Ricky Hatton to come out of retirement after 13 years to fight Gulf veteran
Hatton, a former welterweight and light-welterweight world champion, will take on Al Dah in Dubai on 2 December, 13 years after announcing his retirement after a loss to Vyacheslav Senchenko in Manchester in 2012.
The Stockport-born fighter last fought in an exhibition against Marco Antonio Barrera in 2022, though his fight against Al Dah will be fully sanctioned as a professional bout. Al Dah, also 46, was the first professional boxer in the United Arab Emirates.
The bout against Al Dah will be the 49th professional fight of a glittering career for Hatton, who boasts a 45-3 record having racked up 43 straight wins in a decade between 1997 and 2007, before suffering his first loss – to Floyd Mayweather Jr.
He subsequently secured wins over Juan Lazcano and Paulie Malignaggi – the latter victory also becoming known for Hatton's walkout with Liam and Noel Gallagher of the band Oasis – before losing to another legend, Manny Pacquiao, in 2009.
Hatton was due to fly to Dubai to take part in a press conference to launch the bout on Sunday evening, though he reportedly suffered an eye injury at the Oasis reunion gig in Cardiff on 4 July and was not cleared to travel.
Nevertheless, Hatton joined the conference via video call, and said that he was 'very much looking forward to it myself, to be honest with you'.
'What you're trying to do there for boxing in Dubai is fantastic,' he added.
Al Dah said that the bout "will be a true fight, true action'. 'Trust me, this fight will not be like the Jake Paul and Mike Tyson fight. And I will do my best, because everybody in the UAE and the Gulf, they will watch this fight. The place will be sold out and it will be watched around the world.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
37 minutes ago
- The Independent
Boxing legend Ricky Hatton steps back into ring at 46 for first fight in over a decade
British boxing legend Ricky Hatton is set to make a professional return to the ring on 2 December in Dubai. Hatton, 46, will face veteran Gulf fighter Eisa Al Dah, also 46, in what will be his 49th professional bout. This marks Hatton's first professional fight in over a decade, following his retirement in 2012 after a loss to Vyacheslav Senchenko. Hatton, a former welterweight and light-welterweight world champion, boasts a professional record of 45 wins and 3 losses. Despite an eye injury preventing him from travelling, Hatton joined the press conference via video call, expressing his anticipation for the fight.
The Independent
42 minutes ago
- The Independent
Iconic NYC boxing venues ahead of Flushing Meadows debut for Sheeraz vs Berlanga
Louis Armstrong Stadium in New York City will swap tennis for boxing this weekend, with The Ring 's latest promotion featuring Shakur Stevenson, William Zepeda, Hamzah Sheeraz, and Edgar Berlanga all in action live on DAZN. Madison Square Garden is known as the Mecca of boxing for staging many great fights over the years, but New York City as a whole is littered with many iconic venues that have opened their doors to the sweet science. Here is a rundown of some of the stops in NYC boxing has paid a visit to. Madison Square Garden To many, Madison Square Garden is a sporting Mecca. Described as the world's most famous arena, MSG is home to NHL franchise the New York Rangers, as well as the NBA's New York Knicks. Aside from sport, the Garden is also a dream venue for musicians, with artists such as Elton John and Billy Joel labelling the arena as their favourite to perform at. However, the biggest crowds the venue can currently hold are for fight nights, with 20,789 able to watch boxing at the Garden. MSG has long been entwined with boxing – even though the venue has been relocated many times over the years. The third incarnation of the famous arena saw Joey Giardallo's seventh-round knockout of Willie Tory in 1954, in what was the first boxing match televised in colour. The Garden will always retain its lofty place in the history of the sport, having hosted the 'Fight of the Century' in 1971. Still regarded as one of the biggest fights in boxing, the bout between undefeated heavyweights Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier more than lived up to expectations, going the full distance with the latter ending up on top. Barclays Center Madison Square Garden is not the only NBA home that frequently hosts boxing. The Brooklyn Nets ' arena, Barclays Center, is far younger than its Manhattan-based counterpart, opening in 2012. 19,000 punters can watch boxing here, and it has hosted plenty of world title fights despite its infancy as an arena. In just the second card hosted at Barclays Center, 48-year-old Bernard Hopkins became the oldest champion in the history of the sport when he claimed the IBF light heavyweight belt with victory over Tavoris Cloud. St. Nicholas Arena Originally an ice rink, St. Nicholas Arena would become one of the first proper homes of boxing in the USA. With legal venues for boxing scarce in the States, the rink started hosting fights in 1906, staging cards until its closure in 1962. Frequent boxing action could be enjoyed by those in attendance at the rink and to others watching at home; so frequent were fights that NBC transmitted a show called Boxing from St. Nicholas Arena during the 1940s. Plenty of big names threw punches at the venue, including Jack Johnson and Rocky Graziano. On one of the final cards hosted at the rink, a young Muhammad Ali, still going by his birth name of Cassius Clay, secured a knockout victory over Billy Daniels. Radio City Music Hall Although standing for almost a century, Radio City Music Hall does not have as much storied history with boxing as other venues in New York City. In fact, it took 68 years for the first night of boxing to be staged at the concert venue, with Roy Jones Jr headlining a card in January 2000. Jones retained his WBC, WBO, IBF, and IBO light heavyweight titles with a unanimous decision victory over David Telesco, with Jones not dropping a round on the judges' scorecards. In 2013, the second and currently last card was staged at Radio City, with another world title clash. Cuban super bantamweight Guillermo Rigondeaux unified his WBA belt with Nonito Donaire's WBO title thanks to a unanimous decision win. Yankee Stadium Boxing has been a part of the schedule at Yankee Stadium since its inception in 1923. 