 You can now follow me on all my social media platforms to find out who my latest guest will be and don't forget to click the subscribe button and the notifications button so you're notified for when my next podcast goes live. Sometimes I'd go like months without seeing my mates, weeks without seeing my mates and something in me had paranoia in my back and my head used to be I hope they don't think I'm getting too big for my boots and too above my station I hope they don't think I forgot about them and I've changed I hope they don't think I've changed so I'd find myself nipping down and just nipping down at the pub to see them and then ultimately when my first defeat came against Floyd Mayweather I felt like I'd let everyone down and can you see how that little thing in my mind you know something wasn't quite there you know I got the chance to fight Manny Pacquiao again for the pound for pound number one title and obviously when the Pacquiao fight came along that I got destroyed in two rounds and then my confidence was down my head was down ultimately I had to retire then so I think oh I'm going to have to bring the gloves up now I'm going to have to bring the gloves up but I had to have took my own life because I used to come in here there's very else and sit on that couch and I'd be on my own do you know what I mean people say well don't go to the pub and have a drink I've seen that I didn't have to go to the pub and have a drink I come home from the gym, train me lads tell a few jokes, crack a few smiles come on, on the surface Rick so then I come in here and I just cry cry all day, cry all day and it's pretty just the same routine every day and then sometimes you know I'd come in and I'd get a knife out and just sit there with it at my wrist and just crying and crying and crying and I'd be going come on, come on boomer on today's guest we've got legend of the boxer yeah, good to see you mate, good to see you good to see you brother yeah we're doing good mate, having good Nick for a change, Ricky Fatt has disappeared for a bit as I've got an exhibition match, July 2nd but loving life, doing well enjoying myself here, never been happier you're looking well, you're looking great in fact new fight coming up, new challenge so that's what it's all about, was the second of July the fight? second of July, yeah that's my second home Manchester Arena, I had that many fights there doing my back in the day that I could have could have probably moved my bed in there to be honest at one point but no I enjoyed it, I was approached there was one exhibition done the first one was done a few years ago now before lockdown I think with Roy Jones and Mike Tyson and after that the obvious question was if that come about would you do it Ricky and that was a few years ago and I said yeah, I said if it was the right fight and the right people put up the right show and I said yeah and I'd be up for that and then I got the phone call about five months ago saying would you like to have one last move around, Covid's been a terrible time for everyone, I mean everyone with mental health people have had Covid would you like to do one last dance at the Manchester Arena if you're like against Mark or Tony Oberair and I thought well I mean I've lost people with Covid like I'm sure we all have and I've lost friends to mental health during the Covid, I've lost family to mental health during the Covid and they said well we can do it as like a concert type thing, as like a celebration of coming out of it so I didn't have to think twice, yeah How are you feeling about thinking Barera? I'm looking, I can't wait because he's been a friend of mine for ever and a day and we all know how good a champion he was and a fighter he was but I think I'm going to get the even though he's my friend I'm going to get the benefit of finding out you know first and just how good he actually was and I like the fact that because we are friends even though it's an exhibition and it'll be competitive because I mean I'm not having him come to Manchester and make me look an idiot and I think he won't want to come to Manchester and me do the same so that's where the competitive comes in but I think because we've made some friends and that we'll know when to push it and they've been all liberties taken and that's the good thing because I think when you're heroes when you come back we always worry about getting knocked out and getting hurt and my best days are behind me but bigger gloves you know less round shorter rounds against somebody that I know I think there's nothing negative that can come out of this I can't really can't wait Where do people get the tickets? They can get them on Hamburgair.com you know on the internet it's going to be not like a traditional boxing show they've got live music acts on so they'll have a live music act on and then you know a fight will come on then they'll have a DJ come on and then they'll have I think there's two UFC Hall of Famers fighting each other and then they'll have another singer on and then it's more like a more party it's a lot more of a celebration coming out of Covid because I mean it has been a very tough time so I think it's more of a party theme to it rather than a standout boxing show it's going to be good. Always go back to the start of my guess Ricky where you grew up and how it all began I was born on the council estate just outside of Manchester Hattersley which incidentally is only 10 minutes down the road from where I live I've always been home grown lad and never really as well as I did I never really wanted to move too far afield and the council estate wasn't known for too many good things to be honest with you there was the Moors murder years ago Marahinley and Liam Brady and then the Howell Shipman 10 minutes down the road surgery was 10 minutes down the road and then two police officers got shot here a few years back so it's from an area that hasn't had too much to sing about in the last few years but I like to think when they mentioned Hattersley they might mention a little fat boxer who brought a bit of good back to the area but I never I consider myself a Hattersley lad I was from Manchester which is where I am from but ultimately I am a Hattersley lad and I've never forgotten my roots and I still go down I have the same mates from school that I always had 10 minutes down the road from where I was born I think that's why people like me I think not just because of me boxing but to keep me on keep me fit in the ground a bit what were you like at school Ricky? Terrible but some of the teachers some of the old teachers I still see them knocking about about the estate and they always say Ricky you know you were never in no trouble at school you never got involved in a fight you never got involved in anything you just didn't do anything you know what I mean listen you've got to do this where's your homework concentrate work hard I'm going to be a boxer and now I'm a father and a grandfather I won't be passing that same advice to the kids because you've got to have if I hadn't done well at the boxing I'd have been in big trouble but I always believed I was going to be a boxer from a young age but no I wasn't very good at school never had trouble making but just I know what was the first age you put on the gloves? when I actually I actually did kick boxing when I was about 8 years old I think as a youngster I was into the Bruce Lee films and as I started watching the Bruce Lee films I said to my dad I said I'd like to go try karate or kick boxing or something like that so I went out of the local kick boxing club and it basically started from there and I've always been a little short and stocky type so I was good with my fists but when we've been short not too good with my feet you know so I was trying to get close with my fists to do what to do me damage I do what was good at was getting my teeth kicked in basically because of the distance was going to weigh height and reach and I couldn't get near because we were kicking then they said why don't you go and try boxing Ricky it might be a little bit more suited to you so I went over the road to the boxing gym in Hyde and it started from there yeah Did you fall in love with boxing straight away or were you always, were you wary of it? Well I did love boxing straight away I mean when I was kick boxing the first time I think we kick boxing or most certainly boxing the first time you get hit on the nose you ever go whoa that's not for me I like that and funny enough I liked it you know the first time I got cracked on the nose I was like you know well the first time I had a bad spar where somebody would out box me or pick me off you know what I mean I'd come home put my fist off and I'd be like can't wait to get back to training on Friday can't wait to get back to training on Friday I'm going to put that right, I'm going to put this right I'll show him, I'm going to show him on Friday again and that was I think that's the attitude I think all boxing needs to have from a very young age I didn't think oh that hurt I'm going to go back and I'm going to get it right I thought that kid has spied out I'm going to start him out on Friday and I think that's I think it's quite simple boxing you ever love it or you hate it let's have it right I mean to do something for a living where you get punched in the face you've got to have there's got to be something wrong with you but I think that's I think most fighters would probably say that you have a tetra you don't and it's a very addictive sport really you know because when you work hard you train hard and then when you get your victory you share it you get all that it sounds a bit selfish but you get all that praise on your own you don't share it with 10 team mates or a manager and if you don't like that you know I mean it's you know you get your hand raised and it's you in that ring on your own and it's such a wonderful feeling and I think that's why which I think will get to it a bit further down the line I struggled with retirement having that feeling once it's gone once you've experienced it and it's gone it's a movement. Did you have any fighters in your family? My brother Matthew he went professional he didn't unlike me he didn't have a very successful I'm sure he didn't have a handful of fights but he saw that well I was doing that and he thought you know I'm carpet fitting him on my hands and knees all day you know getting paid just a few quid and everything like that might as well give it a go doing something that I love and he turned professional he lost a couple of six rounders