Hatton vs. Coldwell British Boxing Grudge Heats Up

Ricky Hatton has fired back at Dave Coldwell, trainer of Hatton Promotions light-middleweight star Ryan Rhodes.

Coldwell claims that Hatton Promotions are not acting in the boxer’s best interests after ‘The Hitman’ started training his big fight rival Sergey Rabchenko.

Sheffield’s Rhodes attempts to regain the European crown when he meets Hatton Promotions stable mate Rabchenko for the vacant title on the ‘Road To Glory’ bill, at Manchester Velodrome on Saturday 16th June.

Ricky finds himself in the position where two of his world class fighters are being matched by the European Boxing Union, and Coldwell is upset that the former two-weight world champion is training the Belarussian puncher.

Hatton explained: “I am in an awkward and horrible position now as I’m a trainer and promoter. I think the world of Ryan and all my boxers. Ryan and his trainer Dave Coldwell have known me long enough to know I have all my boxers’ best interests at heart.

“It is a strange situation but I’d have thought that of all people – Coldwell (who is also a promoter and a trainer) would have understood the predicament I now face.

“Since Hatton Promotions started promoting Ryan we have secured him a world title challenge and this will be the second time we have made a European title shot for Ryan.

“For Coldwell to insinuate that we would possibly be stitching Ryan up and not acting in his best interests has hurt me personally.These are unfair comments from Coldwell and it shows what a fickle sport boxing is. He seems to forget what I have done for Ryan since we signed him.”

Hatton agreed to train unbeaten Rabchenko before the vacant championship contest against Rhodes was mandated by the EBU.

They were due to meet in March and then Hatton told Rabchenko to stay with his current trainer until he’d boxed Rhodes. When Rhodes pulled out of that date, Hatton worked Rabchenko’s corner when the Belarusian fought replacement Ronny Gabel in a non-title fight.

Hatton added: “I did the honourable thing and spoke to Ryan explaining that I was now working with Sergey after he pulled out. I tweeted just over a week ago that Sergey had landed in Manchester and was in the gym training.

“Coldwell tweeted back that Ryan didn’t know I was training him and said that as Ryan’s promoter I was trying to get him beat. It goes without saying I’m training Sergey to win, but as a promoter it doesn’t change anything.

“As the promoter of the winner I will bend over backwards for them to secure a world title and it goes without saying that I will be there to help the loser re-build their career.”

The ‘Road To Glory’ bill also features a vacant WBA interim super-bantamweight title fight between Scott Quigg and Rendall Munroe, Martin Murray in championship action and Rhodes’ fellow steel city fighter Richard Towers facing Michael Wallisch for the vacant EU heavyweight crown.

There will be a talent stacked undercard that will include former British and Commonwealth welterweight champion Craig Watson (20-5), unbeaten hopefuls Adam Etches (7-0), Scott Jenkins (4-0), Ryan Doyle (1-0), Jimmy Kelly (1-0).

Ticket prices are now on sale priced £125 (VIP Inner Ringside + exclusive cash bar), £100 Ringside, £55, £35 and £30. You can purchase tickets by calling Hatton Promotions hotline 01925 755 222/www.ticketmaster.co.uk/0844 847 2500/www.ticketline.co.uk/0844 888 4402/www.hmv.com

For all the latest updates please follow the Twitter account dedicated to fight @quiggvmunroe