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Ricky Hatton and Marco Antonio Barrera return to the ring for an exhibition match on July 2, 2022 in Manchester, England.
Hatton retired from the ring in 2009 after fighting Manny Pacquiao. In 2012, he returned to the ring to face Vyacheslav Senchenko. Barrera retired in 2011 after defeating Jose Arias.
The Manchester fighter recently told Boxing Scene that he's not planning to make a comeback but was inspired to take part in the exhibition after Roy Jones Jr. and Mike Tyson fought in November 2020. He also said that training for the exhibition has been great for his general well-being:
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"I’m doing it for my own well-being. I’ve given myself a training camp to get my weight down and be healthy again and I think this is going to be a lifestyle change for me now."
Hatton and Barrera are good friends. When it was revealed to Hatton that promoters wanted Barrera as his opponent, he was happy to take the fight. He also told Boxing Scene:
"Me and Marco were mates. We know that there’d be no liberties taken but we’d make it interesting... we know each other and we know what’s entertaining and what’s that little bit too far – I think at times we will go borderline – but I’m confident it will be a major success."
Ricky Hatton and Marco Antonio Barrera's shared opponent
Ricky Hatton (45-3) and Marco Antonio Barrera (67-7) are both legendary fighters in their respective divisions. Though Hatton fought at light welterweight and Barrera fought between light bantamweight and lightweight, the two have an opponent in common.
Hatton and Barrera both stepped into the ring with Manny Pacquiao. Barrera fought 'PacMan' in 2003 and 2007, while Hatton fought him in 2009. Neither man was able to beat the Filipino great. When Pacquiao and Barrera met the first time, the Mexican was the lineal and The Ring Featherweight Champion.
Ricky Hatton stepped into the ring with Pacquiao as the IBO and The Ring Light Welterweight Champion. 'PacMan' had just moved up from lightweight and was coming off a win over Oscar De La Hoya.
