Ricky Hatton has faced not one but two of boxing’s greatest fighters in Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao.
The British fan-favourite travelled to Las Vegas in 2007 for a shot at ‘Money’ Mayweather’s WBC Welterweight World title. He started valiantly, chasing down the American in an attempt to put a dent in him, but was outclassed as the rounds went on until being stopped in the tenth.
He would return to the same arena two years on to face Pacquiao, an all-around shorter trip. He was dropped twice in the first before being knocked out cold in the second.
It was six years later that Mayweather and Pacquiao met in the ring despite there being interest after the Hatton fight. The American won by unanimous decision in a contest most felt came too late in the day, particularly for ‘Pacman.’
In an interview with Carl Froch, Hatton spoke on that and backed Mayweather to get the win even if the fight had been earlier in the career of the Filipino sensation.
“I think Floyd Mayweather. It’s hard, Pacquiao did knock me out in two rounds but I had too many miles on the clock at the time. I think Mayweather, I think the referee did give him a little bit of help, but he was something else. It’s the first time I’ve sat down in the changing rooms and thought wow, he was good him. Mayweather, yeah.”
The fight, even despite being past its sell-by-date, became the highest grossing pay-per-view in the history of the sport, generating a reported $410 million, and is yet to be topped.
