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Daily Mail
23-07-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Ricky Hatton, Michael Watson and Barry Hearn to be awarded Freedom of the City of London at black-tie boxing event
Boxing legends Ricky Hatton, Michael Watson and Barry Hearn are set to receive one of the capital's oldest civic honours, the Freedom of the City of London, at a high-profile charity boxing night this October. The trio, recognised for their outstanding contributions to British boxing, will be honoured at a black-tie fundraiser at London's historic Guildhall on Wednesday 8 October 2025, alongside The Lord Mayor of London, Alderman Alastair King DL. The event, titled City Fight Night, will feature six bouts of white-collar boxing between members of the London Fire Brigade, selected by renowned amateur club Fitzroy Lodge, and their counterparts from the New York City Fire Department. Speaking ahead of the event, former world champion Hatton said: 'I'm absolutely chuffed to bits to be given the Freedom of the City of London. It's a real honour and something I never imagined happening to me... It'll be a great night for a great cause, and I can't wait to be part of it.' Hearn, the founder and president of Matchroom, called the honour a 'privilege' and said the evening 'promises to be a knockout event in every sense'. Watson, whose courage and resilience following a life-changing injury in the ring earned him widespread respect, will also be formally recognised on the night. Adding to the occasion, the Lord Mayor himself will step into the ring for a special exhibition bout against a mystery opponent from New York. 'Boxing is one of my passions and I cannot wait to venture into the ring myself,' he said. 'In fact, this will be the first time a Lord Mayor of London has seen active combat whilst in office since the Peasants' Revolt of 1381!' The event, hosted by actor and presenter Terry Stone, is being held in partnership with The Lord Mayor's Appeal and sponsored by Bloomberg. It aims to raise funds for charities that use boxing to steer young people away from crime, and for organisations supporting the mental and physical wellbeing of UK firefighters. All three honourees - Hatton, Watson and Hearn - will join an exclusive list of recipients of the Freedom of the City, a tradition that dates back to the 13th century.
The Independent
23-07-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
Ricky Hatton given surprise boost ahead of comeback fight
British boxing legend Ricky Hatton has been honoured with the Freedom of the City of London just weeks after announcing he will be making a shock comeback. Thirteen years on from his last professional bout, Hatton is set to return to the ring to face Eisa Aldah in Dubai on December 2. But before then he will be recognised for his significant contribution to boxing at the Lord Mayor's Charity Boxing Match on October 8, which will see firefighters from London and New York face each other at the Guildhall. The honour awarded to Hatton is slightly surprising given he hails from Manchester and fought for the majority of his career in the North-West. But the 46-year-old is delighted to receive it ahead of his return to the ring. 'I'm absolutely chuffed to bits to be given the Freedom of the City of London — it's a real honour and something I never imagined happening to me,' Hatton said. 'London's always held a special place in my heart and been the location for many of my fights, most memorably when I won the WBU light welterweight world title at Wembley conference centre against Tony Pep, so to be recognised like this means a lot. 'I'm really looking forward to the Lord Mayor's boxing night at the Guildhall on 8th October — it'll be a great night for a great cause, and I can't wait to be part of it.' Michael Watson and Barry Hearn also honoured Former British and Commonwealth champion Michael Watson as well as Matchroom founder and promoter Barry Hearn have also been given the same honour as Hatton. Watson famously beat Nigel Benn in 1989 before having two fights with Chris Eubank. The rematch almost ended in tragedy, with Watson suffering a near-fatal brain injury. However, Watson was able to pull through after spending 40 days in a coma and having six brain operations. Meanwhile, Hearn guided Eubank during his career, and has since handed over the reins to his son, Eddie, who promotes Anthony Joshua and Conor Benn. Upon receiving the honour, Hearn said: 'I'm absolutely thrilled and deeply honoured to receive the Freedom of the City of London — a place that holds so much history, tradition, and personal meaning for me. 'I'm also incredibly excited about the Lord Mayor's Appeal Fight Night this October 8th — a fantastic evening of sport and fundraising in the heart of London, bringing people together for a great cause. It promises to be a knockout event in every sense!'
South China Morning Post
20-07-2025
- South China Morning Post
After 2025's aviation scares, are the skies still safe?
