Couch and Hatton Inducted into Boxing Hall of Fame
British legends Jane Couch and Ricky Hatton have been officially inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. The former world champions were honored on Sunday in Canastota, New York.
Couch, 55, and Hatton, 45, joined icons like Muhammad Ali and Floyd Mayweather in receiving this award. Fleetwood-born Couch was the first British woman to be inducted and only the 10th woman in the ‘modern’ category. “I have a habit of being the first, don’t I?” she previously told BBC Sport.
In the 2024 class, alongside the Britons, were American Michael Moorer, Mexican Ana Maria Torres, Puerto Rican Ivan Calderon, and American two-weight world champion Diego Corrales, who tragically died in a motorcycle accident at the age of 29 in 2007.
Couch retired from a groundbreaking career with 28 wins and 11 losses, having won the lightweight world championship and becoming the first woman to be licensed to box professionally in the UK. At 27, Couch took the British Boxing Board of Control to court to get her license, ending the ban on women fighting in the country.
“It feels a bit surreal; I mean, Ali and Frazier are in there,” she said. “It takes some getting used to. When you look at women’s boxing in the UK, I think I did that (made a huge impact).”
“I only now realize how hard I worked and that I had to travel abroad to be able to do it. If I had stayed home, many decisions could have gone my way.”
“I was a bit of a fighter, stubborn, just wanted to make a difference, and I certainly did. But 39 professional fights, five world championships, an MBE, and now the Hall of Fame – wow.”
Hatton joined his close friend Couch in the US for the ceremony. The Manchester native won world championships at light-welterweight and welterweight and went undefeated in 43 fights before facing Mayweather in 2007. Hatton lost that fight but is considered one of the best and most popular boxers Britain has ever produced. He retired with a record of 45 wins and just three losses.
The 2024 inductees were chosen by a panel from the American Boxing Writers Association and international boxing historians.