Hatton a shot in the arm for pub

Thanks to a Ricky Hatton-led British invasion, the recession is taking a pounding at the Crown & Anchor Pub.

European soccer fans have adopted the popular watering hole at 1350 E. Tropicana Ave. for more than a decade, some showing up at 4:30 a.m. to watch a match.

But this weekend, the pub is headquarters again for the loyal and often loud fans of Hatton, the British boxing star who is fighting Filipino legend Manny Pacquiao.

"It's just a big party, a little bit of home," said Crown & Anchor owner Ron Schultz, whose said his business soars 40 percent the week Hatton's followers pour through the doors.

It's not just Hatton fans who have embraced the pub, known for its fish and chips and vast choice of beers. Hatton himself has shown up in the past to have a pint, play darts or watch his favorite soccer team.

That started in late 2007, when Hatton trained in Las Vegas for his fight against Floyd Mayweather Jr.

"He'd come in play darts with our customers and members of our staff, not just his own group," said Schultz, who opened the Crown & Anchor in 1994 in the space formerly occupied by Rafters, a steak and seafood eatery.

"He's a very normal guy who just happens to be a very good boxer," said Schultz.

"He's not one of those showy people," said Schultz. "You won't see him squirting Cristal (champagne)."

The regulars at the Crown and Anchors still buzz about the day of the weigh-in between Mayweather and Hatton.

The flashy Mayweather arrived for the weigh-in with his fleet of luxury cars, and he was covered with diamonds.

Hatton asked Schultz if he could borrow the pub's boxed-shaped London cab for his ride to the weigh-in. "And he asked our staff to accompany him.

"He wanted to downplay the hoopla."

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THE PUNCH LINE

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Norm Clarke can be reached at (702) 383-0244 or norm@reviewjournal.com. Find additional sightings and more online at www.normclarke.com.