Hatton Confirms His Inevitable Return In Manchester

At a press conference in his home city of Manchester, two weight world champion and former British Light-Welterweight champion Ricky Hatton announced his return to the ring after a three year absence.

The 33 year old Hatton’s announcement confirmed the speculation about a return to the ring as he had recently been seen in excellent condition rather than the out-of-shape state that had often been the norm.

At the press conference, which was broadcasted by Sky Sports News, Hatton stated that although he had his own promotional business and brought through a stable of fighters, that did not satisfy his desire to return to the ring.

He stated that it was only through taking out his trainer’s licence with the Board of Control that Hatton felt he was getting the buzz that he had lost when he announced his retirement from the ring after being brutally dispatched in just two rounds by Manny Pacquiao, leading to his well documented personal problems.

Since then, Hatton’s promotions business has been going from strength to strength, steering Martin Murray to a Lonsdale belt at Middleweight and eventually a world title shot against recently dethroned WBA belt holder Felix Sturm in a questionable draw in Germany and also handling Super-Bantamweight prospect Scott Quigg to his own Lonsdale belt as well.

These successes as a promoter and, more recently, as a trainer, sparked the urge for Hatton to make a comeback to the squared circle, which he announced on Friday his intention to return to the ring as a Welterweight.

The classical welter weight class, since Hatton’s retirement, has become one of the most competitive divisions in the sport with the likes of Randall Bailey, Devon

Alexander, Timothy Bradley, Marcos Maidana and even Kell Brook swimming in the divisional waters; Hatton will have to be careful in his matchmaking before getting his tilt at a world title holder.

However, this writer feels very lukewarm about Hatton’s return to the ring, as he believes that Hatton, who has been and continues to be an excellent ambassador for British boxing, in his previous years as a fighter and now as a promoter and trainer, is yesterday’s golden boy and should instead concentrate on bringing through tomorrow’s British Golden Boy of boxing rather than attempting to recapture old glories.