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Ricky Hatton was set to fight Marco Antonio Barrera as part of a joint event with Hughie Fury vs. Michael Hunter. Fury pulled out of his bout due to illness, causing the event to be postponed.
Hatton said:
"I’ll take a little break and be back fitter and stronger for the new date for the fans. We’ve all waited a long time for this, so I hope the fans can be a little bit more patient so we can be back with a bigger and better show in November."
Read the full statement here:
The event at the Manchester Arena was scheduled to take place on July 2. Ricky 'The Hitman' Hatton would be making his return to the ring for the first time after a failed comeback fight in 2012. In his last fight, Hatton was knocked out by Vyacheslav Senchenko.
On this occasion, Hatton was set to take part in an exhibition contest against Marco Antonio Barrera. Boxing legend Barrera last fought in 2011. The exhibition was, on paper, an exciting contest between two former world champions.
In preparation for the fight, Hatton completed an impressive body transformation, losing over 40lbs. ‘The Hitman’ was back in training and looked ready to put on a show for his native Manchester fans.
The fight will be rescheduled according to Ricky Hatton. The new date is November 12.
Ricky Hatton has remained active in boxing since his retirement
Ricky Hatton posted a series of images on social media in preparation for the fight and looked to be in tremendous shape. Hatton could be seen sparring with his son, 21-year-old prospect Campbell Hatton.
Watch Hatton train ahead of his return:
Hatton has remained active in boxing over the years since his retirement as both a trainer and promoter. As a trainer, Hatton was in Tyson Fury’s corner when ’The Gypsy King’ first fought Deontay Wilder in 2018.
Hatton’s promotional company has also had its fair share of success. Hatton promoted heavyweight Lucas Browne to become the WBA World Regular Heavyweight Champion. Zhanat Zhakiyanov also became WBA World Bantamweight Champion under Hatton Promotions.