When Michael Watson boarded an Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner from New Delhi to Dubai in early June, he didn't expect to swear off the aircraft type for good. But days later, another Dreamliner operated by the same airline crashed just 30 seconds after take-off from Ahmedabad, killing all but one of the 242 people on board as well as 19 others on the ground. Watson, a retired British teacher and frequent flier in Asia, says he now avoids the 787 altogether because 'I have a bad feeling about them now' and that he is willing to pay more to fly with other carriers. The crash , combined with delays and what he described as 'the chaos of the experience', left him feeling increasingly anxious about flying – especially on Air India. Wreckage of the Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner plane in Ahmedabad, India. The June 12 disaster has fuelled concerns among travellers across Asia. Photo: Reuters He's not alone. The June 12 disaster – the first fatal accident involving a Boeing 787 – has fuelled concerns among travellers across Asia, with a noticeable drop in bookings and a rise in fear-related behaviour, despite aviation authorities and experts insisting flying remains one of the safest forms of travel. Air India saw a 30 to 35 per cent decline in fresh bookings in the week following the crash, and more than 20 per cent of existing reservations were cancelled, according to Indian travel agencies. Cockpit Vista, a wellness centre based in Bengaluru, saw a surge in demand for its US$500 therapy course that helps nervous passengers ease their fear of flying in the wake of the crash. The centre said it received more than 100 inquiries following the tragedy, compared to the previous average of about 10 per month.
Scotsman
04-07-2025
- Business
- Scotsman
Businesses' net zero plans to be put under the microscope
Michael Watson says the UK Government could make disclosure and implementation a legal requirement for large firms Sign up to our Scotsman Money newsletter, covering all you need to know to help manage your money. Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... The government has opened a series of consultations relating to sustainable finance, including on the development of new Sustainability Reporting Standards (SRSs) in the UK, a separate regime to ensure the information reported in accordance with the new standards is verified by assurance providers, as well as on how to meet its manifesto commitment of imposing transition plan requirements on UK-registered financial institutions and listed companies. In its transition plan consultation (open until 17 September), the government said it is 'considering whether to redefine the scope of entities under any future transition plan requirement', adding that 'the focus will be on economically significant entities, including pension funds, where there is likely a significant investor and public interest'. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad SMEs, it said, are not envisaged to be in-scope of any new requirements, though it acknowledged that smaller companies could indirectly be impacted by new transition plan requirements where they are involved in a larger in-scope company's supply chain. In addition, an increasing number of investors and banks require or encourage the companies they intend to lend to or invest in, to have robust transition plans, and an examination of those transition plans are key component of their decision-making. Michael Watson, Partner and Head of Climate and Sustainability Advisory, Pinsent Masons Under one option, in-scope entities would face no legal obligation to develop and disclose a transition plan, but would instead be required to explain why they have not published such a plan or transition plan-related information in accordance with any new UK SRSs. A further option would impose a legal obligation to develop and disclose a transition plan as part of their annual reporting and, potentially, as a separate transition plan document. However, the obligations would not extend to dictating specific goals that entities would need to ensure those plans align with, and nor would they be subject to any legal duty to implement those plans. The government is also considering mandating transition plan implementation as well as the alignment of such plans with 'net zero'. It has acknowledged that this could add costs for businesses as well as bring new legal and compliance risks. It has pledged to 'carefully assess the impacts of any new requirements' against its own growth missions and the potential impact on the UK's global competitiveness. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad It said it wants to ensure new transition plan requirements 'generate robust and decision-useful information, for investors and other stakeholders' but are not 'overly burdensome for companies and financial institutions to meet'. Many businesses already develop and disclose their own climate-related transition plans, recognising the commercial advantages they can derive from doing so and the value those plans offer to investors and their ability to raise finance. There is also increasing recognition and legal opinion that good transition plans significantly reduce legal risk and protect corporates and boards from criticism and action from stakeholders because they clearly set out how businesses plan to meet their targets and, critically, the dependencies that impact their ability to do.
The Independent
09-06-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
James Cook was universally adored in boxing – his pursuit of the impossible dream will endure
James Cook was known and respected as one of the nicest men in the boxing business on both sides of the ropes. His death last Saturday was greeted with a rare and sincere outpouring of heartfelt messages, genuine love and sorrow. In the modern business of boxing, it is impossible to find anybody with a bad word to say about Cook – he was universally adored. Cook belonged to a different boxing world, a world where good fighters knew they would seldom get a chance and never get a break. Cook struggled for recognition as a boxer and chased a living away from his Hackney home in fights as the designated loser in Germany, Italy, France, Holland and Finland. He was robbed of money, robbed of decisions, but still he kept fighting against all odds. The motto in boxing is simple and brutal: Have gloves, will travel. Cook was the king of the travelling fighters for a few years in the eighties. There were signs that he could beat the best prospects and compete with the best fighters, but the truth is that James Cook's face never fit. 'I'm too good looking for this business,' he joked. Cook's win in 1986 over the prospect, Michael Watson, who was unbeaten in seven, is a prime example; Watson was still the star after the loss, Cook still an annoyance. The fight before Watson, Cook had lost in Amsterdam and in the fight after, he lost in France. It was the reality for a lot of invisible boxers. 'It was a tough business back then,' said Cook. 'It was hard to get a break and that is why I had to go overseas. I had to earn a living.' Cook had been a professional for seven years, fought 19 times, losing seven when he got his chance at the British middleweight title. On that night in 1988 in Sheffield, he was stopped by the great Herol Graham. The best middleweights in Britain then, Watson and Nigel Benn, had no interest in fighting Graham; Cook dared to be great. At that time, it was obvious just how decent Cook was. He was never bitter about missing out on the carnival of fights involving Benn, Watson and Chris Eubank. He never had an invite – he was not the type of man you invited to that type of jamboree. Cook was back on the road, but this time the small-hall circuit in Britain, after the Graham loss, back earning a living without a single complaint. In 1990 he was given another shot at the British title, but he had to travel to Belfast to fight local idol, Sam Storey. It looked like a typical night on the road and against the odds for Cook; he stopped Storey in ten rounds, won the British super-middleweight title and then travelled to France to add the European version with a 12th round stoppage. James Cook was anonymous no more. Well, that was the sensible thinking. In late April, a few days before the Conor Benn and Chris Eubank Jr fight, I spoke to Cook during that week of events. He was drained, weary, shrunken, but still the smiling and optimistic. He arrived one day, fresh from chemotherapy – I knew the signs, but James was not playing the cancer game. There was no searching for pity in his eyes. He had business on the night; he would be in the corner with Anthony Yarde. Let me tell you this now: James Cook did not play games. I stood with Cook and Yarde and remembered a classic but lost night in British boxing. It was 1991 at York Hall and for some ridiculous reason, Cook was defending his European super-middleweight title at the tiny venue against Mark Kaylor, who had been one of the stars of the business and remains the last great East End boxing idol. In the modern game, that fight would be in front of 20,000 at the O2. 'It was just the way it was,' remembered Cook. Yarde listened and was stunned. On the night, Cook silenced Kaylor's faithful with a punch-perfect stoppage in the sixth round. Kaylor retired after the fight, Cook defended his European title at a leisure centre in Wandsworth in his next fight. A glance at Cook's record is a glance back at an anonymous time in British boxing for many men, who simply never had a break and had to struggle for every single tiny bit of recognition. Cook struggled, but he never moaned or complained. In 1992 he took the money, went to France and lost the European title, then he regained his British super-middleweight title at a wave-pool centre at the Elephant and Castle in south London. At the same time, Benn and Eubank were making millions at the same weight. James Cook fought for the last time at York Hall in 1994 when he lost his British title. And then the real work started on the safe side of the ropes at the Pedro Club, an old-fashioned youth club, on Hackney's Murder Mile. On his commendation for his MBE in 2007, it said he had performed miracles on the streets of Hackney. And he had. 'The boxing gym gives them hope and they don't have a lot of hope,' he told me in 2019. 'They can see what boxing can do for a man – boxers have a good name in here.' Cook loved the Pedro, and it seems that every day was a brutal struggle for funding to keep the doors open and to keep his dreams alive. He was the man for the struggle - James Cook never turned away from any fight. He was still part of that impossible dream circuit when he died last Saturday.
