Ricky Hatton is once again included in the boxing news not as a boxer but as a trainer. Hatton recently won his first title under the said role, years after retiring from the white canvas.
This latest success of Hatton in the boxing industry has been attributed to the most recent win of his boxer Zhanat Zhakiyanov. The Kazakh fighter brawled its way to victory against America's Rau'shee Warren. At the end of the fight, Hatton's boxer claimed to be the WBA bantamweight champion.
The 33-year-old trainer, Hatton, started to train Zhakiyanov since 2013, according to BBC. He improved his standing under the management of Hatton over the past years, keeping 27 wins and one loss record.
The former light-welterweight and welterweight champion Ricky Hatton saw a great potential on Zhanat Zhakiyanov. As a trainer of the newly crowned WBA bantamweight champion, the former British champ couldn't be prouder, as seen on his social media post.
However, conquering the fight against the American boxer was not easy for Hatton's bet. Kazakhstan's Zhakiyanov has to endure two first-round knockdowns against his opponent. However, with Hatton's motivation and advice, Zhakiyanov managed to win over a split decision, 111-115 116-110 115-111.
"We were surprised when Zhanat went down like that in the beginning of the fight. I just wanted to remind him what he does better and what Rau'Shee is good at. He is never going to outbox him; he had to get in his chest, he had to mug him and make it a brawl. Zhanat did that very well and that's how he won the fight," World Boxing News quoted Hatton as saying.
This latest achievement of Hatton as a trainer is a good sign and affirmation of his recovery from depression and substance abuse. It can be remembered that the British boxer experienced a significant downfall after suffering defeats to Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather.
Watch here below the Hatton training Zhanat Zhakiyanov: