In his final interview, Ricky Hatton revealed how he hoped he would be remembered.

Speaking to former IBF middleweight titleholder Darren Barker on First Round TV, the late two-weight world champion and International Boxing Hall of Famer Hatton said: “I wanted to be remembered … the era that you just mentioned, the first ever live fight I went to was [Chris] Eubank [Snr] and [Nigel] Benn – the second fight at Old Trafford – and I’d actually boxed there on a club show the night before, in one of the suites.

“So I boxed there, won my fight and went back to watch the following night. And it was the first live fight I’ve been to, and I went with my Uncle Ged. I’m in the back of the stands, and the atmosphere … it was my first one, and what a one to go to. Chris is Chris, but when Nigel came on the big screen, Nigel had determination, anger, and how passionately the fans looked at him. I thought, I want to be like that. I’d love the fans in a few years to look at me the way they look at Nigel.

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“I didn’t want to be the best that we’ve ever had, but I dreamt of always hopefully being up there, mentioned in the same bracket. I didn’t want to be No. 1. As long as they could turn ‘round and say, as they do today, Nigel Benn, Joe Calzaghe, Naseem Hamed, Ricky Hatton, Carl Froch, Frank Bruno – and when you mention Ricky Hatton in amongst my heroes, I’ll never wake up from that.

“I think the way I’d like to be remembered is, I was one of the best we had. … I do a lot of sportsmen’s dinners and I feel very proud when they say, ‘Our Frank’ and ‘Our Ricky.’ I’m not saying we were the best, but we were probably the two most loved. I was the man of the people, Jack the Lad, the kid next door, couldn’t give two shits, said it the way it is. And the best thing I had in retirement was the love that I had from the fans. … People remember me as one hell of a fighter – but one of the boys.”   

Hatton, the pride of Manchester, UK, passed away at the age of 46 on September 14, and the interview was filmed just days before his passing.

The Mancunian idol’s funeral will take place on October 10 at Manchester Cathedral, and a parade route has been set-up for those wishing to pay their respects to “The Hitman.”