Vegas Nights With 'rocky' Hatton's Mancunian Army

Once Ricky Hatton roseate to nan elite ranks of world boxing, sweeping up titles pinch his exhilarating, all-action fighting style, location was only 1 spot to spell adjacent – nan MGM Grand successful Las Vegas.

From 2007 to 2009, thousands of Mancunians and fans from crossed nan UK followed Hatton to Sin City's celebrated Strip to propulsion their support down a boxer they lauded arsenic nan sport's 'people's champion'.

Hatton fought 3 times successful arguably nan sport's astir prestigious venue, pinch each 10,000-mile information travel creating indelible memories.

His decease astatine nan property of 46 was announced connected Sunday, and BBC Sport has spoken to immoderate of those who travelled to Nevada to understand what it was astir him that attracted specified a devoted, adoring set of supporters.

A working-class combatant who grew up supra a pub connected a assembly property and worked for a clip successful nan family carpet business, Hatton's humble inheritance and humble, good-natured characteristic endeared him to a hardcore group of fans from nan very commencement of his career.

"When Ricky came along, we instantly felt for illustration we had a relationship pinch him, because he was truthful down to earth, truthful unfastened and honest", says Jamie Hind, a 47-year-old instrumentality who lived successful Cheshire and Manchester during Hatton's career.

"You conscionable felt for illustration he you knew him and couldn't thief but beryllium carried connected nan activity of enthusiasm for him.

"Me and my pals were fortunate capable to spot him conflict a adjacent fewer times. We ever made judge to make a due nighttime of it whenever he was fighting, and he gave america immoderate awesome memories."

Hatton built up a stellar grounds successful nan light-welterweight ranks, winning 41 consecutive fights successful a profession that began successful 1997 successful Widnes, and nan agleam lights of America were irresistible.

Hatton fought and hit Colombia's Juan Urango and Mexican Jose Luis Castillo successful Paradise, nan neighbourhood that contains galore of nan celebrated Vegas tourer hotspots.

His estimation arsenic a prima attraction successful Nevada was growing, arsenic was his fanbase.

Armed pinch a 43-0 record, Hatton challenged world superstar Floyd Mayweather for his welterweight belts successful 2007, this clip astatine nan MGM Grand.

This was successful an era earlier Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury headlined stadiums.

It was Hatton's time, and it was witnessed by Hatton's people. Many planeloads of them.

A pre-fight weigh-in was attended by complete 5,000 people, galore of them travelling Hatton fans who serenaded him pinch chants of "Walking successful a Hatton wonderland" while relentlessly booing pound-for-pound all-time awesome Mayweather.

Hatton was a Manchester City supporter, but he agreed Mancunians.

"I've ne'er seen thing for illustration that weigh-in," says Sean McManamon, a instrumentality from Urmston who attended nan Mayweather conflict pinch his begetter and a friend.

"The Americans were stunned by nan magnitude of group and nan noise. It was deafening.

"We paid astir £700 for tickets to nan conflict - they were correct astatine nan back, but we conscionable had to beryllium there.

"Ricky was a due Mancunian. We're large United fans, but you put your shot allegiance speech for Ricky Hatton."

A raucous crowd sang Hatton's sanction passim nan fight, but their leader was defeated by knockout successful nan 10th round. He claimed to person mislaid attraction aft being infuriated by nan referee's determination to deduct a constituent from his people successful information six.

But nan thousands who followed Hatton crossed nan Atlantic were proud to person done so, and nan opposition betwixt nan rugged Hatton and nan pristine Mayweather drew successful caller fans.

"Thousands of america conscionable descended connected Vegas," says 45-year-old James Corcoran, a Hatton instrumentality who hosts nan Oasis Podcast and travelled for nan Mayweather contest.

"The ambiance was electrical - everyplace you went, each you heard was 'One Ricky Hatton' being sung. Everyone loved him.

"Mayweather was American and nan number 1 boxer successful nan world. But Ricky really connected pinch group location - location were tons of Americans supporting him.

"We're each often drawn to nan athletes who aren't nan polished, consummate professionals but consciousness much for illustration personification you could person bumped into successful nan pub nan nighttime before.

"That's who he was. It's for illustration nan British Rocky story."

Hatton's adjacent duty was a May 2008 homecoming conflict against Juan Lazcano, winning connected points successful beforehand of 55,000 astatine nan location of his beloved Manchester City.

That earned him a return to nan MGM Grand six months later to take sides his light-welterweight belts, and this clip Hatton won large successful Vegas, defeating nan Italian-American Paulie Malignaggi whose area threw successful nan towel successful nan 11th round.

Before nan fight, truthful galore travelling fans from nan North West had made nan travel that a beaming Hatton took portion successful a photograph sprout successful which he held up transparent bags afloat of tickets.

"I went to nan Malignaggi conflict pinch a fewer of my mates," says Jamie Hind. "It was an unthinkable acquisition being retired location pinch each of nan different fans from nan North West who had travel over.

"When it's personification that you consciousness you person a existent affinity with, heading to Vegas to backmost him conscionable felt for illustration it was an opportunity excessively bully to miss, 1 of nan champion things you could do pinch your life."

A last return to Vegas came successful 2009, erstwhile Hatton went caput to caput pinch Manny Pacquiao. The Filipino had already won titles successful 5 different divisions and was excessively beardown for Hatton, knocking him retired successful nan 2nd round.

It turned retired to beryllium nan penultimate conflict of Hatton's master career, and nan past successful Vegas.

But nan Stateside bequest that Hatton left, and nan experiences he gave to nan fans who travelled truthful acold to cheer him connected alongside their loved ones, will beryllium cherished agelong aft his untimely death.

"We still talk astir going complete location to travel him now," McManamon says.

"I don't spot my mate who I went to nan Mayweather conflict pinch that overmuch immoderate more, but past clip I did we spent ages talking astir what a privilege it was to spell and spot Ricky conflict there.

"Anyone who went to 1 of those fights will ne'er hide it. He typified that Mancunian bosom and consciousness of humour.

"He was 1 of nan lads. That's why group loved him truthful much."