Boxer Ricky Hatton, 44, denies taking cocaine after he was filmed with white powder on his nose
Boxer Ricky Hatton, 44, denies using cocaine after being filmed with white powder on his nose, claiming it is a legal tobacco product
- Hatton – whose fighting nickname is Hitman – has denied using cocaine
- His lawyers said the white powder on his nostrils is actually a tobacco product
Ricky Hatton has denied snorting cocaine after he was seen on footage with white powder on his nose – insisting it is a legal tobacco product.
Boxer Hatton – whose fighting nickname is the Hitman – can be seen in images with the granules around one nostril.
The film was shot in the back of a car in early February as it made its way to Manchester’s Albert Schloss bar.
It also included how he made a fool of himself, adding, “Tell you what, listen.”
Hatton – whose fighting nickname was the Hitman – can be seen in footage showing the light-colored granules around one nostril, but says it’s tobacco, not cocaine
Ricky Hatton celebrates with Oasis stars Noel Gallagher, right, and Liam Gallagher, left, after defeating Paulie Malignaggi in a 12-round junior welterweight bout in Las Vegas in 2008
‘Ricky Hatton MBE – Massive B*** End. Nice to see you.’
Hatton – who confessed to being addicted to cocaine for a year in 2010 – has been to rehab to deal with depression and deal with alcohol and drug problems.
The legend, 44, struggled to cope with the reality of giving up fighting.
But last night his lawyers assured fans that he hadn’t taken any class A drug.
They told The Sun the powder was a product similar to snus, which is popular with football players as a substitute for cigarettes.
They said: ‘It is readily available across the high street and supermarkets and subject to the usual tobacco restrictions.’
Referee Joe Cortez talks to Floyd Mayweather Jr and Ricky Hatton during their 2007 WBC World Welterweight Championship bout
It comes after Ricky showed off his bandaged hand in December when he attended the BBC Sports Personality Of The Year Awards with girlfriend Angela Blemmings
In January, Hatton showed off his heavily stitched hand after “serious surgery” due to Dupuytren’s disease.
He took to Instagram to show off his hand injury as he recovered from surgery, noting that it had been a “frustrating and upsetting time” for him.
The sportsman said he was unable to hit or punch for three months in the aftermath of the surgery before reassuring his fans that he is now well and is “ready to start again” with his training.
Dupuytren’s disease [also called Dupuytren contracture] is a painless condition in which one or more fingers bend 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 are finally joined into a thick cord that pulls one or more fingers to the palm.
Ricky recently underwent a body transformation and shed four stones before an exhibition fight with Marco Antonio Barrera in November
This can lead to ‘crowded’ fingers, making it difficult for people to perform daily activities such as tying buttons.
Hatton recently underwent a body transformation and shed four stones before an exhibition bout with Marco Antonio Barrera in November.
The athlete weighed 15th 4 pounds before starting training and weighed 11th 5.5 pounds on the day of the fight.
Hatton enjoyed a brilliant boxing career in the 1990s, winning multiple world titles and finishing with a career record of 45 wins and three losses – two of which were against legendary figures Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao.