It has been 20 years to the day since Ricky Hatton shocked the boxing world to dethrone former IBF light-welterweight champion Kosta Tszyu.
The legendary Australian fighter was regarded as one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the sport at the time of fighting Hatton.
But ‘The Hitman’ defied all the odds against him to cement his legendary boxing status in this career-defining triumph.
The victory was even sweeter for Hatton as the win came under the lights of his hometown in front of 22,000 fans in Manchester Arena screaming his name.
After dominating the fight with all three judges having him winning after 11 rounds, the Mancunian’s constant pressure proved too much for Tszyu, who retired on his stool.
Hatton immediately collapsed to the floor, bursting into tears fuelled by his home support.
What came after this for Hatton?
The Mancunian became an icon in British boxing and Manchester, going on to to unify the light-welterweight division.
He also won the WBA welterweight title to become a two-weight world champion by beating Luis Collazo in 2006.
Hatton would then go on to fight all-time greats both Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao in the space of three years.
Although Hatton came up short in these bouts, he shared the ring with two of the best fighters ever at the peak of their powers.
But it was the Mayweather defeat in particular that took its toll on him.
Hatton battled with depression after this loss, which got even worse for him after the Pacquiao loss, and he admitted his struggles with alcohol too.
The 25,000 fans that Hatton took to the States for these bouts has now become an iconic moment in British boxing.
The night proved to be monumental for all involved, such as the legendary former Sky Sports commentator Adam Smith, who commentated that very night.
Smith has publicly expressed how much the glorious night meant to him personally.
Tszyu only suffered two defeats throughout his illustrious career, with his other loss coming earlier in his career against Vince Philips in 1997.
Featured image credit to Embed from Getty Images
