Boxer Ricky Hatton, 44, denies taking cocaine after he was filmed with white powder on his nose and claims it is a legal tobacco product
- Hatton – whose fighting nickname is Hitman – has denied taking drug cocaine
- His lawyers said white powder seen on his nostrils is actually a tobacco product
Ricky Hatton has denied snorting cocaine after footage showed him with white powder on his nose – insisting it is a legal tobacco product.
Hatton – whose fighting nickname is the Hitman – can be seen in footage with the light-coloured granules around one nostril.
The film was captured in the back of a car in early February as he was on the way to the Albert Schloss bar in Manchester.
It also featured him making fun of himself, adding: ‘Tell you what, listen.
‘I’m an MBE – a Massive B***-End. Nice one.
Hatton – whose fighting nickname was the Hitman – can be seen in footage with the light-coloured granules around one nostril but says it is tobacco, not cocaine
Ricky Hatton celebrating with Oasis stars Noel Gallagher, right, and Liam Gallagher, left, after defeating Paulie Malignaggi in a 12-round junior welterweight match in Las Vegas in 2008
‘Ricky Hatton MBE — Massive B*** End. Nice to see you.’
Hatton – who in 2010 confessed to a year-long addiction to cocaine – has been to rehab to deal with depression and kick alcohol and drug problems.
The legend, 44, had struggled to cope with the reality of retirement from fighting.
But last night his lawyers reassured fans he had not been taking coke.
They told The Sun the powder was a product similar to snus, which is popular with footballers as a substitute for cigarettes.
They said: ‘It is easily available across the high street and supermarkets and subject to usual tobacco restrictions.’
Referee Joe Cortez talks with Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Ricky Hatton of England during their WBC world welterweight championship fight in 2007
Couple: It comes after Ricky showed off his bandaged hand in December as he attended the BBC Sports Personality Of The Year Awards at MediaCityUK, Salford with girlfriend Angela Blemmings
In January Hatton showed off his heavily stitched hand after having a ‘serious operation’ as a result of having Dupuytren’s disease.
He went on Instagram to display his hand injury as he recovered from the surgery, noting that it had been a ‘frustrating and worrying time’ for him.
The sportsman told that in the aftermath of the surgery, he hadn’t been able to punch or do pad work for 3 months, before ensuring his fans that he is now fine and ‘ready to start back’ with his training.
Dupuytren’s disease [also called Dupuytren contracture] is a painless condition which sees one or more fingers bend in towards your palm.
It occurs when knots of scar tissue form in the palmar fascia, the thin layer of tissue that lies under the skin of the palm, making it tougher. These knots eventually link together to form a thick cord that pulls one or more fingers over towards the palm.
Impressive: Ricky recently underwent a body transformation , shedding four stone ahead of an exhibition fight with Marco Antonio Barrera in November
This can lead to ‘clawed’ fingers, making it difficult for people to carry out day-to-day activities, such as doing up buttons.
Hatton recently underwent a body transformation, shedding four stone ahead of an exhibition fight with Marco Antonio Barrera in November.
The athlete weighed 15st 4lbs before he started training and weighed in at 11st 5.5lbs on the day of the fight.
Ricky enjoyed a glittering boxing career in the noughties, winning multiple world titles and finishing with a career record of 45 wins and three losses – with two of those defeats coming against the legendary figures of Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao.
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