Crumpsall-raised rapper and actor Bugzy Malone is preparing to take to the stage this weekend as Manchester celebrates legendary boxer Ricky Hatton
When asked to perform, Bugzy Malone simply couldn’t say no(Image: Supplied)
On Sunday night, Aaron Daniel Davies will step back into the ring. He may not be boxing, but he will go 12 rounds for a rather special reason.
The Crumpsall-raised rapper and actor, better known as Bugzy Malone, will be returning to his home city to pay tribute to a Manchester icon. After several years away, the night marks a poignant moment in his life.
“Today I’ve just done 12 rounds on the pads to make sure I’m fit enough to keep the energy up of the performance from start to finish,” he tells me from his car. “I’ve got a few little surprises lined up and I’ve written something special for the occasion.”
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It will be the grime star’s first gig at the AO Arena since he played there as part of his Resurrection Tour. While he said he wouldn’t be returning to the touring circuit, there’s one man that made the decision to return to the stage again a “no-brainer”.
Sunday (June 7) will see an all-star line-up of musicians, comedians, boxers, and tv presenters take part in an Evening4Ricky – a ‘Las Vegas-style’ celebration of the legendary boxer Ricky Hatton.
It follows the death of the boxing legend in September last year at the age of 46. At the time, the Hyde champion had been planning a return to the ring after a 13-year hiatus with a fight scheduled for December.
A star-studded celebration of life for Ricky Hatton will be held at the AO Arena in June(Image: PA)
Headlining the evening will be Bugzy Malone, the self-proclaimed ‘King of the North’, who has great love for his home city and the arena, but most importantly, Ricky Hatton – a person he singles out as a major inspiration from his youth.
Organisers previously confirmed that the Evening4Ricky show would feature a reimagined boxing stage as a line-up of artists and performers take part in a series of entertainment ‘rounds’. The event aims to celebrate Ricky’s life and legacy while raising vital funds and awareness for mental health causes.
The Hitman, who was best known for his clashes with the likes of Floyd Mayweather Jr and Manny Pacquiao in Las Vegas, was described by his son Campbell as ‘fearless’ at an inquest into his death, adding that he ‘lived his life in and out of the ring at a hundred per cent and he always said he never regretted it’.
“Personally, he was a huge inspiration for me in a city that has some really cloudy days,” says Bugzy. “He was a beacon of hope. You can be a boxer, you can do incredible things with your life, you can buy a nice house.”
The 35-year old rapper is often credited as as one of the key acts behind the “grime revival”, and moving the UK urban scene away from more commercially-oriented music since he first burst onto the scene in 2015.
Ricky Hatton against Marco Antonio Barrera in the exhibition bout at the AO Arena back in November 2022(Image: PA)
One of the first artists in the grime genre from Manchester to commercially succeed in the UK, his extended play King of the North peaked at No. 4 on the UK Albums Chart in 2017. He’s also worked with the likes of Rag n Bone Man, Dizzee Rascal and Aitch.
Even with his success, and new music on the horizon, he says his immediate focus right now is Ricky. When he was asked to come back to the AO, he simply couldn’t say no.
“I’m clearing everything to give this situation and respect it deserves – this one’s all about Ricky. For me it was a no-brainer, damn right I’ll turn up.
“It would be an honour. I represent Manchester and the North and to give him the love and respect he deserves.”
Reflecting on Ricky’s life and legacy, Bugzy recalls the first time he met him, but also the impact of his passing last year.
“He played a big part in my life – he was an influence prior to me meeting him. I’d be at a casino and a Ricky Hatton fight would be on and I’d be tuned in. As young kids it was that we could be boxers too.
Bugzy Malone has previously cited Ricky as a personal inspiration (Image: PA)
“My music career had taken off and I was in a bar one night and saw him. He came over and introduced himself. We got the opportunity for a chit chat and his family were there. He was a great guy and had a great energy.
“It’s Ricky Hatton man that means something in Manchester. When it first happened I was almost angry because we needed you, your family needed you, I was being selfish. I liked the fact that Hatton exists. The kid in me sees him as a beacon of hope. And then you’re just sad, it’s a reality check. It’s a reminder, life is so hard.
“It’s a tough one, it’s hit me in a really deep way.”
Despite Bugzy’s successes, he had a difficult childhood and as a teenager served time at HMP Stoke Heath. It was when he released that he took up boxing as a hobby to try and turn his life around and later took up music and rapping.
In 2020 he was involved in a near-fatal bike crash in Bury that left him fighting for survival. He was taken to hospital suffering serious injuries following the crash on Rochdale Road on March 25, 2020.
An Evening4Ricky will see Bugzy Malone headline the show(Image: Supplied)
A lot of his experiences in life have been reflected in his music. And when he takes to the stage on Sunday night, he won’t be shying away from it.
Performing a brand new song especially for the occasion, the new track – which will also feature on his new album – was inspired by the journey of life and some of the struggles he and other men have faced.
“I just heard a beat from my producer that almost pulled my heart out of my chest. I had a motorbike accident and midway through the healing I lost a friend to a similar situation – an up-and-coming boxer and I guess he just bumped into hopelessness one too many times.
“This situation is something I understand and it’s really close to my heart. I also get a lot of messages on Instagram from young men who are struggling with it. I thought it was important.
“I’ve got an album coming out called Make it, Maintain It. I wanted this track to feature and it’s important that I not only address Ricky and send my condolences to his family, I show my respect to Ricky as a Manchester legend, but also anybody else who has been struggling with a dark headspace [and] let them know what I would say if I could speak to every single one of them.
“It’s a risk, people might not like it but I’m going to turn up on that stage and bare my soul and forget the magnitude of the situation and give it my all.”
Bugzy Malone(Image: PR picture)
When it comes to speaking mental health he says there’s stages where “you have to be nice to yourself because life is already trying to beat you up”.
“I’m open and honest and because of that I get a lot of messages and I’m conscious that there’s people that looking at me for the answers – whether I’ve got them all I don’t know but what I do know is that if you frame it in your mind that it’s a fight it’s almost like a 12-round fight and and every round life is going to try and knock you down so you need to be prepared to fight and stand back up when you do get knocked down.
“Ricky Hatton had was he was one of the boys. He was no different from the boys from the estate who are trying to be somebody and he never changed. He was up against it, he was struggling with demons like we all do.”
The evening itself will also feature singing, jokes, and poignant conversation making up 12 ‘rounds’ of entertainment. Before round 12 when Bugzy performs there will also be appearances and live music from John Newman, Russell Watson, Rowetta, The Lottery Winners, and Tinnie Tempah.
“Tinnie Tempah I’m excited to see. When I was 24 my career had taken off and in a good place, but 22/23 I’m watching documentaries of him selling out arenas in London and we went on to be good friends so to be doing an arena show with him is a full circle.”
Round one focuses on reflecting on Ricky the man – as a dad, son, brother, uncle, friend and boxer – with tributes from family, friends, fighters and fans. To celebrate, and to celebrate his unique sense of humour, organisers are encouraging all those attending to dress up in some of his favourite outfits.
Further rounds will also feature the audience hearing from elite trainers, opponents, boxers and fighters past and present who sparred, trained, fought and knew Ricky. There will also be a surprise presentation of the new WBC belt in Ricky’s name, awarded to a current fighter who embodies his spirit.
Ricky Hatton(Image: Alex Livesey/Getty Images)
And, alongside Bugzy’s new song, a new poem specially written and performed for the night by ‘Manchester’s Poet’ Tony Walsh, will tell the story of Ricky’s life. And for Bugzy there’s something he really hopes shines through for those in attendance.
“It’s important to me that his family know he was loved. I met his son outside a boxing match and what people won’t be taking into consideration is the pressure he’s putting himself under.
“And at some point I’d love to stumble across him and let him know he’s loved and he’s supported in whatever he wants to do in his life.”
He’s already gone 12 rounds on the pads in the days leading up to the show, but ultimately Bugzy, like all those taking part in Sunday night’s celebration, just wants to do Ricky and his family proud.
“It’s a respect from me to Ricky and his family so there’s the added pressure and stress learning them lines. I’ve been proactive since I knew about it and make sure every one on the night enjoys it and gets value for money because it’s a massively good cause and an honour to be involved.
“The album is going to come out 21 August and it’s my best work, but the focus for me is on Ricky Hatton, such an incredible person who stumbled into a brick wall like we all do. I’m clearing everything to give this situation the respect it deserves – this one’s all about Ricky.”
Evening4Ricky takes place on Sunday, 7 June at the AO Arena. Tickets are priced at £25 and can be purchased via the AO Arena website.