About This Event

Adam Smith will be discussing his moving tribute to boxer Ricky Hatton, in conversation with Anthony Crolla On Sunday 20th September, join us at Blackwell's to remember the life of Ricky Hatton. Author and friend Adam Smith will be discussing the biography he wrote of Ricky's life, The Light That Never Goes Out, a "brilliant, heartfelt tribute to Ricky". Adam will be in conversation with Anthony Crolla. Doors: 5.00pm. Starts: 5.30pm. Tickets are £8. A Book & Ticket option is available for £25. About the book: As 'The Voice of Boxing' delivered Ricky Hatton's eulogy, Adam Smith's opening words echoed through Manchester Cathedral and across the country. Ricky Hatton's death stunned the world in a way few sporting losses ever have. Tribute after tribute poured in, from the lads on the estates to the A-listers on the red carpets. Everybody loved Ricky. Everybody felt they had lost someone who belonged to them. Ricky Hatton was their voice, their joy, their fighter. Written with the support of Ricky's friends and family, Adam Smith tells his extraordinary story in full. From Ricky's early career highlights and his iconic Blue Moon ring walks to his title bouts and fight nights in Las Vegas, as well as his struggles after retirement, his life is captured in vivid detail. Adam was one of Ricky's closest friends and was with him from the very beginning - at ringside, backstage, in bars, cars, takeaways and late-night hotel corridors, through all the triumphs, meltdowns, laughter, heartbreak and healing. He writes movingly about how it was Ricky who helped him through his own battle with cancer, providing him with the strength and support he needed to recover. Adam didn't just tell Ricky's story on television, he lived it with him. His laugh. His energy. His compassion. His heart. All of it lives on in these pages. About the author: Adam Smith is one of Britain's most recognisable sports broadcasters and storytellers. A feature writer for The Ring, and a leading commentator for DAZN, TalkSport and The Voice of Boxing, Adam has spent a lifetime chronicling the triumphs and tribulations of the sporting world. As Sky Sports' Head of Boxing, Smith planned and fronted the coverage of some of the most iconic events in modern boxing from Ricky Hatton's electric nights in Manchester and Las Vegas to world-title epics like Anthony Joshua's thunderous clash with Wladimir Klitschko at Wembley Stadium that defined an era. After being asked to do so by Ricky's family, Smith gave the eulogy at his funeral in October 2025 at Manchester Cathedral, paying heartfelt tribute to one of his dearest friends.This is his second book. It follows Adam's acclaimed debut Beautiful Brutality, for which he was shortlisted for Best New Writer at the British Sports Book Awards. Ricky himself wrote the foreword to Beautiful Brutality. If you cannot make the event but would like a dedicated copy of the book, please email events.manchester@blackwell.co.uk or call us on 0161 274 3331. Please note that due to Sunday hours, our cafe will be closing at 5pm. Our event format is usually a 45 minute discussion between the author and interviewer, followed by a chance for audience members to ask questions. There will be the opportunity to get your book signed/dedicated after the event. Events are a brilliant opportunity to discover new books, meet authors and like-minded readers and learn something new. Support your local bookshop and help us keep the Manchester literary scene vibrant and exciting. You can follow us on Eventbrite and social media (@BlackwellsMCR) to keep up to date on upcoming events.

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