on the way I think he got disqualified in an eight rounder but he stayed at it and he became the European champion I think he made about four defences and he actually went the distance with Kinello Alvarez which was the number one he wasn't so recently he's recently been one of the best pound for pound number one pound for pound fighter in the world so he was so he did well Matthew in his own right when he really wasn't expected to he's a professional as well look at Ricky Atten's brother here but he didn't he made his own name in his own right and I think some great fights there not many went from the distance with Alvarez did this so that speaks for all of you so what Matthew achieved in the game do you think there was a lot of pressure on Matthew to succeed because of your success yeah very much so you know what I mean because I mean you always get the the other finger point he won't be as good as his brother and he always always just trying to put steps or jump on the bandwagon Campbell was in the same same position and just like my son Campbell who's gone professional but just like Matthew was in the same position with a lot of pressure and you know pressure on his shoulders and a lot of people pointing the finger ultimately you know he did the business didn't he and me and Matthew firmly believed Campbell would do the same given time obviously what was your first fight like Ricky my first fight my first amateur fight was as you can imagine pretty brutal you know toe to toe I thought a guy called Danny Reynolds from Leeds who I did fight further down the line about four years after but yeah it was a very very close close fight majority majority decision split decision but it was an absolute war and I think that was from the start they thought you know we just went to toe to toe like two professionals you know like we would see in a professional fight not an amateur fight and I think right away people could see me telling but see that was probably more suited to the professional side of the games rather than me because I used to come out I used to slip and roll and full body punches and that was from 11 years of age so I think the right I mean not the right on the wall the signs were there from day one and you just loved it from that moment getting hitting the bloody noses it's not just they they get hit when you get hit you either love it or you don't and then you decide to it's not for me I've had loads of friends to give it a try I said first time I got it I thought oh no chance but you know I think most fighters would say that they've gone on to do the boxing they said they loved it but yeah I think most people I think certainly when you're an amateur boxer I think whether you have one fight or 101 fights I think so many people have become better people because they've had a go at it because it's that type of sport you know there's how many delinquents or people you know kids or youngsters going down the wrong path I've got into boxing gone in the gym they've learnt the discipline and the respect and the fitness and conditioning and that side of the boxing game and they might not have gone on and become a world a world champion because we all want to produce world champions but in amateur boxing I think once you've had a go and gone in the ring and gone in the boxing gym and sparred and got used to the boxing what comes with the boxing I think you bend up it makes you a better person who did you look up to when you were a kid as a boxer who did I look up to does anybody want to I used to like Nigel Ben when I first started getting into boxing Nigel Ben was in Criss-U-Bank and I was about 15 years of age I used to watch Nigel on the TV dead aggressive, dead ferocious went for the knockout, no nonsense and you know I saw myself as a youngster I was a bit of an idiot not an idiot Nigel sorry I mean I was a bit of an old bad never say die dead aggressive you know I was like that as an amateur and I thought oh my god it's me you know what I mean it was like not only was it me but I thought look what he's done world champion look at the size of the crowds look at his nice car and look at this and look at that I want to be like Nigel and style wise we were right up each other's street but you know obviously that's why he was a world champion and then as I got into the boxing more through watching Nigel I started becoming a bit more of a student wanted to get the old videos out watched the champions obviously years and the old fighters and my favourite fighter of all time then became Roberto Duran he became my greatest fighter Nigel got me into boxing he was my favourite you know as I got in and then when I got into the start studying the sport a bit more I fell in love with Roberto Duran his style, his attitude what he did for his people just the whole shebang and I think there's a little bit of similarities you know I'm far from my people you never see me I'm always banging the drum for Manchester I'm always faking my fans and there's a little bit of me that's what Duran was like to the panama people what age did you turn professional like you 18 I just I didn't I think I boxed in the world juniors and I got a bronze medal I think I would have been picked for the Olympics because I'd obviously well because I got my bronze medal in the world juniors I think I would have been picked for the Olympics but the Olympics was 12 months after I boxed in the world juniors I was 17 I got boxed in the world juniors and then the Olympics come out and then as soon as the Olympics run 3 months after I became 18 so for me if I wanted to go to the Olympics I'd have had to wait 4 years until the next Olympics so I thought I don't want to wait 4 years to go to the Olympics I'll turn professional and to be honest with you I was training with the professionals from 16 years of age I was going down the Brinews gym and Colliers to Moston gym training with Brinews and Pat Barrett and then I went up to Billy Graham's Phoenix Camp in Salford where I was training with world champion Cal Thompson Enzy Bingham, Steve the Viking Foster all the present champions and I was training with them from a 16 year old when I left school and stuff like that so I always so I always I always pretty much I think I wanted to be a professional as I mentioned earlier with watching Nigel looking up to Nigel Ben on the TV and then going training with the pros even though I was still an amateur I think I was always going to go professional anyway So what was your first professional fight? First professional fight I need to say I couldn't wait I always dreamt of becoming a professional fighter and yeah I was obviously nervous for it but not as nervous as what you probably think because there's one thing I always had when people think of Riki Anna they probably think of not not an arrogant person a down to earth feet on the ground you know doesn't slag an opponent off not a big mouth or anything like that which is very rare in boxing certainly these days but my best attribute was my self-belief and confidence in my own ability so even though I was nervous when we pulled debut it was like I can bring it on I can't wait and I won first round knockout against Kid Macaulay with the Sledger Center 1997 few years ago now but no it was brilliant and I was working with the professional champions every day and as hard as a game boxing was it started off as me hobby you know what I mean and then eventually I'm getting now paid for doing me hobby so it sounds as it started it came in the world boxing but I thought really blessed you know what I mean that was getting paid for doing something that I loved and going to the gym every day in training with British champions European champions, world champions and learning and picking their brains like that it was it started my career when I went professional and it was happy it was a dream happy times Did you see the vision of how successful you've become or was it a steady process like as soon as you turn through the junior you're going to be one of the greatest well Billy Graham told me he said you know he said you're the best fighter I've ever worked with and Billy Graham was the trainer of world champions you know he did Paul Thompson is the Bingham Steve the Viking Foster Paul Burt was a Commonwealth champion Andy Olligan fought for the world title he did trained champions so when a trainer of champions says to you you're the best I've ever trained do you know what I mean he says and if you dedicate yourself when you work hard at the game and you tick all the other boxes because don't forget I was still a youngster I still had boxes to tick like you had to prove your heart your chin, your stamina you know it's all these you know and that's pretty much in every sport really potential but the potential is only the start you've got to have the other things and the other aspects so but he said if you've got all them he said you know and all the other champions Cal Thompson was the world cruise weight champion he was in the brilliant fights for Chris Hube I'll give you a moment about the Manchesterina he was saying to me you're going to go all the way you and we're going to work hard with you make sure you get there and all that and it was when people like that saying that to you you know if I couldn't do it and like I mentioned earlier having the self-belief in my own ability I pretty much I said when I was 18 I said I want to be a world champion and I said with my ability and what people are telling me if I don't have failed so I've got to want it more and that was my attitude at 18 because you guys let yourself Chris Hube, Bank, Nigel Ben Steve Collins, Joko Zaggy, Prince Nazimla you were in many Prince Nazims undercard like he was one of the greatest as well like what was that feeling like obviously you're moving through the ranks he was brilliant at Frank Warren at the time and he promoted Prince Nazimla and he was the biggest name in British boxing I mean so as I mentioned earlier my professional debut was at Winnish Leisure Centre so he had to fight on the on the local shows the Leisure Centre shows and stuff like that which was great learning experience and the next couple of months after I'd be boxing at Madison Square Garden you know when Nazimla made boxing Kevin Kelly and now that now that's the experience you've got to get experience to the local shows and the small hall shows and you don't get bigger than Madison Square Garden so you can imagine for an 18-year-old to be doing there and fighting there and fighting there and Nazimla made undercard and I was able to see how what it's like when you fight on a world title the way in the build up interviews and everything like that for me to just sit in the background and watch Naz and see how he prepared not just thinking what he's going to do when he goes in the ring just what comes with a world title fight it was a great experience for me to sit down and watch and learn What was he like to watch as a fighter? He was unbelievable Naz to be honest with you he was a lot of power puncher the legs on him and the leverage you could get I loved watching Naz because he always went for the knockout he always watched her do damage I don't think I'm an aggressive person as my character is aggressive but as a boxer I was a nasty little fighter I was a nasty little fighter I really wanted to hurt my opponent not permanently but when I was in that ring I wanted to hurt my opponents and Naz used to live for the knockout big massive explosive knockout I really loved Naz ironically Naz was so on a box on the undercars looked up to but the gentleman that put pay to his career in the end was Marco Antonio Pereira I'm doing the exhibition on the 2nd of July so I hope he doesn't Marco don't do to Naz what you don't do to me what you did to Naz So how do you make that for being the people's champion everybody loves you and adores you to then having that killer instinct in the ring how do you switch they're just very easy what I was in the ring and what I was out of the ring was two different things and I think there's a lot of people we all have our own different personalities but when that bell goes some people you've got to whatever you are as a person or whatever you are in the gym when you go to fight and your livelihood's on the line it's how we make our living it's how I provide for my kids so when the bell when I used to look at my opponent and think to myself you're all in the way of making a better life for myself you're all in the way you are literally taking money out of my kids mouths and that's what I used to that's what I always used to think before the first bell goes so you can imagine I wanted to kill them not literally obviously but that's what I was like but then when I come out of the gym people like me because I go to the pub and have a pint with my local darts team I still play for the vets on Sunday from my local pub on the estate there with the Sunday vets all the 40s I still play for that and I go standing the stand and watch Man City I'd be there with a bobble and a pie and people used to say well champion, you've got to look at Richie and it's like but it wasn't people like me because it wasn't an act they could see the public I was no different to the people that come supporting me and I think they could see it and I think that's why they like me they're all listening with local lad Richie doing well feet on the floor he's a character and he laughs a minute look at him, size of him the fat booker let's go and watch him there was that sort of like feel to it and obviously what I did when the bell went I really enjoyed as well but I think that's why people like me was that to try and make yourself one of the boys as well one of the lads to be then obviously you've got the professionalism of being a fighter in the eight weeks ten weeks, twelve week camp sometimes your camps are fourteen weeks see after a camp and after a victory is it just let Wilson try and come back into a bit of normality that was half the problem I say to my fighters now I'm my son Campbell who's one professional do as I say, not as I do and that was but when I was doing my six rounders I was coming up through the rankings I was in the gym all the time there's this reputation Ricky Fatten that I've got over being a bit living life on the wild side a little bit and everything like that but I when I was just coming through the ranks I lived in the gym I'd only have like an odd night a night off and then I'd be back in training when my first year had nine fights in 12 months that's a fight every six weeks so you know there wasn't no time to be unwinding but it's when I got to like champ world title level where you have say three fights in a year with these bigger gaps in between that's when I could have maybe showed a little bit more discipline but I sometimes something always attracted me to go and see me mates and go into the pub and that because I have a little bit of I do have a little bit of confidence and confidence in my own self-belief but I do have a lack a little bit of confidence in my own as a person and I used to think you know when I was boxing on Sky TV and I was boxing and people were seeing me and you know signing autographs and having pictures and everything like that and sometimes I'd go months without seeing me mates weeks without seeing me mates and something in me had paranoia in the back of my head used to be I hope they don't think I'm getting too big they don't think I forgot about them and I've changed I hope they don't think I've changed so I'd find myself nipping down just nipping down at the pub to see him you know hey lads you're okay and that's that's a bit of and I think that was the early signs of me mental health that's a bit of sign of weakness you know what I mean you know instead of getting on thinking oh mate mates are above they're loving what I'm doing they're proud of me in my own mind I used to think no no no no I've got to go down there and see him I've got to go down there and see him when my first defeat came against Floyd Mayweather I felt like I'd let everyone down and can you see how that little thing in my mind you know something wasn't quite there you know me mates are going don't worry about coming down seeing us we're proud of you we love you mate we're proud of you you know Ricky you got beat by Mayweather no Rick God play me it's Floyd Mayweather what do you want in my mind my head was falling off you know and that was that was the start of that side of my life you know the boxing was going great but there was a there was just a little little fella on my shoulder that was a that you know I couldn't I couldn't get off you know was on loan when it's kicked on at teams Ricky not really I think I was very very the family was very very close at the time we're very very close now but I mean there was a period with my family where it went a little bit you know anyway but but no I you know I used to have you know good friends that had come round had good family that come round and and see me and then when I got in relationship when my kids come along and everything like that was with my my ex-partner for 12 13 13 years so I know it wasn't it wasn't a loneliness you know because I speak to a lot of successful people and it is a lonely journey to be successful but you obviously is trying to find the balance like do you think that was a hindrance as well that it's not your people pleasing but to try and fit in with other people so they think it's not better than them instead of just 100% focused on your journey to be the greatest of all time yeah that's what it was I mean and you know it shouldn't you know you've got to be really your boxing career you know you've got to be really or any career you've got to be selfish and you've got to think listen that's my job I've got a job to do you know it doesn't matter you know I mean you've got to concentrate on your on your job and I always I always had one I thought I was always concentrating on my job but I always had one you know one eye on you know should I don't want people thinking this won't be this because I just sort of like go out into Manchester or into town or wherever would would go and you did you know people saying you know and me mates and people around you would say him or seeing him a few times what a dick he is what an honorable person he is or absolutely you know and I think to myself these people saying it about me do you know what I mean do they think I'm good they think I'm cocky like that so he was like you know when I was world champion never watch in the front of a queue never you know never it's just I was always I was you'd think I was I was shy I was always life and soul of the party but you know when it come to that you think I was shy it's because I was paranoid that I mean I would have won the belts if people thought it was about being the best in the world if everyone thinks you're the dickhead and you're walking down the street and everyone's there's that wiki and there's that what life's that even if you've got belts and money and what comes of it so and that was a big big part of mine certainly early on there was something still there that wasn't that wasn't doing me any favors what was it like winning your first world title well the first world title was brilliant I won you know to win any world title you know you can imagine it's such a when you start off at the council estate you dream of going to world champion like we said earlier Nigel Ben and then to do it it's you know and they say and the new like world's weight champion of the world it's a dream you've never ever wake up from but you know I mean once a woman world title you know beat Tony Pepp with a first round knockout Tony Pepp actually three fights before had gone the distance with Floyd May with a junior so I mean just to win the belt and do it in the manner I did it it was it was absolutely brilliant you know my first ever world title and then you set yourself the goals you know now I've been a world champion I want to stay a world champion and I want to win more world titles because there's in boxing these days there's four to five versions of the world titles and I was thinking it was now become a world champion my next goal was to try and become the best in my weight division out of all the champions if you like so obviously you've got the little the wires are kind of going about not realizing the extent of like not the self advertised but trying to fit in and please your friends while you're trying to be a world champion like how then when you win the world title Ricky does the pressure come the limelight the fame the money I think we're not still staying with your parents I was still staying with my parents so I think that helped I think that helped a lot but then obviously as I started you know my money started increasing and you know and I was thinking to myself it's about time I it's about time I moved out of the box room champion you know I've got a few quid and I did and I moved and I only moved down the road in fact Matthew lives there now my brother in the same house that I used to to live at and I was still like in