There are few sporting stars who cross from the newspaper back pages to become front page news… but Ricky Hatton always was one of them.
Aside from his boxing brilliance, it was his personality and humour which made people pay attention.
In recent years, his happy-go-lucky character saw him cast on reality shows like Dancing on Ice.
But what’s more interesting is how and why the public came to have such great affection for him back in the day.
Follow the latest: Tributes being paid to former boxing world champion
Putting it kindly, sports stars aren’t always known for their sparkling personalities.
It was Ricky’s lack of interest in the trappings of fame which accompanied his epic run of victories that made him all the more cool.
He was the working-class hero who seemed unstoppable. It was a story that everyone wanted to follow.
Ricky Hatton smiles during a news conference in 2006. Pic: Reuters
Celebrities wanted to be seen alongside him. Piggy-backing off his popularity the likes of Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Denzel Washington and David Beckham were all pictured ringside at one time or another, drawn to his fan-friendly style and impressive winning streak.
At the same time as the Gallagher brothers were flying the flag for music from Manchester, Hatton was doing the same for boxing.
During his 2008 fight against Paulie Malignaggi, he had Liam and Noel escort him to the ring.
In an interview he said he thought all three of them might be killed when Liam held up Hatton’s IBO belt inches from Malignaggi’s face and with a swagger said ‘what do you think about that you d*** head?’.
Stories like that are why his appeal extended beyond sport. He was an ordinary bloke who’d done extraordinary things. He never lost sight of who he was and fans loved him for it.
Ricky Hatton is joined by Liam and Noel Gallagher after his 2008 fight against Paulie Malignaggi. Pic: Reuters
