'I was a boxing fan just living down the road from him... he's a mammoth figure'

For a boxing fan who grew up just a few miles down the road from him in Tameside, Ricky Hatton was simply a mammoth figure.

As a college student I stayed up all night to watch him dethrone Kostya Tszyu, a night that has rightly gone down in Mancunian sporting folklore.

I was then in the stands when he fulfilled his dream and fought at the home of his, and my, beloved Manchester City against Juan Lazcano in 2008.

I also remember standing outside as he welcomed Muhammad Ali to his gym in 2009. Only Ricky could get Muhammad Ali to come to Hyde !

Despite being a world champion and one of the most recognisable faces in the sport, at that time you would regularly see Ricky in the pubs around what is now called the Etihad, having a pint. And he was always happy to chat and pose for as many