the same town as my mum and dad so I could still go on there my mum would still do me diet my food for me you know I had it made you know I'm in there mum there's food you know so I had it I had it made yeah then you know then getting your fights looking after your money and everything like that and obviously the house that I live in you know today was the house I always dreamed of but I mean normally you'd have to move further out of Manchester in order to you know to get that and I didn't want to move away from not only my family and meet my kids meet my kids live around here my grandkids now and my mum and my dad and my brother and my friends and my mum moved around here now so I never really wanted to nearly wanted to venture and normally to have a house like this you'd have to do that but I just bided me time you know just stayed in the box room just stayed in a little smaller house beautiful house but I mean just stayed there and I just waited till this this come on you know and that's what I've always been a homeboy always been a hometown boy you know How do you think you would have been Ricky not unboxing at that age in your 20s do you think you would have just been 95 and the boozers yeah I don't I don't think I'd have been you know people say oh if I hadn't have found boxing I'd have gone into robbing and stealing and this and that and all the rest of it and I'd have been a criminal or I'd have gone to prison I don't think I'd have been like that I'd have just gone into the family business and I'd have been a carpet fitter because before I went professional I was a carpet fitter a little bit in there to get myself a few quid to put petrol in the car so I could go to Salford and train with the professionals and you know a few quid to pay me board just look from leaving school and I think that's what I'd have done I'd have been not judging anybody that does that you know what I mean I'd have just had a nine to five I'd have been a carpet fitter I'd have got me wages I'd have paid me rent and I'd have been in the pub every night Is there any telltale signs then when you win your world title that you were in the mess of drinking or was it kind of not sugar coated but it was unseen because you were world champion you were looking great like it was kind of went under the radar or did anybody ever say look Ricky man you've got your whole future ahead of you just wait I never had never had me drinking from anyone still never had me me drinking I you know I think I'm like most people but when I had big gaps I mean it was I had big gaps in between if I you know I'd train for like 12 or 14 weeks then I'd have like say maybe 10 weeks off and it was like you know being young and having money and everything like that wasn't necessarily the drinking it was just the drinking and going out in general and you know and although I wasn't arrogant you know and people were like hey Ricky come in there's a table do I drink that's on us you know it's not that you're arrogant it's nice and it was nice to go out and stuff like that but I think it was and when I was winning it was it was when I was winning defending my titles and making a living and everything like that it was great but then when things started going wrong was when defeats started you know you know kicking in there did you feel untouchable? certainly we must have felt untouchable going 30 and 0, 38 and all that flying high in life beating everybody that well when I am from a boxing I want to beat Kostya Zoo when I fought for the university undisputed title which meant I become not only a world champion the best in my weight division and Kostya Zoo was actually number one pound for pound in any weight division and he come to Manchester to fight me and I was a massive underdog nobody expecting me to to beat him you know in fact everybody was they're excited and all behind me Manchester Arena you know what I mean Kostya Zoo at the Manchester Arena you can imagine it was like that but there was a nervousness because I think everyone thought come on Ricky we want you to do it but I think a lot even the ones that were behind me thought oh shit this could go a bit pear shaped but no I ended up winning it made him quit on his stool and it probably Manchester's greatest ever boxing night and it said if I had a warning it would go down as one of the best wins ever in a British boxing ring that's where it's staying and he was such a formidable champion Kostya Zoo he was knocking everybody out such a hard right hand punch he was blasting everyone out and everyone was scared to death for me but I ended up beating him and I sort of like beat him at his own game I went straight at him stayed on his chest and bullied him a little bit and they ended up quitting on his stool so from a boxing point of view I thought yeah I thought I can't be touched now if I can walk through him I can walk through him and that's how I went on into me next few fights but no even when I won the world title and beat Kostya Zoo I still remained and you know what you said earlier about being untouchable no I think the greatest thing is what my parents brought me up to always be humble feet on the ground and they always from all the way through I think I've always been that way do you think that's why you get the support that you got and the love that you got is because you're just a fucking good guy just one of the boys and people can see about themselves in you except you've just succeeded everything you set out to succeed absolutely I think that's exactly what it is I think people from the Hattiesley Council State where I was born when they see me winning world titles and they see me coming out the ring and go thanks for everyone who's been there all the way from the start thank you for the fans for paying to come in and support me thanks for all that I'm telling them people and Hattiesley would be like what a lad he'll be in here next week and hold him he won't be he won't be on the red carpet he'll be in here poor Missy Floyd Mayweather for example who comes from Michigan and the same they call them projects in America don't they are the same sort of like I think I don't think the people in Michigan when Floyd Mayweather wins his belt and he goes look at me this look at me that they'll be thinking it's a toss because you know but no I mean you know when you come from the Council State I've always remained unborn never forgot the fans I never forgot the people that were there from day one where Floyd's forgot them look at me watch look at me this look at me that and I think people in Michigan would be sat there now thinking what a dick he is and that's the difference you know Floyd will go down as the greatest of all time he's got money you know going out of his ass but I'd rather have the love I have for my fans than the love that he will have from the people in Michigan seeing what he's turned into Did you feel an added pressure though to be as humble as you were to try and not No yeah because that's what I was saying to you about that's why I felt like I had to I had to thank him I had to go back because that was the point of me where I thought you know if people thought look at him Charlie B you know he'd kill me and that's why I I always remained because I mean that's the way my parents brought me up it wasn't I wasn't putting anything on I was not trying to be someone I wasn't but I always the best thing is when I go for a pint on the counter just walking the pub and kids come up to me from this date hey Ricky how you doing that's what it's all about more than gold on it so you went to America you were undefeated you thought like you said they're the greatest of all time some people argue that he's not but for me personally is for everything that he has conquered to have that record so when you're going over to America I think I don't know if it was Frank Bruno it took the most British here I think maybe 10,000 against Mike Tyson but when you've went you've 35 40,000 people that it's just unbelievable to even have in a stadium in the UK never mind America how did that fight come about with you and Floyd Mayweather it cost you a zoo which was such a massive massive upset and the manner in which you did it and then I become a world champion in two weight divisions I won the World To Weight title against Louis Calarzo won a box in Boston won a box Louis and then it went to Las Vegas won an other world title like World To Weight IBF title against Juan Urango in my Vegas debut which was named up in lights for years watching Leonard Hagler, Hearns, Tyson and all them on the strip then your little fat face comes up something you'll never something you'd never think is ever going to happen then it'll be always a Louis Castillo in the fourth round and he'd previously gone 12 round 12 round distance twice with Floyd Mayweather you know I mean so I beat him in four rounds and so then that gave me the opportunity to turn around and say well you know Floyd's the best I want to be the best but you know we do have a watch you know like I said there's more action in my four rounds than in Floyd's previous 24 with him and that's what and that got the fight then against Floyd Mayweather and I think it was because he because we were so different you know what I mean he was like as I mentioned earlier it's all about me watch all about all it's not about me performance don't matter about the fans it's all about making money you know what I mean when I was the opposite I was going oh thank you for coming over and supporting me and everything like that it was like good cop bad cop and it made the build up and everything just everything just and I think you know the fact that the 40,000 fans went over and into his backyard to support him it's like even though I look back now I mean at the time when I got beat as I mentioned earlier I got beat by Floyd it hit me very very hard you know told all these fans I was going to go over there and do it and I didn't I felt so let down and I couldn't leave the house I was embarrased but now I look back at so much pride when people come up to me on a weekly basis oh Ricky went to Floyd Mayweather it was unbelievable you couldn't move couldn't move on the Strip of Vegas they ran out of beers in the bars we were on the water we were singing oh unbelievable Ricky and it makes me feel really so so proud now and when you think what he's done since he'll probably go down as arguably the greatest of all time I think Mamadale will always have the man at the label as the greatest but I think as far as from boxing and skills and wins and just you know just all around you know I think Floyd Mayweather will probably go down as the greatest but you should be proud of yourself I watched it in Manti's and Aberdeen the old family stage I think it was like 5 in the morning because I mean my dog I've got a boxer dog my dog after you hattin I don't know if that's a compliment or an insult maybe they were a dog was it a boxer so your dog was called hattin and we were all up there watching it obviously no it was it's one of the moments I look back at pride now you know now I've gone through all that stage you know with me here my personal life and everything like that now I couldn't watch the fight for forever I mean when I got there were you know I had sportsmen's dinners bought some appearances and you know I didn't want to do any of them I cancelled them all I didn't want to walk down the house someone had walked through my hometown I'd be like you know are they laughing at me are they laughing at me and I think that was when I think it was always there my mental health as we mentioned earlier but I think that just set it moving on that little bit triggered it that little bit more did you realise how good Floyd Mayweather was yeah oh yeah I mean when I got in the ring I mean I was from the first bell I thought you know we're just I hope the referee allows me to get close to him you rocked him the first round did you know that I had caught him I think it was more off balance but I think if he'd have it if he'd have it the if he'd have touched the canvas it would have definitely been counted as a knock down but I don't know I think it was more off balance than anything it was a good start to the fight the one thing before the fight was I thought Floyd likes to box at a distance you know I mean I like to fight up close and as long as he lets it fight go at a distance and lets it go close I think we've got a good chance here and the fact that I was in his backyard of Las Vegas and the referee was from Las Vegas I was thinking I hope he lets me at him and I think from the start of the fight it was clear that he wasn't going to let me at him and breaking me and breaking me and I sat down on the stool at the end of the second round and I said to Billy he's not letting me near him he's breaking me Billy I said none of us are holding none of us are holding why am I going to get in and hold why when I get in I want to hit him he said he's breaking he's breaking nothing we can do we expected this we trained for this listen try and keep composing blah blah blah and then each round as it went by my head started going a little bit more you know in the fight it wasn't like the referee wasn't letting me near him and he was breaking me I was still doing alright bit by bit he composed me when he took a point of me so that I hit him behind the head when he missed and my head fell off then and then bit by then he took me apart then he knocked me out and it was yeah it was devastating because I think up to about the halfway mark there wasn't much in it nipping talk and that but I was fighting with so much frustration as the referee wasn't letting me get at him how was that then with your first loss like you say you feel as if you're a failure you've let people down when in reality the people who watched know that's not the case but it's hard for somebody to say that who's also battling with maybe insecurities or paranoia sets in like you say you think people are laughing that the general world just shatter after that defeat yeah I felt like packing it in and I had a long time off I had a long time to think about it yeah it wasn't good but then bit by bit you know like anything you start venturing out you start doing a few more appearances and things like that and then you start thinking I'll give it another go and then I start thinking to myself listen right you know I mean the first time you've got to be I know it's flowing whatever but I mean you know legacies are built on coming back from defeats you know I mean if you've already felt you're going oh your own way then the first time you've got to be you took the towel in that's not what champions are about that's not what champions are made of so I decided to make a comeback and then I got me another dream of mine to box at the city of Manchester stadium being a man city fan I've always wanted to box at man cities ground it was main road years ago and it was the Etihad so I got the chance to box there at the Etihad stadium 60,000 fans turned up and that 60,000 fans were sold out in about three weeks so and it was sort of like you know give me the confidence you know what you were right to come back you know if you had to pack the game in you want to sit this box box in that man city I said you know it brilliant I said you know but it wasn't really my best performance so the occasion the thing was good but my performance wasn't great and I thought to myself maybe I need maybe I need to think about whether maybe a change or something like that because Billy Graham was very injured he was having needles in his hands to get through training sessions needles in his elbows and me and Billy decided to part company but he didn't share the same enthusiasm with me so he fell out with me so Billy Graham had been there from day one and and you know my mate was more than a trainer he was a mate of mine and all of a sudden we fell out so you know got beat by Mayweather and then I boxed that man city what a great occasion then my performance wasn't great I was down again and then it was down when me and Billy split up and then I fought Paulie Malinagi in Las Vegas and Nolan Liam carried the belts in finally for me they were here two heroes and I carried the belts in in Las Vegas and I stopped Malinagi in the 11th round and it was one of my best performances since the Costa Zoo fight so my frame of mind was back up then and then the manner of the fight I got the chance to fight Manny Pacquiao again for the pound for pound number one title and obviously when the Pacquiao fight came along I got destroyed in two rounds so then my confidence was down it made me just down ultimately I had to retire then so I think I'm going to have to hang the gloves up now I'm going to have to hang the gloves up and then I fell out with my mum and dad so when that happened so you can see my frame of mind I'm up and down I'm up and down then you got destroyed by Pacquiao you fell out with your mum and dad you got to retire so I didn't have my mum and dad to share my retirement with I didn't have Billy Graham to share my retirement with I had to retire I didn't care whether I lived or died at that stage didn't care Was that for your own self-destruction that you fell out with everyone? No I totally I don't want to say too much because my mum and dad we've made up now and that's why I'm so glad that they didn't set me live because I want to sing Campwell Godpro I want to make up with my mum and dad I wouldn't have made but I think I was I think it was that right to fall out with them but we've moved on for that we've brought the family back together which we never thought was going to what's going to happen so life is great you know again at the minute but I think it was all it was all things that were unavoidable it's just the way I was built and I mean obviously I got beat by Mayweather I can't help feeling the way I did that's me and then I boxed that man's seat he was like whoa and then all of a sudden I fell out with Billy back down then I knocked out Malinargy and none of me carried the belts in in Las Vegas and I think knowing how I am and how I was and the problem that I had I think it was unavoidable I don't think there's anything I could have done I think it was always going to what was how much pressure was on you after the Mayweather fight to be fighting in the city ground to be thinking everything's on the line no pressure whatsoever because I mean by the time I'd fought for Mayweather I'd had 45 fights I was WBU champion I'd made 15 defences in my WBU title and then that's even before you made WB Pacquiao, Malinargy and you know being how I was up and weight down in weight you know how I live socially you know what I mean text toll on your body up and weight down in weight and my style of fighting you know I wasn't a master of defence like a Floyd Mayweather I was in your face you know taking probably two or three to get one in you know so you know there was Miles on the clock you know I'd beat Costa Zoo one of the greatest British successes every way I fought one of the greatest books has been ticked the job had been done you know I'd got the pennies in the bank and I mean that's not why there was no pressure on me to come back in fact everybody was on the other side Rick got a day now you've done that it was only me personally that said no no no I want to leave you know a legacy you know I was so gutted when Naz got beat by the rare that he'd never come back and had another his first defeat he'd never come back and give it another another you know another another try and that sort of like stood in my mind I thought to myself I thought well he's had it all his own way he's made it all his money he's won he's had it all his own way now he's got beat he's made his money that's him done I want to I want to hit on and on and on and I think that all the champions like Riverbursle Durrani was me here they've all got their legacies you know it's great when you win when you win and you win oh got beat thank you I'm out now you know it's not what I it's not what I have in here it's not what I'm about what's your biggest weight cut biggest weight cut I think what's from my combat fight against Senchenko last time that was just Shia Faustone that was my biggest weight cut funny enough for the exhibition fight I mean I've already done two stoning already and I've got just a little a stone still to to go so it's not my biggest weight cut because even before the I'm talking about my mental health and my problems and all that I think even before even before this exhibition fight came along for the last four or five years I've been in a good place, I've been happy I've been looking after myself, I'm training my boxes every day doing the family thing with my grandkids and my grandkids and doing the family thing and it's people talking about all this, it's nice it's nice to have a date and have a goal and something to set my sights on so I can look after myself, keep healthy going, it's like going back in time it's really enjoyable but I mean it's not this that has got me on the straight and narrow, I was already on the straight