Late boxing champion Ricky Hatton would be 'so proud' of his son Campbell, according to his longtime manager and close friend Paul Speak. Campbell recently announced his return to the ring, signing with Misfits Boxing in honor of his father.
Hatton died last September 14 at age 46, having been found unresponsive by Speak at his home in Hyde, Greater Manchester. He left behind three children: Campbell, 25, Millie, 14, and Fearne, 13.
Campbell, who previously said 'heartbroken' was an insufficient word to describe his loss, followed in his father's footsteps as a professional boxer before retiring in 2024. However, last week, the boxer known as 'The Hurricane' made an unexpected career U-turn by signing with Misfits Boxing, planning a major comeback.
In honor of his father, Campbell announced he would return in an exhibition card alongside Kell Brook, with proceeds going to the Ricky Hatton Foundation. He said: 'It's all about doing [Ricky] proud. Buzzing. Can't wait to get things going again.'
At the Mind x The Ricky Hatton Foundation charity auction in London on Thursday night, Speak told the Mirror of future plans for the Foundation, including a charity football match in the autumn that Campbell will play in. 'There'll be celebrities coming on board that we can't announce just yet. Campbell will definitely be on the pitch though. He's also involved in Misfits, of course. He's doing really well,' Speak said.
'I think Ricky would be so proud of Campbell if he could see him now. Everyone needs a focus in life, and if this gives him that drive and keeps him out of trouble, it's great for him.'
Speak added that the love shown at the auction event for his late friend deeply moved him. 'Obviously, I feel that he should be here himself, shouldn't he? But yes, we live our grief in public because of who Ricky was. I miss him every day. I wish he was here.'
'To be invited to this event was something else, to see someone bid £7,000 for a painting and have the money go to the Ricky Hatton Foundation has been humbling - seeing how much Ricky was loved by everybody who ever met him.'
Speak's relationship with Hatton began nearly thirty years ago, and he never imagined he would become the boxer's manager and confidante. 'We had some amazing times. It was life-changing in many ways for both of us. I'll cherish the memories. There were lots of good times, but there were some bad times.'
'Boxing is like life, you get knocked down, you try and get up, and you move forward. But sometimes you get knocked down and just can't get up again, sadly.'
Opening up about Hatton's legacy, Speak said: 'He'll probably be remembered as Britain's greatest boxer, not necessarily the best, but the greatest. People took Ricky to their hearts. People could talk to him about problems.'
'He had his own struggles with mental health, as we know. But I think he helped to remove the stigma attached to that, to find the courage in difficult times and talk to someone about it.'
Speak shared a memory of Hatton's warm-hearted nature: 'We were in a van on the way to an event in Wigan, and he really needed the toilet. So, eventually I pulled up at a pub. Fifteen minutes went by, no sign of Ricky. So, I eventually went in and there he was, casually playing pool with the locals.'
'I said Ricky, what are you doing, we've got somewhere to be?! He said, 'Well, they asked me to join in, what could I do?! Don't worry about it!' And that was his attitude to life. He loved people, he wasn't afraid to make a fool of himself and have a joke, and he loved life.'
