Olympian gears up for the games with former world champion

Commonwealth Games gold medallist and 2012 Olympian Tom Stalker put in a training session with former two-weight world champion Ricky Hatton last week as the 27 year-old joined the ‘Hitman’ at his gym in Manchester.

Stalker, who will compete at the London games in the late summer, worked the pads with the British boxing legend, along with gaining a few helpful tips from Hatton, 33, as he was put through his paces by the fighter-turned trainer and promoter.

“It's was a great day to get trained by one of my boxing idols,” Stalker told World Boxing News.

“He is a really good coach and the setup he has got in his gym is first class.”

The Liverpudlian, who is favoured as a gold medal hope in London, will take part in the 64kg category this summer and also captains the GB Boxing team. His experience with Hatton will only add to his chances of claiming a medal at the games and Stalker was keen to learn from the man who fought both Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao before retiring last year.  

“Ricky was great on the pads in his days with Billy Graham and is now a great pad man himself, along with a great coach. He was teaching me that even though I am a tall fighter, I can still work and be clever on the inside.

“He even gave me and mates some pads which was nice of him and told me to call down the gym anytime.

“It would be nice to go back as I learned a lot in just that one session with Ricky and he is such a nice man,” added Stalker.

Hatton has forged a successful career for himself away from the ring with his venture Hatton Promotions and has also recently gained his trainer’s license. He currently looks after Adam Little amongst others daily in his gym and almost had his first world champion when Martin Murray took Felix Sturm all the way to a draw at the back end of last year.

A European championships silver medal and a bronze at the world championships in Baku had followed Stalker's standout gold at the 2010 Commonwealth games in Delhi and the likeable fighter will be be confident ahead of his chance to claim a gold medal on home soil later this year.