and narrow I think it's the reason why I was on the straight and narrow is the reason why I can do this if that makes any sense so I've been in a good place for a good while and this is just another thing to add to the list and when I look back at all the problems that I had if I had have took my own life because I used to come in here in this very house and sit on that couch and I'd be on my own do you know what I mean people say don't go to the pub and have a drink I've seen that, I didn't have to go to the pub and have a drink, I'd come home from the gym train me lads, tell a few jokes, crack a few smiles come home on the surface, ricks are out and then I'd come in here and I'd just cry I'd cry all day and that's even family members and loved ones didn't see it because you know we're men, we don't want to I'm crying all day I'm crying all day love can you help me can you help me I think everyone knew I wasn't well but to what extent I don't think they knew to what extent it was do you cover it up Will cover it up really well I was a trainer I'm always like the sort of the party and it's like I'd be here, I'd be depressed I'd go to the gym, which obviously going to the gym helped me do you know what I mean I'd get me out of the house, instead of sat there crying he'd get me out of the house and he says as soon as I walked through the gym door I'd go hey lads you okay, what are we going to do today what have you been up to and it was like so on the surface everybody manager, you know just everyone Rick's good as gold, you know what I mean and Jennifer lived with that time said he's not well, something's not quite right really, you know, alright yeah, good as gold, me, good as gold you know and then I'd go in the gym and all my staff would go well, he looks alright to us and that is mental health isn't it, that's what we keep telling everybody about you know keeping it in you've got to go and get it out there and tell someone, the main thing is he's telling somebody what went for me and they'll form a world champion I'm not telling anyone that, that's what I thought at the time and that's what sent me under do you think it was hard to figure because at the top of the tree fought the best of the best undefeated, one in world titles, defending world titles being the king of Manchester because I always remember Frank Bruno as well when his mental health went back then people laughed, the front pages making a fool of him you think it was harder for you to come forward and say I'm struggling because of your reputation I think it was I think it was, I mean it's something I always had in me from my young age I think and just when things go wrong in your life, it just triggered it it triggered it off and I'm like an ambassador now for mental health and it makes me felt dead proud you know when I was just something I was on this morning I was in Britain every week on mental health week I'm just saying like that for so many people on your socials to go watching that interview it's inspiring me so much and this and that and I see that as my job now I train my fighters and I'm doing my exhibition about myself but I've seen my job as being ambassador for mental health to try and work with the front Bruno foundation ambassador for Frank's organisation and I do tackling minds which one, Frank's trying to get you in the gym doing boxing rather than take a tablet or something like this, try and get in the gym and fill your time and do something tackling minds is another one, get out in the fresh air do a bit of fishing, you do something to take your mind you know so I'm all for I'm all for that How hard was that? What was the butterfly post walls at the Mayweather defeat of the Pacquiao what was the hardest one? I think the Pacquiao one, I think the Mayweather one was he just set the ball rolling a little bit and part of me in my mind thought well yeah it is Mayweather and yeah you know he's beat him, he's beat him I give him a good fight, I moved up a weight to do so yeah but there were the Pacquiao defeat I mean I've always been a proud man I was in there fighting against Mayweather and I think a lot of people felt sorry for me, you know they think the referee didn't do his job and this I'm not saying I'd have won the fight anyway I'm not saying the only reason I lost the fight was because of the referee but I think people thought Ricky had a bit of a was hard done to there you know but you know I was always a proud fighter, made Koshizuki and he's still a wonderful title a well to weight when I'm really never really was a well to weight you know I mean I've always been able to beat people that were better than me, more talent than me because they had such a big art so when you've got that to be destroyed in too like Manny Pacquiao and laid out like I was so so hard for me being a proud fighting man to be laid out like that was very difficult and then for to be told you know by your trainer and just everyone and he not even told by them I knew Ricky, you've got to angle him up now son yeah that was a bad one and then straight after that I fell out with me parents Is that the worst time of your life? Oh by a mile you know and people say you know it sounds daft I wouldn't change it because it's sort of like it's made me the person I am but I wouldn't wish that period on anyone and anyone and you know people never never saw what was going through because they disguised it you know like you do That was the same mate I disguised all mine through drink drugs and give frustration used to get an odd sunbed, get my teeth done and people thought he's okay deep inside me I was screaming out for help I didn't know where and the other way and it's the same story we've met in old health it's pretty much the same it's the same story especially when you know and it's hard you know that's why I think it's good that Frank Bruno did it, I did it Tyson Fury's done it I think it's so important that all of us do it because we've all been there but I think sometimes when it comes from like from boxers I don't know maybe it has a bit more of an impact where they think I was going through that he was crying every day and it seems to be making an impact so I'll do it all day long save one life that's good enough and it's definitely the way forward I'd go I'd sit in the air and start crying and then I'd go to the pub and have a couple of pints at least a couple of pints as you probably know like puts in some fucking overdrive do you know what I mean so it's it's horrible it's the escape of it like I drank because it numbed the pain it took me away from the misery it's hard times the next day just for that 3-4 hours I felt free and then the gear would come in and then it's 2-3 days and then the depression would seep in even more and then I'd feel like I even bigger because I had two kids and I'm thinking how the fuck can I be a dad why should I be sitting in a gas not in gear and drinking and feeling as if I'm Billy Big Bollocks when I realised I was a dad that's exactly what it was when you're going through your dark stages and you feel alone, you've not got your mum and dad you fail out with Billy you're slipping, you're retired at that point what was your daily routine like it was just basically getting up having breakfast some mornings I felt alright some mornings I felt like shit and then I'd go to the gym and train me boxers it's not like it it was pretty much it was most days but some days you'd fail half alright but no, it was just pretty much on a daily basis just coming home crying the misses had come in and then all of a sudden because I lived with it you can hide it to the public can't you because you're only with the public or with your mates or with the boxers at the gym for a couple of hours at a time when you live with your misses it was harder to describe it and that's why me ex at the time she knew I was poorly because you live with a person so obviously you can't turn the charm and the smile I was on 24 hours a bleeding day can you so but she knew I was poorly and she was telling everybody but then when I went to everybody so it was just the same routine every day and then sometimes you know I'd come in and I'd get a knife out and just sit there with it at my wrist and just crying and crying and crying and I'd be going come on come on and I couldn't and then I'd get up and I'd go to the pub and then I'd come back and I'd come back and I'd try doing it again and know what's happening here why can't I do it you know what I mean and it was pretty much like that for a long period how hard does that to have any rest and feeling as if you don't want to be here it's very hard you know and I you know family was always always very close to me and it still is very very close to me but I had no family I had you know I had me I had me you know me me me gilford and that what I mean I had no no family Billy Graham was like you know not just my trainer had been there for everyone you know we swept blood blood in tears together in that ring you threw every punch with it maybe wasn't with him and they start going through your mind and you're thinking well I'm never gonna never gonna hear that roar the crowd again you know what I mean I'm never gonna I'm just just sort of feeling fairly sorry for yourself yeah how did you get out that was that when you got you came out with retirement again no I think everyone has a has their own way don't they and it's a different thing or whatever but my second my first child came along my second child's big pile and Campbell I would hear about and I didn't live with Campbell so fanfully Campbell was able to see what Jennifer me ex so but yeah Millie my first daughter she came along wasn't planned or anything and I held her in my arms in the hospital and I said come on Rickie it's not about you anymore it's not about you you know it's about your kids and your family you know what I mean get yourself together it's not about you you got others to think of now on her a little bit better still couldn't do it but then I went see a psychiatrist and I just went and opened the door and I fell on my knees and I just went you need to help me I'm gonna kill myself I said I can't do it I said I can't do it I've tried I said I'm getting better I said try and do it for me my little girl that's come along I said I'm in the gym training me boxers I'm doing this and that but I said no I said it's not working I said you need to help me I said I'm gonna kill myself and he told me and I just went for meetings and meetings and he told me things that I couldn't do and what makes you happy Rick