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The Hit Man’s birthday bash

8/10/2008

IT was a knockout blow even by his standards.

Ricky Hatton celebrated his 30th birthday by puffing out candles on a cake delivered to him before a press conference on Monday.

Decorated with iced boxing gloves, a Manchester City motif, and Ricky’s very own yellow ‘Trotter’ van, he’ll have to forego the cake for the time being as he gets in shape for his next world-title clash.

The wise-cracking light-welterweight champ was in sparkling form ahead of his forthcoming fight against Paulie Malignaggi in Las Vegas on 22 November.

With seven weeks to go before he climbs into the ring again, the Hyde Hitman held court at his new training camp, the Village Hotel in Ashton.

Sitting alongside his dad, Ray, brother Matthew and new trainer Floyd Mayweather Snr, Ricky grinned as he told how he’d celebrated his birthday so far.

He said: "I was up at 5.30am this morning on a five-mile run carrying two dumb-bells.  Floyd was driving alongside me in a Range Rover with the window wound down barking at me to ‘jab, cross, slip jab’.  I must have done about 16 rounds of boxing by the time I got home – I was absolutely knackered!"

Mayweather Snr arrived in Tameside on Friday. Almost 12 months ago, his son Floyd Jnr knocked the Hitman out, crumbling his undefeated record. It led to Ricky splitting from long-time trainer Billy Graham who’d taught him since boyhood. Now he has turned to Floyd Snr to help him finally become the best pound-for pound boxer in the world.

The self-styled ‘greatest trainer of all time’ is known for his flamboyant dress sense and certainly didn’t disappoint — dazzling onlookers in an eye-catching brown and orange suit.

Asked if he would once again stage the traditional ‘bad shirt’ competition at his home-coming bash at the New Inn, Hattersley, Ricky joked: "We’ll have to send Floyd home first to give everyone else a chance!"

It was left to dad Ray to explain to the bemused-looking boxing coach what he meant.

As he blew out his birthday candles, there was no doubt Ricky Hatton had reached an important milestone. But it was clear to see the fire and desire still crackles inside him.

And The Hit Man is to be immortalised for all to see. A full-sized mould impression of Ricky is being taken so that Louis Tussauds in Blackpool can make a model of our hero – in wax.