Ricky Hatton makes live comedy debut
On a wet night in Stevenage, which is not always as exciting as it sounds, the rookie stand-up comedian on stage delivered his punchlines effortlessly.
And as the champion boxer exchanged his gift of the jab for the gift of the gag, everyone was impressed by Ricky Hatton's comic timing.
Without giving away too much about his unscripted performance, Hatton's anecdote about his debut appearance at Madison Square Garden in New York was a belter.
Especially the line about his Puerto Rican opponent having so much hair under his armpits that he looked as if he had shock-haired promoter Don King in a headlock. Jack Dee, eat your heart out.
And he passed the heckler test, telling one voluble fan: "Save your breath, mate - don't forget that when you get home, you've got to blow up the wife first."
Tonight in Bournemouth, there will be plenty more one-liners where that one came from before Hatton takes his act on a European tour. Or two nights in Tenerife, to be precise.
But stand-up on the comedy circuit beats a lie-down in the ring when Floyd Mayweather turns the lights out, especially when boxing has a dismal track record of turning fighters into lost souls when the referee's final count stops.
The likes of ex-heavyweight champion Frank Bruno - Hatton's genial warm-up act in Stevenage - found the adjustment to Civvy Street harsh at first, so let us be thankful that laughter is insulating the Hitman from the hurt men.
Back in the dressing room after his 45-minute star turn, Hatton could reflect on a good night's work. He had raised enough money to care for two children born with the HIV Aids virus at the Murry Foundation in Limpopo, South Africa.
"Nothing compares with climbing into a boxing ring and being punched on the nose, so standing up on stage telling a few jokes doesn't worry me," said the 29-year-old still considered the best light-welterweight on the planet.
"From a financial point of view, this is something I don't really need to do - but maybe the reason 58,000 fans came out to support me in my last fight is because they see me going the extra mile, doing things like this. Only time will tell whether people think I'm funny enough, and I can make audiences laugh enough, to make a living out of it after I've finished boxing.
"Ideally, I'd like to put something back into the sport - I've bought my own gym, I've got my own promoter's licence and I want to train young fighters.
"My job has always been about knocking the other fella out, but doing a stand-up routine gives me the same buzz and people who live on council estates can probably relate to me a bit more than the average fighter.
"Yes, I like a drink and I put weight on between fights, and I'm not saying that's a good thing, but I'm probably a bit more honest about it. I've been fortunate enough to have friends like Bernard Manning, when he was around.
"Bernard was my all-time hero as comedian - he was often in the news for the worst reasons, but he probably raised more money for charity than any stand-up comic who ever lived.
"Say what you like about him, but the way he told gags was second to none.
"As for me, it's no shame to lose to Floyd Mayweather, the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world, and come out of it telling jokes in front of a big crowd.
http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/boxing/2008/07/11/ricky-hatton-makes-live-comedy-debut-89520-20639496/
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