Ricky Hatton won multiple world championships during his career, which led to the fighter being inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame last year
Ricky Hatton was the best 17-year-old fighter that boxing coach Billy Graham ever saw. Hatton, who was found dead at his home in Hyde on Sunday morning, was based at Graham’s gym in the Moss Side area of Manchester during his career.
The trainer known as “The Preacher” worked with the Stockport-born boxer for 11 years, covering 45 fights, 22 of which were with world titles on the line. During that time, Hatton won multiple belts at light-welterweight and also one a division above when beating Luis Collazo. Before that bout, Graham recalled when they first met at his Salford gym.
“I remember the day he walked into my gym as if it were yesterday,” the trainer said in 2006. “It must have been like when Manchester United found George Best.
READ MORE: Ricky Hatton death sets off BBC boxing commentator during emotional tributeREAD MORE: Ricky Hatton’s heartbreaking last social post showed icon training for boxing return
“I told him that first day he was the best 17-year-old kid I had ever seen, and if he wanted it badly enough, he could win whatever he wanted. I was used to working with good fighters, and he stood out from them.
“I told everyone who would listen. People still come up to me in Salford now and say, ‘you told us, Billy’.”
Hatton recalled similar memories during his International Boxing Hall of Fame induction speech last year. “‘This is what we worked hard for when you were 16 years old and you used to sit on that step outside the gym in Manchester’,” Hatton remembered Graham saying in between rounds during a 2005 fight against Kostya Tszyu.
“We used to talk about being the best in the world, not just a world champion, but the best in the world and going to Las Vegas.” Hatton had five fights in the then boxing capital of the world, including against two all-time greats in Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao.