Ricky Hatton in Cocaine Scandal Former world boxing champion Ricky Hatton known better as Ricky "the Hitman" Hatton, has been caught by infamous U.K. tabloid News of the World snorting lines of cocaine, during, what they say was a "10-hour drinking and drugs binge."
Video footage published by the tabloid shows the 31-year-old two-time world welterweight champ engaging in a marathon 10-hour bender including seven lines of coke over the course of three separate drug sessions, 11 pints of Guinness, four vodkas, two glasses of wine and several Sambucas. But hey, who's counting? Enter current Irish national senior women's boxing champ Emma Bowe, who attended a cage fighting event with Hatton in Manchester two weeks ago when the footage of Hatton was shot. Bowe claimed that Hatton showed up to her hotel room and she could tell something was up. And what do you know? Emma happened to be staying in a room equipped with hidden video cameras!
"Ricky told me he had something to do in the bathroom," Emma told News of the World. "That's when he went inside and snorted a line of cocaine off the toilet lid. I'd never seen him do that before, but it didn't surprise me because I'd met him nearly a year ago in Dublin and saw him accidentally produce a cocaine wrap when he was fiddling about trying to find his hotel key. My suspicions were confirmed.
"Anyway he left the bathroom door wide open and I saw everything while I was touching up my make-up. He used the hard end of a Clinique tube to cut the powder.
"I was dumbstruck and felt bitterly disappointed. Ricky was my hero and to see him abusing drugs was such a letdown. He was a real role model, I didn't expect that of him."
Emma said, "I'm doing this for Ricky's own good. I hope he gets help and advice before cocaine destroys him."
Hatton has not fought since being knocked out in two rounds by Manny Pacquiao in Las Vegas in May 2009, but Hatton's boxing licence was renewed in July, sparking rumors of a comeback. He lives with his girlfriend Jennifer Dooley and has a son, Campbell, with an ex-girlfriendwho he sees daily.
Video footage published by the tabloid shows the 31-year-old two-time world welterweight champ engaging in a marathon 10-hour bender including seven lines of coke over the course of three separate drug sessions, 11 pints of Guinness, four vodkas, two glasses of wine and several Sambucas. But hey, who's counting? Enter current Irish national senior women's boxing champ Emma Bowe, who attended a cage fighting event with Hatton in Manchester two weeks ago when the footage of Hatton was shot. Bowe claimed that Hatton showed up to her hotel room and she could tell something was up. And what do you know? Emma happened to be staying in a room equipped with hidden video cameras!
"Ricky told me he had something to do in the bathroom," Emma told News of the World. "That's when he went inside and snorted a line of cocaine off the toilet lid. I'd never seen him do that before, but it didn't surprise me because I'd met him nearly a year ago in Dublin and saw him accidentally produce a cocaine wrap when he was fiddling about trying to find his hotel key. My suspicions were confirmed.
"Anyway he left the bathroom door wide open and I saw everything while I was touching up my make-up. He used the hard end of a Clinique tube to cut the powder.
"I was dumbstruck and felt bitterly disappointed. Ricky was my hero and to see him abusing drugs was such a letdown. He was a real role model, I didn't expect that of him."
Emma said, "I'm doing this for Ricky's own good. I hope he gets help and advice before cocaine destroys him."
Hatton has not fought since being knocked out in two rounds by Manny Pacquiao in Las Vegas in May 2009, but Hatton's boxing licence was renewed in July, sparking rumors of a comeback. He lives with his girlfriend Jennifer Dooley and has a son, Campbell, with an ex-girlfriendwho he sees daily.