked punch!

Richard John "Ricky" Hatton, MBE (born 6 October 1978) is a British former professional boxer who competed from 1997 to 2012, and has since worked as a boxing promoter and trainer. During his boxing career he held multiple world titles at light-welterweight and one at welterweight, as well as the lineal light-welterweight title. Hatton is ranked by BoxRec as the best British light-welterweight of all time; the second best in Europe; and seventh best in the world. In 2005 he was named Fighter of the Year by The Ring magazine and the Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA).

In 2000 he won the British light-welterweight title, followed by the WBU light-welterweight title the following year; a record fifteen successful defenses of the latter were made from 2001 to 2004. Hatton reached the pinnacle of his career in 2005 when he defeated Kostya Tszyu for the IBF, Ring, and lineal light-welterweight titles. This was followed up later that year with a victory over Carlos Maussa to claim the WBA (Super) light-welterweight title, thus becoming a unified world champion.

Making his welterweight debut in 2006, Hatton won a tough fight against WBA champion Luis Collazo to win a world title in his second weight class. A return to light-welterweight in 2007 saw him win the vacant IBF title for a second time, as well as the IBO title. In the same year, Hatton suffered his first professional loss against Floyd Mayweather Jr. in an attempt to win the WBC, Ring, and lineal welterweight titles. This loss took a severe toll on Hatton's wellbeing, as did a second loss to Manny Pacquiao at light-welterweight in 2009.

After Hatton's career was put on a long hiatus, rumors of a comeback continued to circulate the media over the next several years. In 2011, Hatton announced his retirement from the sport, but in 2012, more than three years after his last fight, he confirmed his comeback. A loss to Vyacheslav Senchenko in his first match back prompted Hatton to immediately announce his final retirement.

Hatton has been lauded as one of the most beloved and popular British boxers of all time, with a raucous fan base that traveled multiple times across the Atlantic to support him.