'Legend was a €100k champ for our charity'

IRISH comedian Stevo Timothy has paid tribute to the late Ricky Hatton, recalling how the legendary former world champion helped him raise over €100,000 for the Irish Wheelchair Association.

- BY MARK McCADDEN

Hatton's extensive charity work included ambassadorial roles with mental health organisations.

But he was also accommodating when individuals reached out to him - and by the time he got involved with Stevo the pair had already struck up a friendship.

It began with Hatton agreeing to get Timothy into a headlock for an online sketch that quickly went viral.

“That was the first time I met him,” the Galway comedian told The Star.

“My friend Chris owns a pub and Ricky was making an appearance.

SKETCH

“So I just went down and I said to Chris, ‘Would you ask him if he'd be up for a video’, and Chris said, ‘Sure I'll say it to him’.

“Ricky was surrounded by people and all of a sudden he walks into the backroom and says, ‘Let's go, let's do the sketch, what do you want to do?’.