Ricky Hatton vs Marco Antonio Barrera LIVE: Fight reaction and undercard results after Natasha Jonas and Frazer Clarke wins

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Ricky Hatton added to his famous story with one final dance in Manchester as the legendary British fighter shared eight rounds with Mexican Marco Antonio Barrera. The Hitman maintains the bout enabled him to transform his lifestyle, lose weight and gain a better grasp of his mental health.

With no judges for the exhibition, the pair, friends away from the ring, embraced to much fanfare from those in attendance. The famous band and iconic songs immediately showered Hatton after his Blue Moon ring walk.

And Hatton displayed neat skills and a surprising amount of venom in his punches, while Barrera gave as good as he got, bruising up Hatton’s right cheek with both men retaining a degree of honesty despite an obvious lack of mean intentions compared to their spiteful days as professionals while competing for world titles.

Hatton was thrilled by the result: “Everything and more, I wondered how it would go, we're friends, but we're proud men. I thought it might be heated, it was good and entertaining, everything we wanted. When I won my world title here, my fights in Vegas, brilliant, I’ve done so many things, but this is up there with the best.”

Natasha Jonas won the world title earlier in the evening, edging out Marie Eve Dicaire on points to spark conversation over a super fight in 2023.

Ricky Hatton: ‘Sparring my son Campbell has replaced lifting the world title’

When Ricky Hatton looked in the mirror ahead of this year’s Pride of Manchester Awards, an intense realisation dawned on him. The former world champion looked back at a man “drowning” in his suit after recently shedding almost four stone. Thoughts of returning to the man that once tipped the scales at 15 stone “scared” him, pushing him to further commit to a new lifestyle. It is one that has seen him, at 44 years of age, fall back in love with boxing and embrace the challenge of a four-round exhibition bout on Saturday against another legendary fighter: Marco Antonio Barrera.

Hatton, like many, struggled throughout the Covid pandemic and lost his cousin during lockdown.

“It never bothered me while I was fighting, because in six or seven weeks I’d be back training and it would come off anyway. I can’t keep dragging some f***er out of retirement every time I want to get some weight off,” Hatton tells The Independent. “I’ve enjoyed the compliments, people coming up to me with problems with their mental health and saying, ‘F***ing hell, Rick, I’ve been struggling with my weight and seeing you shift all that weight has made me want to.’

Ricky Hatton: ‘Sparring my son has replaced lifting the world title’

Interview: ‘The Hitman’ has transformed his body to return to the ring against Marco Antonio Barrera in an exhibition on Saturday

Jack Rathborn11 November 2022 16:37

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