Ricky Hatton’s tragic final – to be “one of the children”

Ricky Haton was never the type of polished star. It was not made for velvet ropes or a soft concentration greeting. Manchester was to the bone-Ceva, the working class, loyal. Four days before his death in 46 years, he said what he matters more, he wanted to remember that he was “one of the children.”

The man we knew killer He was found dead at his home in Manchester on Sunday, September 14th. The shock exploded through British boxing and abroad. He spent decades throwing the hooks that made the squares shake, but what was eager to was no more belts or headlines. He belonged – being loved like Frank Bruno, his private city, and the fans who saw themselves.

“I was a man”

He spoke to former world champion Darren Parker in what has become his last interview, this situation is naked. “I am very proud when people say” Frank “and” Ricky “,” he said. “I do not say that we were the best, but we may have been the most love. I was a man of people, Jack The Bad, the boy’s door, who could not give two **** and said it was what it is. The best thing came out of my pension is the love that I got from the fans.”

He added: “I prefer to be Ricky Hatton of the greatest time, but does everyone think I am an advertisement.” For a fighter who mobilized 22,000 in the men’s square and 30,000 in Las Vegas, this says everything. People remember me as a helluva fighter, but also as one of the children. “

Fame did not change the child from the estate

Hatton Parker told that his life remained near its roots even after glory. “Life has changed for me, my children, and my family at the moment I overcame Kostya Tszyu. But I don’t think I have changed a lot. To this day, the gym that I run and the house I owned just 10 minutes from the property of the council on which I grew up. I did not get out of a 10 -miles.”

“Even with all the nice things that I achieved through boxing, I still go to my local and play arrows on Monday night and play football for veterinarians on Sunday afternoon. My colleagues are still the same as my classmate, and there are no late new ones, they are always their colleagues.”

This stubborn loyalty – for bars, to his colleagues, was to Manchester City, to the same old streets – what the fans felt. He was a hero who could walk in any bar and not have to buy half a liter. Children who did not see the fighting live on the air are still preventing him from the pictures because they saw the clips and envied the reality.

Fighting its own shadows, and helping others with them

This life did not hide after a boxing injury. She left the losses in front of Mayweather and Bakoyao scars, and followed depression. But he refused to stay down. He got help. Then use his pain to help others.

“I didn’t want to tell my colleagues or my family, I didn’t want to worry about them, so I kept it,” Parker said. “I went to the gym or the pub, and I was a life and spirit of the party, even more than usual because I was trying to compensate for what was going on inside me.

“No one knew and it was very difficult. I thought I could sort it myself, but I couldn’t. I was the best thing I did when I realized that I could overcome it, and I could do that or do that, but this cannot sort this myself and I need to talk to someone, the best thing I did.

))

After getting help, use Haton his experience to help others. He said: “Some boxers told me that they paid their real estate loans and thank me – this is what is going on for me.” The messages arrived from people who heard his story and found hope. This purpose gave him: “It makes me feel good that I helped others.”

A fighter never left us

Haton does not want statues or holiness. He wanted the boy to be from the bottom of the street, which made her big but not seen anyone. This is rare in boxing – or anywhere. Perhaps this is why the news of his death cuts very deep.

He lived during the brutal nights, general defeats, and private battles, and he still finds strength to tell a child intimidating to keep his chin just a few days before we left. If this is not great, what is it?

Easy rest, Ricky. You were one of us – and you will always remain one of the children.

Watch the full interview: