On this day in 2002: Ricky Hatton dropped for first time

On this day in boxing history, the legendary Ricky Hatton hit the canvas for the first time in his professional career.

In this thrilling bout against Eamonn Magee, Ricky Hatton first touched the boxing ring floor after taking a vicious right hook to the jaw. Hatton, nicknamed 'The Hitman', rallied from the knockdown and came back to win on points against Magee.

Hatton, also known as 'The Manchester Mexican' and 'The Pride of Hyde', held multple championships at light welterweight and one at lightweight. He was named the 11th greatest European fighter of all time and the 5th greatest British fighter of all time, pound-for-pound by BoxRec.

After his win over Eamonn Magee, he moved to 29-0. He also retained his WBU Light Welterweight Title.

With a total record of 45-3, with 32 KOs, Hatton has met the best of the best in the ring, including Manny Pacquiao, Paulie Malignaggi, Floyd Mayweather Jr., Jose Luis Castillo, Kostya Tszyu, and Vyacheslav Senchenko.

Now retired from boxing, Ricky Hatton runs his own gym where he trains fighters, including his son, who is following in his father's footsteps.

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What became of Eamonn Magee after Ricky Hatton?

Eamonn Magee made a name for himself after becoming the first boxer to make Ricky Hatton hit the canvas. Though he lost the fight, it was a monumental moment in his career and solidified his name in boxing history.

Unfortunately, Magee would never make it to becoming world champion due to difficulties outside the ring which caused the Irish boxer to be shot by the IRA.

Frank Warren spoke with talkSPORT about Magee, and stated:

"Had he lived the life of an athlete, he would have been world champion."

Drinking and drugs got Magee caught up in trouble outside of the boxing ring. He ran into trouble with the IRA, which resulted in him being shot in the leg as punishment in 1992. The chaos in his life kept him from being able to fully commit himself to boxing.

Nicknamed 'The Terminator', the southpaw Belfast native had a record of 27-6, with 20 KOs. Currently, he now works as an assistant trainer at the Breen Gym in Belfast with John Breen.

Magee published a book about his life in 2018 called The Lost Soul of Eamonn Magee, which won the William Hill Sports Book of the Year.

Hatton recently posted some videos of training to his Instagram: