A Moray boxing stalwart who once reffed a bout involving a teenage Ricky Hatton has paid his respects to the departed champion.<\/p>\n
Back in the mid-1990s the young Hatton reached the final of a home nations contest, sponsored by the Daily Star newspaper. As this pitted the English fighter against an Irish boxer, it was decided that Donald Campbell, a Scottish referee, should officiate.<\/p>\n
Ricky Hatton, who died earlier this month, and longtime associate Donald Campbell.<\/p>\n
Donald, who still has a video recording of the televised fight, recalls: \u201cRicky won. Even back then it was clear that he was pretty special.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe kept in contact for quite a long time afterwards.<\/p>\n
\u201cOnce he became famous you\u2019d often bump into him at boxing dinners where he\u2019d be the VIP guest.<\/p>\n
\u201cOn those occasions Ricky always make the effort to go round the room and talk to everyone and make them feel comfortable.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe was one of the lads and people thought a lot of him. It was very sad to hear that he\u2019s no longer with us.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ricky Hatton was found dead at his Manchester home earlier this month at the age of just 47.<\/p>\n
His career saw him crowned the IBF\u2019s world light-welterweight champion in 2005.<\/p>\n
He also lost a brave 10-round battle to the US fighter Floyd Mayweather who\u2019s regarded as one of the sport\u2019s all-time greats.<\/p>\n
The \u2018Highland Haymaker\u2019 was a Scottish international<\/p>\n
Donald is a former fighter himself with a knockout punch that earned him the nickname of the \u201cHighland Haymaker\u201d.<\/p>\n
A co-founder of Elgin Amateur Boxing Club in the late 1960s, he\u2019s still reffing now at the age of 83.<\/p>\n
Indeed, Donald was the man in the middle just the other weekend when the club hosted its latest fight night at Bishopmill Hall.<\/p>\n
The evening featured a special boxing-style tribute to Hatton.<\/p>\n
Donald explains: \u201cWe don\u2019t have two-minute silences for boxers who have passed away. Instead the bell is rung ten times in their memory.\u201d<\/p>\n