63,000 watched on as former heavyweight champion Jess Willard secure his last win as a professional. Joe Louis frequently fought at the home of the Yankees – in between fights at Madison Square Garden, highlighting both venues' importance to boxing during the first half of the 20th century. Muhammad Ali would headline the final card hosted at the old Yankee Stadium, edging out Ken Norton via a tight unanimous decision. Boxing would return to the home of the Yankees in 2010, shortly after the new stadium was constructed. Miguel Cotto stopped the previously undefeated Yuri Foreman in the ninth round, picking up the WBA super welterweight title in the process. That, until now, remains the most-recent fight staged at Yankee Stadium. Times Square Just over a month ago a new venue played host to boxing, with the iconic tourist destination of Times Square converted into a ring for The Ring 's debut promotion, featuring Devin Haney, Teofimo Lopez, and Ryan Garcia. Fighters' ring walks were replaced by a fleet of NYC yellow taxi cabs whisking boxers from nearby hotels, giving the event even more of a fever dream feel. Whilst the ambition show was admirable, the open air venue saw a limited capacity, leading to a subdued atmosphere, which perhaps led to subdued performances inside the ring.
Scottish Sun
an hour ago
- Scottish Sun
Aldi rolls out strict one-bottle limit on £14.95 item ranked best in the WORLD as shoppers strip shelves bare
ALDI has enforced a strict one-bottle limit on a £14.95 item ranked the best in the world. Shoppers are desperate to get their hands on the high-demand item, which is flying off the shelves. 2 Aldi has enforced a strict one-bottle limit Credit: aldi 2 Fans have been racing to buy the limited-edition product - but they have to be quick Credit: Getty The supermarket giant is honouring the mega Oasis reunion tour, which kicked off in Cardiff last Friday. It has rolled out Supernova Champagne, named after Noel and Liam Gallagher's iconic song, for £14.95 a pop. Fans have been racing to buy the limited-edition product - but they have to be quick. Supernova Champage is exclusively being sold at Aldi's Bury New Road store in Manchester from today. It comes ahead of the band's upcoming show on Friday July 11 at Heaton park. Made using Aldi's award-winning Veuve Monsigny Champagne Brut, the bottle has been decorated with an original Supernova design. It could make for a unique keepsake in memory of the brothers' legendary comeback - even if you're unable to attend the gig. But, they're only available while stock last, so fans will need to be speedy. To help everyone have a fair chance at securing the beverage, Aldi have imposed a one-bottle limit. Aldi's Veuve Monsigny previously won top industry honours, including at The Drinks Business Global Champagne Masters 2025[1]. Julie Ashfield, Chief Commercial Officer at Aldi UK, said: 'We're thrilled to launch Supernova Champagne, a special, limited-edition rebrand of our award-winning Veuve Monsigny. "We're offering shoppers a unique and memorable way to raise a glass to this iconic moment in music history.' Oasis fans have jumped at the opportunity to raise a glass with the latest fizz. Derrick Smith, an Oasis fan, said: 'I left at quarter past six and waited an hour before the store opened – the bottle looks amazing.' Another shopper said: 'I got here for half six. My wife's a big Oasis fan so I came to grab her a bottle – I've just called my mates to come down too.' Meanwhile, superfan Jack Blake penned: 'I drove from London for the Champagne after I saw the post. I thought, I must try and get a bottle!' The launch comes as Oasis fans hailed the band's "pure magic" performance after Liam and Noel appeared on stage together for the first time in 16 years. A sell-out crowd of 74,500 people watched on as the brothers blasted out iconic hits during the reunion tour's opening night at the Principality Stadium. During an emotional rendition of Live Forever towards the end of the set, the band led a tribute to Liverpool player Diogo Jota, who tragically died yesterday. Famous names including Eastenders star Danny Dyer, actress Vicky McClure and one direction star Louis Tomlinson were in attendance for the performance. Reacting on social media, one fan said: "I'd forgotten just how amazing live music can be. "Thank you Liam, Oasis. Pure magic and the best you've ever been." Another added: "I'm over the moon how great they were! "Liam looked and sounded peak!!!" MORE ALDI NEWS Aldi has also launched a trio of "divine" new lip balms for under £4 - rivalling viral high-end brand. The popular store has hopped on the latest summer trend with its latest Lacura beauty buy which offers a cheaper alternative to a cult product. The new "buttery smooth" lippies are inspired by the viral Summer Fridays Lip Butter Balms, only they don't come the hefty £23 price tag. Priced at just £3.49 each, they are said to have a "nourishing" formula, with three flavours available to choose from - Cake Pop, Dulce De Leche, and Vanilla. The balms have quickly become an instant hit, with one shopper saying: "Got all three today! Love an Aldi dupe."
