Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Ricky Hatton

From career breakthroughs to professional milestones, explore how Ricky Hatton made an impact.

Ricky Hatton, a British professional boxer active from 1997 to 2012, achieved considerable success, earning nicknames like "The Hitman" and "The People's Champion." He held multiple light-welterweight world championships and one welterweight title. Hatton received Fighter of the Year awards from The Ring, the Boxing Writers Association of America, and ESPN in 2005. Post-retirement, he transitioned into boxing promotion and training.

Sections (5)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles

1996: AIBA Youth World Boxing Championships

In 1996, Hatton represented his country at the AIBA Youth World Boxing Championships. His elimination in the semi-finals caused controversy.

September 1997: Professional Debut

On September 11, 1997, Hatton made his professional debut against Colin McAuley, winning by TKO in the first round.

1997: Hatton's Professional Debut

In 1997, Richard John Hatton began his professional boxing career.

1998: Boxing on the Undercard

In 1998, Hatton fought on the undercard of contests involving major British boxers, such as the two WBO cruiserweight title fights between Carl Thompson and Chris Eubank.

May 1999: WBO Inter-Continental Title

In May 1999, Hatton secured his first international title by defeating Dillon Carew for the WBO inter-continental light-welterweight title.

1999: Biggest Welterweight Fight

The fight between Hatton and Mayweather Jr on December 8, 2007, was considered to be the biggest welterweight fight since the 1999 clash between Oscar De La Hoya and Tito Trinidad.

2000: British Light Welterweight Title

In 2000, Hatton secured the British light welterweight title.

March 2001: WBU Title Claim

In March 2001, Hatton claimed the vacant WBU title, defeating Tony Pep.

2001: WBU Title Win

In 2001, Hatton claimed the World Boxing Union (WBU) title.

2002: Castillo Nearly Beats Mayweather Jr.

In 2002, José Luis Castillo nearly beat Floyd Mayweather Jr. at lightweight, which motivated Hatton to move back down to light-welterweight.

2004: Fifteen WBU Defenses

From 2001 to 2004, Hatton made a record fifteen successful defenses of the WBU title.

June 2005: Defeating Kostya Tszyu

On June 5, 2005, Hatton defeated IBF and The Ring champion Kostya Tszyu by TKO, marking a significant entry into the world boxing scene.

November 2005: WBA Light-Welterweight Title

On November 26, 2005, Hatton secured the WBA light-welterweight title by defeating Carlos Maussa in the ninth round of a unification bout.

2005: Defeating Kostya Tszyu

In 2005, Hatton reached the pinnacle of his career by defeating Kostya Tszyu for the International Boxing Federation (IBF), Ring and lineal titles, followed by victory over Carlos Maussa for the World Boxing Association (WBA) title to become a unified light-welterweight world champion.

March 2006: Relinquishing IBF Title

On March 29, 2006, Hatton relinquished his IBF title to move up to the welterweight division and signed a three-fight contract with Dennis Hobson's fight academy.

May 2006: WBA Welterweight Title Win

On May 13, 2006, Hatton won the WBA welterweight title against Luis Collazo.

2006: Welterweight Debut

In 2006, Hatton made his welterweight debut and won against Luis Collazo for the WBA title in his second weight class.

January 2007: IBF Light-Welterweight Title Recapture

On January 20, 2007, Hatton won a twelve-round unanimous decision against Juan Urango to re-capture the IBF light-welterweight title and the vacant IBO title.

June 2007: Defeat of Castillo

On June 23, 2007, Hatton defeated José Luis Castillo with a left hook to the liver, leading to Castillo being counted out for the first time in his career.

August 2007: Fight Announcement

On August 17, 2007, the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas was announced as the venue for the fight between Hatton and Mayweather Jr. that was going to be on December 8, 2007.

December 2007: Fight Against Mayweather Jr.

On December 8, 2007, Hatton fought Floyd Mayweather Jr. at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

2007: Loss Against Mayweather Jr.

