Ricky Hatton has confirmed he will return to the boxing ring for an exhibition bout, 10 years after retiring from the sport.
The Hitman, 43, will face 48-year-old Marco Antonio Barrera in an eight-round contest at the Manchester Arena on 2 July.
Taking to Twitter to announce the news, the Manchester-born fighter said : “I can confirm my return to the ring.
“Join me for a huge party night – with top music acts – in Manchester on July 2. #HitmanRises. It’s not how you fall, it’s how you rise…”
Hatton has not fought since he was knocked out by Vyacheslav Senchenko in his final professional bout back in 2012.
However, while Hatton is welcoming boxing fans back to watch him, he insists this is not the beginning of a ‘real comeback’ and confirmed that he will hang up his gloves again after the exhibition.
Explaining his decision to come back, he added: “I am doing this for fans who struggled being locked up with Covid.
“I got a call and was asked if I would come back to do this for the fans who have been locked up for ages during Covid. Covid has been tough for me, for everyone.
“I want to inspire people who have had mental health problems, too. They can look at me and say ‘He struggled and now look at where he is’ so they can do it too.”
Hatton was one of the best British fighters of his generation, securing world titles in two different weight classes.
He claimed some huge wins over the likes of Kostya Tszyu and Jose Luis Castillo, while also fighting Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao in the US, albeit coming up short in stoppage defeats.
