CAMPBELL HATTON wants to revive his dad’s legendary travelling fanbase – with Ricky as ringleader.
But only if he leaves the dad dancing at home!
On top of his world titles at super-light and welterweight, Manchester icon Ricky built a loyal support that followed him to Las Vegas on five occasions.
Campbell, 20, has his third pro fight on Saturday against Pole Jakub Laskowski in promoter Eddie Hearn’s back garden in Essex.
But he dreams of emulating his father’s jaunts abroad, as long as he does not repeat the dance moves he showed on his last Sin City trip to watch Tyson Fury.
Campbell told SunSport: “I do want titles and achievements but I sometimes think my dad’s greatest achievement was his fanbase.
“Despite all his world titles, that really stands out for me.
“I would love both but how amazing is it to have that many people spending their hard-earned money to go and support you around the other side of the world, making memories for life?
“I don’t see why I can’t be the person to recreate what my dad did, I hope that people like me because they like my personality.
“Like my dad there’s nothing false about me and I have a fighting style that is fan-friendly so I don’t see why not.
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“My dad could definitely be the ringleader, he definitely knows where all the good bars are.
“But he would definitely be banned from any of that sexy dancing he did last time out there.”
Ricky was a true working-class hero who enjoyed working-class pleasures in between wars with the likes of Kostya Tszyu, Floyd Mayweather, Paulie Malignaggi and Manny Pacquiao.
Lightweight Campbell, who is being trained by uncle and former world title challenger Matthew, said: “I am in a good position because I like having a pint between fights.
“But I have my dad’s and Matthew’s experiences to lean on and learn from. I know when enough is enough.
“I know my dad went to the extremes in between fights so I am working on getting the right balance.
“You have to enjoy your time out of the ring and out of training camp, because you don’t get a lot of it.
“But you have to use it wisely and, if I do, I’ll get to enjoy a little blow-out.
“Out of my dad, my girlfriend and my uncle, Matthew is the strictest one — he is the one who gets me on the scales, so I have to follow his orders!”
Source: Boxing - thesun.co.uk
