Ricky Hatton v Marco Antonio Barrera

[Master]

Hatton 'can't wait' for ring return | 'Fans won't be disappointed'

Former world champion Ricky Hatton says he "can't wait" for his return to the boxing ring in an exhibition bout against Mexican icon Marco Antonio Barrera in Manchester this summer.

Hatton, who retired from boxing in 2012, will return to the ring at the age of 43, and the former light-welterweight world champion has promised fans who attend the event at Manchester Arena on July 2 they won't be disappointed.

"I can't wait to be honest with you," Hatton told Sky Sports News. "Even though we retired, we're not dead, we're still proud champions me and Marco.

Hatton announces ring return aged 43
"We've still got to set ourselves goals, we've got dreams to live. It was an easy decision to make."

Hatton added: "It's an exhibition but it will be competitive, because we're both proud champions. I don't think he'll want to come to Manchester and have me box his ears off, and I don't think I'd like Marco to box my ears off either.

"We all know what a great fighter Marco was, no one needs to tell me, but to actually go in there and share the ring with him and find out first hand just how good he is it's going to be a dream come true.

"Trust me, none of the fans will leave this event disappointed."

Hatton has spoken openly about his struggles with his mental health since retirement and he is hoping his comeback can help anyone suffering from any similar issues.

"It was a horrific time for my friends and my family to see someone who reached the heights that I did just to crumble as a man," Hatton said.

"But, six or seven years on, on July 2 there is going to be this exhibition, and I just hope there is one person in that audience that says, 'look at Ricky, where he was and look at him now and the shape he is in at 43 years of age doing an exhibition - you can still turn your life around'.

"If one person comes out of that show and is better for it because they've seen how I've changed my life around, then it has been a success already hasn't it."

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/sport/boxi...1020ba1b01b41b

[Master]

Ricky Hatton wants to 'inspire people' with exhibition bout

Ricky Hatton says he hopes to "inspire people" with his return to the ring at the age of 43 for an exhibition bout against Marco Antonio Barrera.

Britain's former two-weight world champion faces Mexican Barrera, 48, in Manchester over eight rounds on 2 July.

Hatton has recovered after depression and feeling suicidal following his retirement in 2012.

"I want to go out and put another show on. That's why I'm doing it, to inspire people," he told BBC Sport.

Hatton retired in 2012, while Barrera, who was beaten by Amir Khan in 2009, last fought in 2011.

"A few years ago I struggled badly with my mental health, I was massively overweight, drinking too much, had my drugs problems and was suicidal. It was a terrible time," he said.

"This is not a comeback; it's an exhibition bout. There are less rounds, bigger gloves, shorter rounds, and there's an understanding between me and Marco Antonio Barrera.

"I want people to go to the event and say 'look at the shape and mental and physical condition Ricky is in, bearing in mind how he was six or seven years ago'."

Hatton first retired in 2009 after a knockout defeat by Manny Pacquiao.

He eventually ended his career with 45 wins and three losses after being knocked out by Ukraine's Vyacheslav Senchenko in his final fight.

Hatton has spoken to his friend Tyson Fury since he beat Dillian Whyte to retain the WBC heavyweight title at Wembley on Saturday.

Fury has also struggled with weight and mental health issues and recalled a picture of them together from five years ago.

"He said to me: 'Who'd have thought years later that I would be the heavyweight champion of the world and you would be doing an exhibition?'" said Hatton.

Fury said the defeat of Whyte was his final fight, but Hatton would like to see Fury face Anthony Joshua or WBA, WBO and IBF heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk in a unification bout.

"I love Tyson but it's very very hard to believe a single word that comes out of his mouth, and I say that with love," Hatton said.

"He's done himself proud - he has nothing more to prove - but you have to keep setting yourself goals.

"There's Anthony Joshua and Oleksandr Usyk. Tyson has proved he's number one but everyone is saying 'who would win out of the three of them?'.

"I don't think Tyson will want to retire until he ticks both them boxes and finds out.

"Tyson, get it done now. I'd rather him not be sat on his settee in three years' time, saying 'I want to fight them now'."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/boxing/61227997

[Master]

Heavyweight boxing champion Tyson Fury has praised Ricky Hatton for his weight loss heading into his exhibition boxing return.

After almost a decade away from the squared circle, Ricky Hatton will return to the world of boxing on July 2 when he takes on Marco Antonio Barrera in an exhibition boxing match in Manchester. It’s being billed as his final fight and given everything he’s put into the sport, we’d say he deserves a big send-off.

He’s had some truly iconic battles with greats such as Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao over the years but this time around, it’ll be Barrera he takes on at the age of 43.

Regardless of whether he gets his hand raised or not, it’s going to be the kind of occasion that brings thousands to their feet in the AO Arena as the Blue Moon rises one more time.

Instead of heading into this without much preparation, as we’ve seen some former boxers do in this exhibition era, ‘The Hitman’ is taking it incredibly seriously and has been able to shed the pounds in a big way.

Someone who notices and appreciates this more than most is his friend and former student Tyson Fury with the lineal heavyweight champ sending the following message to Hatton on Instagram.

In the last few days, Tyson Fury has had to take to social media in order to explain to fans why he’s been working out – which seems pretty strange given his status as one of the best boxers of his generation.

The seemingly-retired star noted that he’s training to keep his weight down and help his mental health, as opposed to doing so for a comeback fight.

We all want to see him battle the winner of Oleksandr Usyk vs Anthony Joshua 2 or potentially even Francis Ngannou in a mixed rules bout. That much is obvious.

Still, Fury is enjoying retirement right now and he’s earned that much after an unbelievable career stretching over 15 years.

