Campbell Hatton is using Conor Benn as a template for his career as he continues his development.
Hatton is the 21-year-old son of former world champion Ricky Hatton, and Benn is the son of Nigel Benn. Both boast unbeaten records, but the 25-year-old is on the verge of becoming a credible world title fighter, while Hatton appears much more raw.
His fourth fight - against Sonni Martinez - on the Anthony Joshua vs. Oleksandr Usyk undercard, was far from impressive and the Spaniard could have felt aggrieved he was not awarded the win.
“I remember Matt [Hatton, his uncle and trainer] explained to me that throughout his career he had been in a similar position where he faced criticism, that bit of extra pressure from being my dad’s brother and how he had to come out of his shadow,” Hatton said to Metro.co.uk.
“He said it takes fighters years to develop a thick skin whereas I have had to do it pretty much overnight. In the long run that will stand me in good stead because I don’t care who you are, you will always get those trolls who give you a bit of stick.
“It doesn’t matter if you are Canelo Alvarez, Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua or anyone else at the very top of the game, there are still people giving it out to you. So if I can get used to it now and get to a place where it doesn’t bother me, we’ll be laughing.”
His most recent fight was out of the limelight, knocking out Attila Csereklye - the first KO of his career - on a card in Bilbao, Spain. Hatton describes the manner of victory as a relief.
“Getting that stoppage out of the way, it was a weight off my shoulders,” Hatton explained. “In my head I was telling myself, the more you try [to] force the stoppage, the less likely it is to happen.
“In my earlier fights, I would always start off quite relaxed but once I started feeling myself getting to them, I would start smothering myself a bit, rushing my work because I was desperate to get them out of there.
“In Bilbao, I just thought, it doesn’t matter, and it came naturally. I have to take that mindset into every other fight now. I know I have got that one on my record, that’s out of the back of my mind. Now it is just about winning.
“That night in Bilbao was like the start of my career in my opinion. That is the version of me we are used to seeing in the gym every day. There are still improvements I am making but I think that was the start of things. Taking that into every fight going forward will be important.”
Hatton returns to the ring at the O2 Arena in London when he faces 36-year-old veteran Joe Ducker on the Lawrence Okolie vs. Michal Ciezlak card, live on DAZN.
“We have been on the big shows and I’ve not been my best,” he acknowledged. “In Spain, that was a bit closer to what we are capable of. There will be no going back now, we’re coming back to a more high profile show. I have shown what I can do when I relax and let things happen naturally and I would be an idiot to go back to it.
“Having been on that massive stage on the Anthony Joshua vs Oleksandr Usyk card at Tottenham, a weight was lifted that night. I experienced that pressure. [It’s] a bit like there is a shield around me now, nothing is going to get tougher than that and that will help me relax.
“I don’t want to be coming away from a fight when I’ve got a win but I’m feeling disappointed ever again. I’m not going to put myself back into that situation.”
Discussing the similar situation Benn has found himself in, Hatton claimed: “By the end of our careers, I think they will end up looking very similar. There have been speed bumps, small improvements each time and we’ve been learning on the job with a lot of eyes on us and a lot of criticism that we’ve had to deal with.
“He has stayed in the gym, worked hard and he has now come out the other side where he is really kicking on and making his own moves. I have got to have the same perseverance and the same work ethic. If I do that, I’m confident I will get there in the end too.”