what this and that what you think about with this and he just had certain questions he's quite genius actually some of the stuff he you know he did and I started just working on little bits and I got myself a little bit and I got myself better and then I started losing weight and I wasn't thinking about coming back I was just losing the weight just getting healthy and enjoying myself again and then I thought to myself what's gone wrong what happened in the paper what you know how everyone knows of I was on the bottom of the ladder and everything like that I said if I need to get me if I need to get me respect back a little bit and people would say we all have problems you're no different you don't need to do that so it doesn't matter what you need if I need to do it to put my mind at rest it doesn't matter about yours yours yours and what you think don't worry Rick it's only me over don't worry you know what I mean it doesn't matter it's what I need and so I made me come back and it was it ended in defeat I picked far too tough for the opponent for me come back but that's me all over but um but no I um I think I was winning and he got me with a body shot and I got beat and I never looked back since I could move on with my life then you know I made a comeback just to get me respect back um I made a comeback to find out if I've still got it which I found out I hadn't and that's why I got beat and a lot of people were a little bit worried oh no no defeat where's it what's going to happen here now to Rick but it wasn't I never looked back and I haven't looked back since yeah how obviously looking back you've got a what a career that phenomenal career thought the best of the best never shied away from no one world titles all around the world that's unbelievable one that you should be proud of everything you've achieved you've left a legacy now the good good thing about yourself right as you're learning from the pain of the past to try and help others not make the same mistakes see if you never drank how far do you think your career would have lasted um I think I could have got maybe a few more years out of myself if I if I hadn't been up and down in weight and drinking and binge eating and all just a whole lot I think I could have got a few more years out of my career um it's not to say that I might not I thought I could have performed maybe a little bit better because you know don't I was doing it with one hand behind me back when you think about it you know so but when I look back now um I wouldn't change anything I wouldn't change anything because I think people the fan base come and supported me they used to go look at him and he'd run so and so look at him up in weight down in weight he's in the pub with a Guinness he's at the football he's a practical joker he's at the feet down the you know all them all them things I think that's why I had that I think I had the fan base I had because I was a little I was a little Manchester I think that's why people liked me obviously because of the fighting as well so I had the best following of any British fighter of all time that's my best achievement I think through all my career I wasn't winning this winning that winning that you mentioned earlier about Frank took 10 over to Vegas and I took 40 over in that that's the great and there's a reason for that and I think it's I'd like to think it's because of the the style of fighting they had but I think I was mentioned you know and I firmly believe that so in doing that the reason why the I had that support was because I was a little Scaliwag I was a little Manchester chaff do you know what I mean so would I change it no I don't think I would I wouldn't be going to change the single a single bit of it but doesn't mean to say that if any of me boxers or a Campbell do the similar to me they get they get a fit here but me personally I wouldn't I wouldn't change anything but I don't want me boxers to go down the same route how hard was it your last fight your mum and dad not being there and Billy not being there that was probably the hardest to be honest with you because I mean the fact that I'd had a few fights with Billy not being there when I when I when I'm Billy when me and Billy fell out and Billy left which ultimately me and Billy's made up now we made up me mum and dad and you know life is is so good now but I mean not having mum and dad down there when the fight started drifting away from me a little bit first place I looked was at ringside you know when I'd started off the fight well and then when he started to get a little bit of a you know get a few good rounds in and I thought oh no he's starting to crawl a little bit of this back here now I'd looked down at ringside I mean mum and dad wasn't there and I think that I think that ultimately at the time because I hadn't made up me mum and dad I think that was the main thing I'd got past all my problems for all my demons and all this and I was in a good place and I was in the right place in order to make me come back but it's only during the combat when I thought when things were going bad and I looked down at ringside like I used to do when I was fighting and they would always sat there and it wasn't I think that affected me more might affect me more so now I know that I've made up in the exhibition about they've got to be there so but no I yeah you know it was I mean I've always been very close to me family close to me friends close to me roots that's the type of guy I was and the main route of Ricky Hatton when we come back fight wasn't there at ringside and it's not the fact that they're at ringside for the exhibition exhibition fight even if they're there or not I mean I've made up of them now I get home over with the families back together now I think if things are going no problem in the fight I don't even need to look there now because I know they're already there with me now yeah we're not supposed to fight Delahoya after that for you Wembley or is that a lot of shit? No I think I think if I had a beat Pacquiao they thought that I was going to fight Delahoya at Wembley and I think that there was already talks in progress a little bit you know for that but obviously it was obviously a big ask because I mean Pacquiao was blasting out every one of the time he'd blasted Delahoya, blasted Cotto blasted me in the end you know so but yeah that was a generally thought we probably could beat Pacquiao I thought if I could get past two rounds and take his best and come on top I mean if he hadn't got me when he did and I'd have still been coming at him rounds three or four he might have crumbled but then again you know how long's a piece of string you know what I mean well it's all left some boats isn't it but no yeah there was talk about that yeah. When you see guys like Tyson Fury, King of the King of the World, one in all the belts had all the fame had all the money then seen him slipping his depression hitting 28 stone that, did you see a lot of yourself in that as well very much so, very much so I'd come out of my bad part and Tyson was just coming into his and we have a couple of, we have a mutual friend in Manchester as a pub in Manchester and I'd be in there sometimes would have a pint me and Tyson and he'd say oh I've got no, last night I'm going back in the gym Monday and I used to look at the size of me and think Tyson don't be thinking come back just just get yourself get your weight down get yourself right don't be thinking come back you know what I mean but you know everyone's different I don't know what you know Tyson's triggered it he just turned out and he said he said the same thing for me kids me just general health you know he said then Tyson has to lose 10 stone for his combat fight I mean he's even beat Ricky fighting with that one but it's just you know I mean I think I think sometimes when you've you've got to make the right decisions you've got to go and speak to somebody because you know if you could do it yourself you'd have made you'd have done it three years ago you know what I mean but you can't do it yourself so you're going to ask a man who can that's what I think you need you've got to do and I think that's what Tyson did and I think it's when I went like I just I thought I just I can't take any more pain I just my body can't take any more pain just not being happy just not that I mean how many years am I going to spend sat on my couch doing the same shit crying and doing you know I mean can't keep going on and I think it's clear that I can't you can't do it so you go and see someone that does and I think the minute you get your head around that but sadly some people don't some people tick the lives don't they it's sad because I'm an ambassador for a place called Chrissie's house in Scotland which is a suicide centre and I've had people in the rope marts on their neck and when they try to hang themselves the rope snap but it's the first thing they says when they try to kill themselves as soon as they've done it the first thought was I don't I want to live I want to live but it's sad though people can hit that that spot where they think the best option is to take their life yeah and it's trying to get that message out before they do tip the life in it you know I mean I you know I don't know I don't know how he did it the penny dropped for me just at the right time and I think I think because I think if it had gone on and gone on I think I think it would have took me life I mean here is a case of sad yourself won't get him doing it and it's time you get a little bit closer and then Millie came on and it was like oh I'm gonna be there I'm gonna be there and he didn't put it right but he was just someone like that so I went come on let's have a proper fucking thing about this now and that's what you know that's what I did and I had a proper think about it and I still couldn't do it and then I decided to go speak to myself so I was you know it's all like you know Millie put the brakes on for me and felt like come on you know you're saying the right stuff but you know you need to have a proper you know switch on now and that's when Millie come along you just sort of like you know put the speed bumps in front of me because I've spoke to Joko Zaggy's been on Frank Bruno know yourself that do you think there should then they spoke very openly and honestly about their struggles they're paying and do you think there should be more things in place for Boxers after the time to fill that void I mean there's a professional footballers association and there's a club Manchester United or Manchester City or Liverpool or you know whoever that you know once you've left the club you know I mean they can I don't know maybe they can go back to the club there's somebody there and there's something there in place that can that can help them in boxing there isn't the thing is with boxing is you're self-employed you don't have a club behind you you're self-employed so I mean but I think maybe boxing needs to make a little bit more of a stand of just you know how do you cope with retirement someone there to advise them what they do with the money Boxers we come from council states we don't come from Cambridge or Oxford you know I mean and if you become a world champion you get all this money nine times out of ten they don't know what to do with it they're not educated enough when we're not educated enough to deal with it so that's why so many Boxers you know lose the money in the end so it's stuff like that I think that needs putting in in place as well and it's such a sad thing I'm not calling any promoters because they get on well with all the promoters always always have done but it's as if you're like right right right he's finished now right where's the next prospect come on you know I mean and they about and you know oh he's great but you know then him there's fucking forgot about you know yeah just a number don't you how going forward for the future brother what's your plans obviously you've got your well July 2nd is my plan but it's great I mean you know come July 2nd if people can say a lot of people say what are you doing it for we don't want to see you get hurt you're not going to see me get hurt I'm doing it with me mate Mark and Tony over there bigger gloves shorter rounds less rounds it's got to be massively entertaining it's going to be brilliant but if one person says look at the shape he's got look what he did there you know do you remember him ten years ago see the state of him ten years ago when he was nearly trying to top himself and everything like that look at him now is that a bad thing no is it you know is it me training with me youngsters in the gym every day you know I mean doing the same thing as they're doing at 43 come on come on one of them said to me the other day they went Jesus I'm going to support me socks up a little bit here went right because he said if you're doing out 43 I need us that working a bit harder he's just little positives like that you know I mean and and he's no better time to do it because I'm an ambassador for mental health I've suffered for mental health I've lost family through the lockdown through mental health and I'm going to say listen you know the bad days don't last forever look what you can do you're just going to do the right things so there's nothing you know there's going to be a you know a massive donation to charity to help mental health as well I can't see anything negative to come out of this and that's what I'll continue to do it after July 2nd comes along you know Ricky and we still do the family thing we still train his boxes and still look after himself still try and bang the word for mental health loving life for the family now and my message is you know you can turn it around the same how hard does it know that your son is professional he's 8 and all Campbell are you happy with that or do you struggle I didn't want him to go professional because I I tried to work hard for me tennis so that my kids don't have to you know but for him to go into the artist's game of all with a dad that achieved what I did and with the social media world now where his apprenticeship's there for everyone to see and if he has a bit of an if you know I mean it's you know and he's got his head he's got his head round it now and I couldn't be any proud of not just the way he's progressing how he's improving how he's taking the knocks you know and deflecting you know we all get knocked don't we we're all going to get bad he keeps deflecting it he's not asked you know I mean he's just focused on his career and he's brilliant but I mean it's horrible to see him to see him box but I mean it just as just as I thought you know just as you're asking me worried about him he probably saying the same thing how do you feel about your dad fighting he's probably answering it the same oh Jesus what are we doing but you know we're fighters and even though I'm retired we're not dead and I know my best days are behind me but I'm trying to do it for my own well-being for all the people's own well-being and I'm trying to do a little bit of positive with it yeah that's the only way you can look at it positive you're getting fat have you ever seen me here now you know in shape or have you ever seen me forced on every year wanting to kill myself yeah but it's good to see in positives and you've got a better you've got a goal when an Emperor docked and fighting in front of your fans again getting your music on hearing that there's only one way to get out that's one thing you miss when you retire the scream of the crowd the nervousness when you walk into the ring that's the when it's that's the worst thing at the time you feel oh what am I doing this for and then when it's gone it's the one thing you miss and I'm going to get the chance to do that again and you know you're retired you're not dead once you've once you've you still got set goals with I've everyone's set goals for the love out there and Ricky out and it's not changed just because he's retired who's the hardest feat you've ever you've fought um I would say Mayweather to be honest with you I mean the Pac-El fight was doing like a one punch knockout you know that goes without saying how hard it was but I mean I've had a moan about the referee how he didn't let me fight and he didn't but it's the first time I've come back from the changing room after fighting you know Floyd Mayweather and I sat down there on my own I was sat in the locker room and I was just thinking to myself I was laughing and thinking oh my god he was good you know getting him on the ropes and I could you know I wasn't the biggest punch but my accuracy was my thing I could put me left up to the body on a one pence piece you know I could always find the target and he was so even though even when I got you know one in he got a half block on it or a half glance or half pull it was it really it really was and even though you know I still think the referee did a crap job he did me no favours you know and that but I mean um I was successful before the box mate Floyd Mayweather but fighting Floyd Mayweather changed my life my family's life my you know my kids life my grandkids life my grandkids kids life you know I mean it really did you know change our lives and even though I'm having a bit of a moon referee they stand by me I'll be forever grateful for being born in the era of Floyd Mayweather because what I've got is probably due to fighting Floyd. And your own ability mate and the care you've had all kinds of hand in hand mate just before we finish for people it's maybe struggling with mental health you've been there you've loved it you've thought there's no way out you've got now you're fighting again you're looking where we're losing weight you're positive you're seeing the world in a different place we see a beautiful find you know it goes without saying you know all them things you've just he's just mentioned there you know I mean you can you can do it you know you can do it but you know it sounds really brutal but if anything I've always been brutal and I've always been honest it's only you can do it you can't sit there crying about it I know why you sat there crying about it of course because I've been there but it's only you can make the difference only you can make the difference only you can do it you only you can make that decision people up and say how are you how are you doing how are you doing it's you that's got to check out on board and go yeah got to make a difference I've got to try something I'm going to do something you know instead of feeling sorry for yourself the best way I think about mental health I describe it as a bit like a hangover you know it's like sometimes if you have a hangover you're sitting in the bed don't you think oh I don't feel well the minute you get up and go and do something you feel better yeah and it's the same with the mental health the longer you stand there feeling sorry for yourself and everything like that you know the worst it's going to go you've got to get up and go and do something and if you do you know your life will come good again yeah exercise is key in that exercise is key it's all in actual chemicals yeah all in actual chemicals and dolphins and serotonin absolutely that's why I say go to the gym you know what I mean just blow off a bit of steam put the gloves on hit the punch bag go and sit on a lake do a little bit of fishing go for a walk and all them fell walks now that were people walking that seems a new thing to do but I'm all funny we're walking over the top of the hills and doing something like that nature yeah just before we finish up we're at I know your beloved man city fan you've got a big game in Sunday asked in villa you won you won the league what's the prediction typical city fashion I mean the league should have been over for us we should have won it you know and even the last couple of games it should have put it to bed but in typical city fashion we never make it right so in fairness Liverpool had a very very good team and and that but I think I think no I think we've we beat we beat villa we win we win the league and Sunday and I think the thing is for a city fan is we've given Liverpool half a chance I think they still need a miracle Liverpool you know in order to do but it's doable and we've we've we've given that doable to chance with what we've done in the last few games but ultimately I think the best team of the season has been man city and they're you know and they think they'll deserve to win it if they will do Sunday. Would you like to finish up on anything brother? No nothing just just everybody you know you're coming to me exhibition on July the 2nd you know it's going to be a fantastic night brilliant and all them out there with mental health you know just you've got to make the it'll come good life will come good for you again you've just got to do the you know and only you can can do it okay absolutely brother phenomenal career mate and everything you're doing for mental health it's proud of you it's unbelievable you're changing lives and you're helping save lives which it's all about good luck with the fight and see you in the future brother