Ricky Hatton: I honestly thought I could’ve beaten Pacquiao

Ricky ‘The Hitman’ Hatton had a heck of a career and only lost really to the two best of his time in Mayweather and Pacquiao.

The fight he had after the Pacquiao one is irrelevant really.

Speaking on the Pacquiao fight though which he lost via brutal knockout Hatton opened on it now many years removed from it on the James English podcast:

“I said I thought I needed to get my far… I needed to get my respect back a little bit. People were saying, “Well, Rick, we all have problems, and you’re no different. You don’t need to do that.” But it doesn’t matter what I need if doing it puts my mind at rest. It doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks. Some people were saying, “Oh, don’t worry, Rick, it’s just Mayweather. It’s no big deal.” But that’s not the point—it’s about what I needed. So that’s why I came back. It ended in defeat because I picked a way too tough opponent for my comeback, but that’s just the way I am.

But honestly, I think I was winning until he hit me with a body shot, and I got beat. After that, I never looked back. I could move on with my life. I made a comeback to get my respect back, and to see if I still had it. I found out I didn’t—that’s why I lost. A lot of people were worried after the defeat, thinking, “What’s going to happen to Rick now?” But for me, it wasn’t the end. I’ve never looked back since then.

Looking back on my career, I’m really proud. It was a phenomenal career. I fought the best of the best and never shied away from anyone. I won world titles all around the world. That’s unbelievable, and I should be proud of everything I achieved. I’ve left a legacy now. The good thing about me is that I’m learning from the pain of the past and trying to help others avoid making the same mistakes.

If I’d never drank, I think I could have stretched my career out a few more years. The weight fluctuations, the drinking, the binge eating—it all took a toll. I could have performed a little better, too, because, honestly, I was doing it with one hand tied behind my back. But when I look back now, I wouldn’t change anything. People followed me not just because of my fighting style, but because I was real. I wasn’t just another boxer; I was Rick Hatton—the guy who was up and down with his weight, having a pint in the pub, and joking around with fans. I think that’s why I had such a huge fanbase. It wasn’t just the boxing—it was me being myself. I had the best following of any British fighter of all time, and I think that’s my greatest achievement. It wasn’t about winning titles. It was about the connection I had with the fans.

When Frank took 10 people to Vegas, I took 40. It wasn’t just about the fighting. It was about all the other stuff—the way I connected with people. I was a bit of a “scally,” a bit of a “Manchester chav,” and I think that’s why people really identified with me. Would I change any of it? No. But if any of my boxers or Campbell tried to follow the same path, I’d tell them to be careful. I don’t want them to make the same mistakes I did, but personally, I wouldn’t change anything.

My last fight was tough. The hardest part was not having my mom, dad, or Billy there. That was really hard. I’d had some fights with Billy before, but we’ve made up now. Everything’s good. But when I was fighting, and things started to slip away from me, the first place I looked was ringside. I started the fight well, but when my opponent began to get a few good rounds in, I looked down and saw that my mom and dad weren’t there. That hit me hard, especially because I hadn’t made up with them yet.

The fact that I didn’t have them there was one of the toughest parts of the comeback. But now that we’ve made up and everything’s back to normal, I know they’ll be there in the future. I’ve got their presence, even if they’re not physically at ringside.

There were rumors I was supposed to fight De La Hoya after that, especially if I had beaten Pacquiao. I thought that fight might happen, and there were some talks in progress, but obviously, it was a huge ask. Pacquiao was demolishing everyone at the time—he knocked out De La Hoya, he knocked out me, and the rest.

I honestly thought I could’ve beaten Pacquiao. I figured if I could get past the first two rounds, weather the storm, and stay on top, he might have crumbled. But it’s all speculation now. You never know what could have happened. It’s all “what ifs,” isn’t it? But yes, there was talk of me fighting De La Hoya after that.”

Candid as always from Hatton.

Hatton has since gone on to become a very good trainer in the sport with a successful gym in the UK among other interests.