Ricky Hatton is one of the most popular British fighters of all time.
‘The Hitman’ built up an avid fan base on UK shores all throughout his career. His most famous night was in 2005 when he beat Aussie Kostya Tszyu for the IBF, Ring Magazine and lineal super-lightweight titles before moving up to welterweight to beat Luis Collazo for the WBA belt.
Hatton famously took vast armies of fans to the US when he fought across the pond. Notably against Floyd Mayweather in 2006 and then again when he fought Manny Pacquiao three years later, though both fights ended in stoppages for the Brit.
With his own place in the UK history books secured, Hatton was asked by Speedy Hire to name the greatest British fighter of all time. The Manchester man didn’t hesitate to say Joe Calzaghe.
Calzaghe is a two-weight legend who went his entire career without defeat. Across 46 fights, 32 of which he won by KO, he took on all comers including the likes of Chris Eubank Sr, Mikel Kessler, Bernard Hopkins, Jeff Lacey and Roy Jones Jr, while it was Charles Brewer who he says hit him the hardest of all.
One man he didn’t manage to face was countryman Carl Froch, and the two have always had a heated back and forth about why that fight never happened and who would have won if they had shared the ring.
The southpaw had too awkward a style for any opponent to conquer, and with a strong training relationship with his father, Enzo, filled out Cardiff’s Principality Stadium on more than once occasion. Calzaghe remains the longest reigning champion at 168 pounds in the history of the sport.
