Ricky Hatton will forever be remembered as one of the most relatable yet extraordinary boxers to grace the sport.
The widely celebrated Brit claimed his first world title back in 2005, dethroning formidable super lightweight king Kostya Tszyu with a stunning 11th-round finish.
But then, after extending his unbeaten record with four comprehensive victories, ‘The Hitman’ suffered his first professional defeat against Floyd Mayweather, undeniably one of the all-time greats.
Worse still, Hatton was brutally stopped in his tracks by Manny Pacquiao, another bona fide boxing legend, before calling it quits on his decorated career after losing to Vyacheslav Senchenko.
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Ricky Hatton names Luis Collazo as his toughest opponent
While Hatton’s style often lent itself to a pulsating dustup against the majority of his opponents, it was perhaps less conducive to a long championship reign.
But still, during his ascendency as the top dog at 140 lbs, the dynamic bruiser dared to be great against WBA welterweight titlist Luis Collazo.
The step up in weight, in truth, proved to be a greater leap than Hatton had anticipated, with his physical advantages no longer having the same effect.
Where previously, the super lightweight champ was able to outman his opponents in the lower divisions, the sheer size of Collazo, a true 147 lb operator, made for a vastly different night’s work.
But of course, the uncompromising willpower of Hatton played to his advantage, with the Mancunian flooring his opponent in the first round before gritting it out for the next 11 rounds.
That said, there were times when he felt almost entirely out of his depth against Collazo, a largely different feeling to what he experienced in the Mayweather and Pacquiao defeats.
“That was my toughest fight,” Hatton told talkSPORT.
“I hit him, and the shots just bounced off him. I went to shove him back and he didn’t move. I thought, ‘Oh this is going to be a long night.’”
“It was the worst after I’ve felt. I had hot sweats, shaky, shivering and I couldn’t even go to the afterparty I was in such a bad way.
“Every time he hit me – Floyd Mayweather wasn’t a big puncher, he was technically unreal – but [Collazo] was a big punching southpaw, and every time he hit me, oh my lord!”
Why was Luis Collazo a tougher opponent than Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao?
While Mayweather and Pacquiao were both technically superior to Hatton, they did not possess the same physical prowess as Collazo.
Rather, Mayweather had begun his career at 130 lbs, whereas ‘Pacman’ claimed his first title at flyweight before becoming an eight-division champion.
In that sense, Collazo was a completely different kettle of fish, compelling Hatton to muster every ounce of strength before securing a unanimous decision victory.