Ricky Hatton announces comeback bout after over a decade out of boxing
The 46-year-old former light-welterweight and welterweight world champion confirmed he will take on United Arab Emirates fighter Eisa Al Dah on December 2 in a middleweight showdown in Dubai.
Hatton, who has confirmed the contest will be held over eight three-minute rounds, retired in 2012 after losing to Vyacheslav Senchenko, which was itself a comeback after three years out of the sport.
The Mancunian was supposed to be in Dubai to officially announce the fight with Al Dah but had to appear by video link instead after accidentally injuring his eye last week with his sunglasses.
He said: 'I'm really devastated that I couldn't be there with everyone. I'd much rather be in the Dubai sun rather than the Manchester rain. (But) I'm very much looking forward to (the fight).'
Al Dah, also 46, has won eight of his 11 fights and he vowed an all-action encounter against Hatton.
He said: 'Trust me, this fight will not be like the Jake Paul and Mike Tyson fight' – referencing the widely-panned bout between the YouTuber-turned-boxer and the ex-world heavyweight champion last November.
Hatton was a unified world champion at light-welterweight, beating IBF champion Kostya Tszyu and WBA titlist Carlos Maussa in 2005, before claiming the WBA welterweight strap in 2006 by outpointing Luis Collazo.
Ricky Hatton is a former two-weight world champion (Nick Potts/PA)
Huge swathes of fans followed him to Las Vegas as he fought and was beaten by Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao, which led to Hatton battling drink and drug problems and a slide into depression that left him feeling suicidal.
After a return against Senchenko and finishing with a record of 45 wins and three defeats, Hatton turned his hand to training although he did have an exhibition against Marco Antonio Barrera in 2022.
He told 11.11 management on its Instagram: 'I'm absolutely delighted to say I'm stepping in the ring to give it another go.
'It's been well-documented I've had my struggles but I'm in a really good place now, loving life, trying to bring the next champions through. But the opportunity has come for me to get in the ring and do it again.'
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In truth Hatton — like many old ring legends — has struggled to match the brutal intensity and adrenaline rush of professional boxing after hanging up his gloves in 2012. At times appearing to lose himself, there were wild nights smashed on cocaine, marathon booze benders and the breakdown of a long-term relationship. It was a calamitous fall for Ricky, from Hyde, Greater Manchester, who had once been top billing in Las Vegas. Brought up on a council estate, Ricky left school to work with dad Ray as a £150-a-week carpet fitter before turning pro. Boxing started off as a habit and it ended up giving me some money and making me a little bit of a better person. But I don't think I will have a fight again Ricky Hatton in 2010 I was ringside in Las Vegas in December 2007 for the night of Ricky's life when he faced Floyd Mayweather Jr, considered one of history's best pound-for-pound fighters. The fight defined the Mancunian's career — and his life in retirement. Ahead of the fight, Quick-witted Ricky told me: 'Having another boxer threatening to do that to me is a first. 'But I would like to think I have got a fantastic bum.' On Ricky's suggestion, The Sun had flown a band out to provide accompaniment to his 'Walking in a Hatton Wonderland' theme tune. It riled the Mayweather camp. At a pre-fight press conference, I conducted the band in a rendition of the tune before being carried outside by the American's entourage including a 7ft 1in man mountain called Fonz. At the time, Hatton was box office. Over 6,000 travelling Brits cheered him on at the MGM Grand. Over two million tuned in on pay-per-view. Hatton entered the ring to Blue Moon, the signature tune of his beloved Sporting immortality beckoned. Ringside were the Hollywood glitterati, including In the tenth round, Mayweather Jr unleashed a brutal left hook that sent Hatton buckling to the canvas. Ricky got to his feet but his legs were gone. The ref should have stopped it, but Mayweather was allowed to knock him down once more before it was stopped. 7 Superfans Ricky, son Campbell and friends at Oasis's comeback gig Credit: Instagram/@campbellhatton 7 Ricky in the ring with his pals Liam and Noel Gallagher after defeating Malignaggi in 2008 Credit: AP:Associated Press I looked over at his then girlfriend, college lecturer Before the fight she had told me: 'The last thing I say to Rick before a fight is, 'See you after for a drink'. Then I kiss him and say, 'I love you'. It's a very emotional moment.' Now she was sobbing as Ricky lay prone on the canvas. A measure of Hatton's stature in that era was when Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt consoled him in his dressing room afterwards. It was Ricky's first loss in 43 professional fights. The unrelenting physical destruction at the hands of all-time boxing great However, in November 2008 he was back in Vegas at the MGM Grand to fight Italian-American 7 Ricky and Claire Sweeney briefly dated after competing on Dancing On Ice Credit: Splash 7 Ricky is set to fight 'Arabian Warrior' Eisa Al Dah in December Credit: Instagram/eisaaldah He asked fellow Mancunians Hatton recalled: 'You could see they were both a bit nervous, obviously they had never walked a fighter out before. 'They asked, 'What do I do, Rick, what do we do?'. I said, 'Get in the ring and hold it up and put it in Malignaggi's face'. 'So Noel got in, then I got in the ring, then Liam got in the ring. 'Liam then came straight past me, straight past Noel, and went straight up to Malignaggi and said something like, 'What do you think about that you d***head?', shoving the belt in his face. I thought, 'That's not quite what I meant, Liam'. 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