George Groves shares memories of Ricky Hatton following his passing

On September 14, 2025, the boxing world was rocked by the news of Ricky Hatton’s death. Manchester Evening News broke the devastating news that Hatton had been found dead at his home in Greater Manchester.

The boxing world immediately went into mourning for the much-loved fighter, who had a loyal following that supported him all over the world. 

Former super middleweight world champion George Groves recently spoke to Poker Strategy, paying tribute to “The Hitman,” sharing an emotional story that highlighted his generosity.

George Groves pays tribute to Ricky Hatton

When asked if he had any memories of Hatton, Groves said:

“Yeah it is very sad to lose Ricky Hatton at such such a young age. I think my first memories of Hatton were watching him on TV. I remember getting on the bus to school and we’d recently got Sky I think and maybe my dad had decided we could have Sky so we could watch the boxing. At the time it felt like Ricky Hatton was fighting every month.

“And at the time, I had no real concept of the Manchester Arena and what it meant. There was always a lot of people there, but I didn’t know what it meant. But he was going through the ranks and he had a world title at the time, but it wasn’t one of the major four. And again, at 14, I didn’t really understand that. And then I remember when he beat Kostya Tszyu and Kostya Tszyu was at the end of his career, but it was a magnificent achievement for him and then he really just blew him up.

“We were training in Sheffield for GB and he had fought Floyd Mayweather and we all got up in the early hours to watch that fight. And again, I was too young but I’m jealous of them stories of people travelling out to Vegas to watch him box and he was in there with a master in Floyd Mayweather. He came up short that night, but I was at his return fight.

“I just signed with David Haye and he kindly sponsored a trip for me and my friend to go to Manchester and we watched him against Juan Lazcano and he came out in his Ricky Hatton fat suit. So he was always the prankster, always having fun and always entertaining. Anytime I boxed in Manchester with David Haye, he would let us use the gym, take care of us, and we’d see him on the circuit after we both retired. So entertaining and people gravitated towards him, he’ll be a huge loss for boxing.”

The Legacy of Ricky Hatton

His legacy is undeniable. It’s hard to think of a British fighter who was so widely adored. 

Whether you speak to someone within boxing or just someone who met him, they’ll only have good things to say about Richard John Hatton.

There will only ever be one Ricky Hatton.