By TK Stewart
Ricky Hatton can now say he has been touched by royalty.
In a ceremony held at Buckingham Palace in London, England the undefeated Hatton, who has held world titles at 140 and 147 pounds, was bestowed the honor of MBE (Member of the Order of the British empire) by Prince Charles. An MBE is one of the classes of The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire.
And to top it off, Prince Charles told Hatton that he watched his fight against Jose Luis Castillo on television. Hatton told the Manchester Evening News newspaper that, “He just said he saw my fight on the TV, which was fantastic,” said Hatton. “He said `You work hard and you deserve all the credit that comes to you'.”
For Hatton the successes just keep piling up. The royal award comes on the heels of his knockout victory over Jose Luis Castillo in June. Next up for Hatton could be a potential super fight with the number one ranked boxer on the planet Floyd Mayweather, Jr.
Hatton said he never thought his life would turn out like it has when he first laced up a pair of boxing gloves as a young boy. “I knew from a young age that I could do reasonably well at boxing,” he claimed, “but to achieve something like this, it's well beyond anything I could have dreamed of. It's a day that will stay with me until the day I die.”
After it was all over a relieved and smiling Hatton said, “It was quite nerve-racking, actually. Obviously, in the company of the Royal Family, you want to do yourself proud.”
Hatton then posed for pictures with his stunningly beautiful girlfriend Jennifer Dooley and his parents Carol and Ray.
When asked what he was going to do next, there was no proclamation from this athlete that he was going to Disneyland. Hatton said he would be celebrating in true Ricky Hatton style . . . “with a meal and a few pints.”
