Days before boxing legend Ricky Hatton’s passing, the beloved champion made time to record a deeply personal message for a young bullying victim, offering words of encouragement that his family will now cherish forever.
Ten-year-old Louie and his mother Sally had reached out to the Manchester icon after the youngster faced torment from school bullies. What they received back left them stunned – a heartfelt 30-second video message from the four-time world champion himself.
In the touching clip recorded just last Wednesday, Hatton spoke directly to the aspiring young boxer with the wisdom of someone who understood the struggle firsthand.
“I believe you’ve been having a tough time at school by a couple of bullies,” Hatton said in the video. “Don’t worry about it my mate, that’s nothing new. Even I had a bully when I was at school.”
The former world champion went on to praise Louie’s decision to take up boxing, explaining how the sport could transform his situation through building inner strength.
“But you’ve done the right thing taking up the boxing, not so you can get your own back on him and beat him up, but boxing gives you confidence, doesn’t it?” Hatton continued. “And the minute these bullies see you’ve got a little bit of confidence, they’ll leave you alone.”
His message concluded with characteristic warmth: “So I think you’ve done the right thing mate. Keep your chin up, and I wish you all the best with the boxing. Good luck, son.”
Sally posted the precious video to social media six days ago, never imagining it would become one of Hatton’s final acts of kindness before his sudden death at age 46.
Speaking after news of the boxing great’s passing broke, Sally reflected on the profound impact of his gesture during what must have been an incredibly difficult period in his own life.
“It’s amazing that Ricky sent this to us when he was clearly so low himself,” she said. “It showed how kind he was, and it meant a lot to me and my son. It is something we will treasure.”
Even while battling his own demons, the Manchester legend took time to reach out to a young fan facing adversity.
Hatton was awarded an MBE for his contributions to sport and had been working as a boxing promoter and trainer since retiring from professional competition in 2012. He also appeared on Dancing on Ice last year, continuing to entertain the British public who had embraced him throughout his career.
The boxer was found dead at his Manchester home this morning, with police reporting no suspicious circumstances. Tributes have poured in from across the sporting world and beyond, with countless stories emerging of his generosity and down-to-earth nature.
Fellow boxer Tyson Fury expressed his surprise on Instagram, writing: “Rip to the legend Ricky Hatton, may he RIP. There will only ever be 1 Ricky Hatton. Can’t believe this. So young.”
Former world champion Amir Khan paid tribute with touching words: “Today we lost not only one of Britain’s greatest boxers, but a friend, a mentor, a warrior, Ricky Hatton.”
Both Manchester City and Manchester United honored their local hero with a minute’s applause before the Manchester derby, with players from both sides wearing black armbands in his memory.
