Ricky Hatton was found dead at his home this weekend. He was only 46 years old.
Here’s his career-making win against Kostya Tszyu, one of the greatest fights in British boxing history. For some of you, this will be the first time seeing a Ricky Hatton ring entrance.
Hatton, then an undefeated rising star from Manchester, challenged the reigning IBF 140-pound champion Tszyu, widely regarded as one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world at the time. Hatton fought Tszyu ferociously on the inside, taking away the space required for Tszyu’s dangerous right hand. Tszyu’s corner stopped the fight after 11 brutal rounds in what turned out to be his last fight.
Hatton’s win would set him up for mega-fights with Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao. The limits of Hatton’s jab and pressure-fighting style would be exposed against the two all-time greats as he was knocked out in both fights.
