Ricky Hatton coming out of 13-year retirement for Dec. 2 bout
Hall of Famer announces middleweight fight vs. Eisa Al Dah in Dubai
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Ricky Hatton, who turns 47 in October, has not fought since 2012, and was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2024, is coming out of retirement.
Hatton, the British boxing legend and former two-division world titleholder, will end his 13-year retirement and face Eisa Al Dah in a middleweight bout dubbed “Destiny in the Desert” on Dec. 2 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Al Dah’s hometown.
The fight was announced on Sunday in Dubai during a card promoted by Al Dah. Hatton joined via livestream. He did not attend because he said he accidentally injured his eye with his sunglasses.
“I wish I was there but I had a little bad injury on my eye,” Hatton said. “The main thing is the fight will take place and I can’t wait. I’m really looking forward to it. It’s just one of them freakish things. I caught one of my sunglasses in my eyes and I’m very fortunate it’s not done any permanent damage. It’s just scraped the surface, so fingers crossed we’re good to go.”
The number of rounds for the bout was not specified nor whether there would be any rules tweaks, such as was the case when Jake Paul faced 58-year Mike Tyson in November and they boxed two-minute rounds instead of the standard three and used heavier than normal gloves in what was still sanctioned as an official fight in Texas.
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During his retirement, Hatton (45-3, 32 KOs) faced Mexican legend Marco Antonio Barrera in an exhibition bout in 2022 and has also promoted and trained fighters.
“Just a quick statement at how excited I am to be putting the gloves on again on December 2nd in Dubai,” Hatton posted on social media on Monday. “I always said after my exhibition a couple of years ago against Marco if another opportunity came up I’d always look at it & weigh up the pros & cons. I have done and this is a good & sensible fight for me. (I’ll be) 47 years old, not unlike my opponent. I’m not 58 years old. I’m not going into world level or straight into a world title fight. I know I’m no longer at world level these days. But I have the good sense to know what fights are good for me & what fights are beyond me. No matter how old we get in life we still have goals, ambitions.
“We still have to have a reason to get up in the morning. Nobody more than me for my mindset & mental health. There’s a very good reason to give me focus and keep me healthy, not the opposite. Why did Mike Tyson fight again? Why is Manny Pacquiao fighting again? Why is Paulie Malignaggi fighting again (in a bare knuckle bout)? Why is Shane Mosley fighting again (in an exhibition)? We’re fighters, it’s what we do.
“The fights still some way off still but can’t wait to get back in training camp again, train hard and feel good. As I have all my life I look forward putting a show on again for everyone. I appreciate people’s concerns, but please trust me, I feel great and it will be nothing but great for me.”
During the 2000s, Hatton was one of the biggest stars in boxing and a massive fan favorite, especially in his hometown of Manchester, England.
Hatton won the lineal/IBF junior welterweight title when he stropped fellow Hall of Famer Kostya Tszyu in the 11th round in Manchester in 2005 and later that year knocked out WBA titlist Carlos Maussa in the ninth round to unify.
In his next fight, the first of a lucrative contract with HBO, Hatton moved up to welterweight and controversially outpointed Luis Collazo in Boston to win the WBA title.
Hatton would later take part in two of the biggest fights of the decade and lose by knockout to Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao.
In 2007, he challenged fellow unbeaten Mayweather for his WBC welterweight title and suffered a 10th-round knockout loss.
In 2008, Hatton returned to junior welterweight, where he was still lineal champion, and outpointed Juan Lazcano in a Manchester homecoming fight and then stopped former titlist Paulie Malignaggi in the 11th-round. Those wins set the stage for a 2009 fight with Pacquiao, who scored a crushing second-round knockout to claim the 140-pound lineal title and send Hatton into his first retirement.
Hatton came out of retirement in 2012 to challenge then-WBA welterweight titlist Vyacheslav Senchenko and got knocked out in the ninth round, sending him back into to retirement.
Al Dah (8-3, 4 KOs), 46, has not had a fight in four years. He boxed from 2007 to 2012 and then returned to the ring in July 2021 and got knocked out in the first round by Pedro Alejandro Delgado, who was 6-6-1 going into the bout.
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Hatton photo: Getty Images
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Great idea! These things always work out!
I'm worried about the weight cut.