Such awful news about #RickyTheHitmanHatton. My thoughts are with his family and close friends as they navigate the awful journey of grief ahead.
I met Ricky and his brother Matty 15 years ago when working for a national facilities management company and a fabulous Director with a love for boxing.
We’d kicked around an idea to bring a collaborative programme to a pub in Deptford – which had a boxing ring upstairs, and a Somalian community centre nearby.
The idea was the boxers would teach fitness to the community, the Somalian leaders would teach French in return and boxers would learn basic business to work out if they were being ripped off by the percentages they were paying to managers etc from us.
The Director, I and a boxer – who also had a part in Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels – traveled to Ricky’s gym in Manchester to meet, him, Matty and some other talent to see what we could learn for Deptford.
Everyone in Manchester was so supportive of what we were trying to achieve sharing lots of tips ideas and what to be aware off.
Ricky even sent me a signed boxing glove!
The project in Deptford ultimately didn’t go ahead due to a Board decision, But I’ve often looked at that glove and thought how much could have been achieved through that collaboration if it had.
I fast forward to today and the unemployed people I work with. Many feel their only way to move from their social status is to find ‘celebrity’ somewhere. Who can blame them? People in these shows earn so much more than those holding down every day jobs. People on YouTube channel sharing their ‘perfect’ lives – which so often aren’t but create a false illusion for those vulnerable people who judge themselves by others they see as ‘successful’.
Whatever the reason for Ricky’s early death, it will be a painful wound to heal for those closest to him. I hope there is no speculation which will add to that wound.
I will remember him as the smiling ‘cheeky chappie’ who wanted to help us with our project.
RIP Hitman
hashtag#RickyHatton