WHEN it comes to the development of his own son’s boxing, Manchester legend Ricky Hatton has no intention of following the template laid down by Chris Eubank.
Eubank senior is constant presence around his son, Chris Eubank Jr, and a frequent spokesman for the Eubank team, especially in the run up to Junior’s clash with WBA super-middleweight champion George Groves in the World Boxing Super Series at the Manchester Arena on February 17. Junior turned professional with little significant experience as an amateur but his father has been the major influence on his progress as a professional.
Campbell Hatton, Ricky’s son, is young, only a 17 years old, but is already a promising amateur boxer. But already he looks handy and, like a chip off the block, he boxes with the same style and even at the same weight as Hatton senior did.
“He’s a light-welterweight like I was. It’s great. It’s not me getting giddy about it, I’m just enjoying seeing him progress and it will go where it goes,” Ricky said. “Personally I think he will make a better pro than an amateur to be honest with you. He’s more aggressive than I was at 17 and that’s saying something.”
But Ricky will take a step back. “I have a lot of input in his career but he has his own coach who is doing a great job. If I need to stick my oar in then I will but there is no need to because he has a great rapport with his coach Danny and he gets on really well with him. He keeps improving,” Hatton said of Campbell. “It’s not for me to interfere. I’m just going to let him get on with it and progress. I’ll let him do what he does but I think he’s half got it.
“I think he has half got it. He hits really really hard, and is dedicated. But the inexperience to turn professional at 18, you’d think that’s too young, but not when you’ve got someone behind you like me, who can get him the right opponents at the right time.
“It’s not for me to tell him that because whatever will be be. I’m just letting him grow in the boxing sense.”
He promises, if his son does eventually box professionally, he won’t play a similar role as Chris Eubank does with his son. “I won’t be doing the same thing with Campbell. It’s hard enough for a young fighter. I love Chris and I love Nigel but the sons can’t move. They are joined at the hip. I’d rather just sit in the background and just let Campbell get on with it. That’s my opinion,” Hatton said.
He did add, “But the only thing I will sure of is that he comes out to ‘Blue Moon’. He’s got the same kind of style and he will inherit all my fans, I’d like to think. I picture in my mind him coming out to ‘F***** in the Bushes’ by Oasis but then it switching to ‘Blue Moon’ and everyone goes ‘Wow, he’s back again!’
“I’d like to think he will inherit my fans because he’s got my style and he’s a real character.”
