Tanya's ticket

Click on this image for details and photos of The MEN Arena

and click on the seating chart to see Tanya and Nathan's seats

and click this image to see the front cover of the Fight Night Program

Britannia Sachas Hotel
Click on the image to see where Tanya will be staying - details and seven photos

A note from Kostya
Click the signature to read all the details

Tszyu congratulates Hatton on his victory
Click on the image to read a full report

Hatton revels in victory over Tszyu
VIDEO - click on the camera to watch Steve Bunce's report on the fight
and reaction from Ricky, his trainer and promoter Frank Warren

So here we go - Manchester and the Kostya fight!!

It was a very respectable train time of 1.30pm so had a lazy morning making a salad for the train and taking my time.
I got to the station in plenty and time and met Nathan, found our seats and settled in for the two-and-a-half hour ride.

We went through some lovely country side - England really is a very pretty country.

Nathan tried to sleep but I was so excited and chatty that the poor bloke didn't have much chance!!

Nathan and Tanya, who is in her "Tszyu Crew" shirt

We got to Manchester and walked to the hotel - very well located I must say.
It was also quite posh looking.
We went to the room and I looked in all the drawers as usual and tried to see if there was anything that I could steal - I got a pen!!

And then we went out for a walk to find the Arena and get our bearings.
We found the Arena with ease and booked in for dinner at a local pub between the hotel and the Arena.

We took a little wander and found a supermarket and grabbed a few beers and 'red bulls' to get us through - then it was back to the hotel for a bit of a chill out before dinner.
We watched some telly and showered and got ready.

We headed off for dinner.
There were lots of people at the pub that were going to the fight - there was a group of Russians there who saw my shirt and as we walked past them said "zee you at ze fight"
I pointed to my shirt and said "Go Kostya" and they said "Jar" - it was pretty funny!!
We had a few drinks at the bar downstairs and a few peope came up to us and said that Ricky was going to win - whatever!

We then had to go back to the hotel because I forgot my lense solution - oops!!
We took the opportunity to apply our Oz flag tattoos and headed to the Arena.

There were lots of people heading that way and singing "There's only one Ricky Hatton" or "Walking in a Ricky Wonderland" - and very very very few Aussies!!

The view of the ring from their seats

We got in and found our seats and I congratulated Nathan on doing a top job!! - they were great!! - close enough to see the sweat fly off their heads when they got punched!

The Danny Williams fight

There were a few lead up fights that basically were all crap - very mismatched and only went one or two rounds at most.
The heavyweight fight was okay - Danny Williams from London fought - he has fought Tyson before (didn't last long that time) but he seemed so huge from my seat!

There was one other title fight which was a little better (six rounds I think) and there was another guy from Manchester fighting - he lost - which I hoped was a good omen but as we all know it wasn't.

The Fanatics arrived - they were up in the 'nose bleeds seats' and though they tried, bless them, they couldn't make much impact on over 21,000 Manchurians who drowned out their chants pretty much as soon as they started!!

The ring announcer was fantastic!! - I would have paid money just to hear him - he looked pretty little but he has a great big voice!!

Celebrities in the ring before the fight (two photos)

There were a few celebrities there - lots of fighters - Frank Bruno was the only one I knew and Russell Crowe was there.
They all got brought up into the ring - Russ got booed - apparently Kostya has trained him for his new movie in which he plays a boxer.

The fighters and their crews in the ring......

......and Tanya and Nathan are ready for the action to start!!!

Anyway - as the challenger, Ricky came out first - he came out to "Blue Moon" - which is the song of his fave football team Machester City (who Brett and I saw play when he was here).
There were fireworks and lights and it was so so so loud - I was shaking and had goose bumps I was so excited!!

Kostya came out much more quietly - his minders just holding his belts up and there were lots and lots of boos - we cheered as loud as we could but it was really just futile.
There were about eight Aussies in the row behind us and we chatted to them a bit - we all gave it out best shouts but it really didn't help!!

The fight is on!!! - and words of encouragement from Tanya!!! (two photos)

The fight started and right from the start Ricky came out as he said he would - hard and fast and in KT's face.
The first round was not great and despite the fact that I was cheering as loudly as I could I was already nervous.
Kostya landed a few big ones but with the crowd cheering it was hard to tell who was winning.

I am not sure what it says about me standing up in my seat screaming "Stand up and fight Kostya, fight him!" but I did it anyway!!

Celebrations for Ricky Hatton!!! (two photos)

And the result, as you all know, was Kostya's corner throwing in the towel after the eleventh round.

Despite the fact that I believed Ricky was winning and would win if it went to the judges I was shell shocked - there were tears (just a few mind you) but I was so absolutely convinced without a doubt in my mind before the fight was Kostya would win.

I just stood there and watched Ricky bounce about the ring and get presented with his new belts.

Ricky then took the microphone and spoke - I will admit to being both surprised and impressed with him.
He was well spoken and seemed genuine in all his comments about the crowd and about Kostya and I think I kind of like him - not an Anthony Mundine type at all (I am pleased to note he was beaten recently)

Anyway, Kostya took the mike then and said that Manchester should be proud of their boy and that he was beaten by a better fighter on the night - I was still standing there dumbfounded - was this really happenening?

Tanya and Nathan after the fight - "GUTTED but HAPPY"

We headed back to hotel and despite me being slightly afraid of the crowd before the fight I think that some of the things Ricky said calmed the crowd and the Fanatics standing by the front door giving the locals a round of applause helped.

The walk back was uneventful but silent - Nathan and I both felt the same way - did that just happen?

We pulled the curtains shut and got into bed.
We weren't leaving until 12.30 so we were going to sleep as long as possible - hotel curtains are great!

I woke at 11.00am and asked Nathan if we went back tonight did he think it would be different?

Then showered and packed and back to London.

Now the Poms throw the term "gutted" around all over the place - gutted they missed their train etc.
I have never had the opportunity to use it before so I will say that despite the fact that the fight was amazing, eleven rounds of a big time title fight, great seats, awesome atmosphere and probably one of the most amazing sporting events I have been to or will ever go to, the result left me well and truly properly GUTTED!
Tanya.