Is a return inevitable down the road? We’ll have to wait and see how things play out for ‘The Gypsy King’.

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/sport/boxi...0b718f82e27eec

[Ron Swanson]

It does my heart good to hear Ricky is in a better place mentally. I was convinced he was a mess long before he retired and that his retirement would not go well. Was sad to end up right.

I remember way back to ESPN board days and to the spin-off board people were always “Ricky is such a regular guy….look how he drinks with the regular people and…” and I always thought Ricky was masking depression. That those regular people were encouraging his destruction. Your biggest fans can be your biggest curse. But you can always crawl out of it. Proud of him for his recovery. May your course stay true Ricky

[X]

Good luck to them both. It’s just an exhibition, nobody is going to get hurt or humiliated. If people want to pay to watch it, props to all concerned.

They’ve both taken their lumps and earned the right to fight an exhibition.

Bit wrong to call it a ‘comeback’ by either guy ……

[Master]

British boxing legend Ricky Hatton has confirmed that his exhibition fight against Marco Antonio Barrera has been postponed until November 12.

The bout was due to take place on July 2 at the AO Arena in Manchester and would’ve seen Hatton return to the ring for the first time since his ill-fated comeback fight against Vyacheslav Senchenko in 2012.

After days of rumours about ‘The Hitman’ calling off his fight, he took to social media on Friday to confirm that his match-up with Barrera would no longer go ahead next month as planned.

“Gutted the fight fell through. I’d worked so f****** hard. But I’m staying at it. Me & Marco Antonio Barrera will be back in November. The show still goes on passing all me experience on to my son,” Hatton wrote on Instagram.

The 43-year-old was supposed to return to the ring on the same night Hughie Fury squared off against Michael Hunter in the same arena.

One ticket was set to be valid for fans to see both fights and a deal had been struck for Hatton’s event to join the BOXXER show in being broadcast on Sky.

Unfortunately, Fury picked up an illness that ruled him out of his July 2 date with Hunter and subsequently cast doubt over Hatton’s comeback fight.

The fan favourite fighter was initially coy about whether Fury’s fight postponement would have an impact on his comeback.

“Gutted to hear that Hughie Fury is injured and wish him a speedy recovery. Talks ongoing but not decided yet about whether to move my bout on July 2 as well, as it was on the same bill. I will let my fans know the outcome here first,” he wrote on social media.

Hatton released a lengthy statement on Twitter, while Sky also confirmed the fight had been postponed and would be ‘rescheduled on the Fury vs Hunter bill’.

This comes as a blow to Hatton who has undergone an impressive body transformation to get himself back in fight shape.

The Manchester man recently revealed he has been having the time of his life during his first fight camp in 10 years.

“Everything just seems to be just falling into place. I’m getting a few little aches as you’d expect at the age of 43 but I don’t think I’ve ever been happier,” Hatton told talkSPORT.

https://talksport.com/sport/boxing/1...ght-postponed/

[Master]

RICKY HATTON takes on Marco Antonio Barrera in a highly-anticipated comeback fight THIS WEEKEND.

The Mike Tyson-style exhibition fight was set to take place in the UK to give fight fans the opportunity to bring the circus-like atmosphere to the latest iteration of the Hitman's epic story.

Hatton, 44, last stepped foot in the ring in 2012 against Vyachelsav Senchenko, when he was stopped in a ninth-round KO.

That came three years after he lost to Manny Pacquiao and marked the end of a 48-fight pro career, which saw him win 45 and lose just three fights.

Baby-faced Assassin Barrera, 48, last fought in 2011, a TKO win over Jose Arias in Guardalajara.

The Mexican was beloved in his home country and competed in three weight classes, including batamweight, featherweight and lightweight

Brit fight fans will remember him for losing to Amir Khan back in 2009, but he was also taken to task by Pacquiao two years before that.

The massive clash will take place on Saturday, November 12 at the AO Arena.

The ring walks are expected just after 10pm.

Hatton vs Barrera was supposed to take place on Saturday, July 2, 2022 at Manchester's AO Arena.

But was postponed because Hughie Fury - who was headlining a Sky Sports show at the same Manchester venue on the same night - fell ill, with his fight against Michael Hunter called off.

Hatton vs Barrera will be shown live on Sky Sports.

Natasha Jones is taking on Marie-Eve Dicaire in a bid to add the IBF title her WBO and WBC super-middleweight titles.

While Olympian Frazer Clarke is also in action on the bill at the Manchester Arena as part of the BOXXER show.

Natasha Jonas vs Marie-Eve Dicaire (IBF, WBO and WBC super-middleweight titles)
Frazer Clarke vs Kamil Sokolowski
Bradley Rea vs Tyler Denny
Kaisee Benjamin vs Dalton Smith
Roman Fury vs TBA

https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/18325...eam-undercard/

[Master]

Benjamin v Smith on now round 7 looks like a good even fight here.

Both fighting in spurts and countering one another.

[Master]

Hatton v Barrera on now.

Ricky looks fit but has a lot of tattoos. Barrera looks fat and out of condition.

It is for charity.

[Primo Carnera]

As the fight goes on, Hatton is taking control, but fair play to MAB, he’s older but he has still connected with some classy combinations considering he’s older and was naturally a lower weight.

[Master]

Ricky taking this seriously and Barrera looks tired fighting southpaw.

[Primo Carnera]

Very entertaining, 2 amazing guys.

[Master]

They are wearing huge gloves and unsurprisingly it will go the distance.

Hatton coming forward and getting hit a lot but nice contest.

[palmerq]

Barrera should go for vengeance v Khan!

[Master]

Hatton should go for vengeance against Floyd Mayweather.