In 2007, Hatton had his career-first defeat against Floyd Mayweather Jr. in an attempt to win the World Boxing Council (WBC), Ring and lineal welterweight titles and also won the vacant IBF title for a second time, as well as the International Boxing Organization (IBO) title.

May 2008: Victory Over Juan Lazcano

On May 24, 2008, Hatton defeated Juan Lazcano by UD in front of a record-breaking home crowd to retain The Ring and IBO light-welterweight titles.

November 2008: Defeat of Paulie Malignaggi

On November 22, 2008, Hatton defeated Paulie Malignaggi by eleventh-round TKO to retain The Ring light-welterweight title.

2008: Hatton Hosts Ricky Speaks

In 2008, Ricky Hatton started hosting his own live chat show called Ricky Speaks on Nuts TV. Discussions about a potential rematch with Mayweather and a fight with Manny Pacquiao were underway.

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May 2009: Hatton Fights Manny Pacquiao

In May 2009, Ricky Hatton fought Manny Pacquiao, who was the number one pound-for-pound fighter at the time.

2009: Loss Against Pacquiao

In 2009, Hatton lost his IBO, Ring and lineal light welterweight titles to Manny Pacquiao.

June 2010: Uncertainty About Boxing Future

In a June 2010 interview, Hatton expressed disinterest in returning to the ring.

2011: Hatton Announces Retirement

In 2011, Hatton announced his retirement from boxing.

September 2012: Hatton Confirms Boxing Comeback

In September 2012, Ricky Hatton confirmed his return to professional boxing with a fight scheduled for November. He underwent a significant weight transformation, reducing from approximately 98 kg to 67 kg to meet the welterweight limit for the fight.

2012: Hatton Confirms Comeback

In 2012, Hatton confirmed his boxing comeback after retiring in 2011.

2012: End of Hatton's Boxing Career

In 2012, Richard John Hatton concluded his boxing career. He later worked as a boxing promoter and trainer.

December 2013: Hatton Becomes Patron of Barnabus Charity

In December 2013, Ricky Hatton became the patron of Barnabus, a Manchester-based Christian charity that supports homeless and vulnerable people.

February 2017: Zhakiyanov Wins WBA Bantamweight Title

On February 11, 2017, Zhanat Zhakiyanov, managed by Hatton Promotions and trained by Ricky Hatton, defeated Rau'shee Warren by split decision to win the WBA bantamweight title, becoming the first fighter under Hatton Promotions to become a world champion.

2018: Hatton in Tyson Fury's corner against Deontay Wilder

In 2018, Ricky Hatton was in the corner of Tyson Fury, acting as his trainer, for the fight against Deontay Wilder.

December 2023: Hatton Guides Chloe Watson to Victory

On December 1, 2023, Ricky Hatton guided Chloe Watson to a unanimous decision win over Justine Lallemand, to claim the vacant European female flyweight title.

2023: "Hatton" Documentary Released

In 2023, the documentary "Hatton", directed by Dan Dewsbury, was released exclusively on Sky TV, exploring Ricky Hatton's career and his relationship with trainer Billy Graham.

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July 2025: Campbell Hatton's Retirement from Boxing

During an interview in July 2025, Ricky Hatton confirmed the retirement of his son, Campbell Hatton, from professional boxing. Campbell was trained by Ricky's brother, Matthew.

July 2025: Comeback Announcement

In July 2025, Hatton announced a comeback after remaining retired for 13 years.

July 2025: Hatton Announces Return to Boxing

In July 2025, Ricky Hatton announced his comeback to boxing at the age of 46, with a fight scheduled against Eisa Al Dah in Dubai on December 2, 2025. Hatton expressed his enthusiasm for promoting boxing in Dubai.

December 2025: Fight scheduled for December 2025

Ricky Hatton's fight against Eisa Al Dah was scheduled to take place in Dubai on December 2, 2025. Hatton announced his comeback to boxing at the age of 46.