Ricky Hatton returned to the hoop to stand fellow boxing legend Marco Antonio Barrera in an exhibition at the AO Arena in Manchester on Saturday. Ricky Hatton, an icon of British boxing tonight, reminded the Manchester devoted of some of the magic of vintage as he boxed an exhibition with Mexican boxing legend Marco Antonio Barrera.
There’s simplest one Ricky Hatton. The chant reverberated around the stands before the man himself had even seemed for one final time at his liked Manchester Arena. The venue were the site of some of his greatest nights, along with his ancient victory over Kostya Tszyu, as well as a bitter comeback that led to defeat to Vyacheslav Senchenko 10 years ago.
But this occasion was now not a comeback. It turned into an exhibition, really a celebration so Hatton and his lovers should bear in mind the best times one last time. They could cheer for his or her hero and sing ‘Blue Moon’ yet again as Hatton made his iconic ringwalk.
Hatton motors through his exhibition with Barrera
In Marco Antonio Barrera, a legend of Mexican boxing himself, Hatton had a actual friend and the best foil for this 8 -minute round exhibition with sixteen-ounce gloves and without a winner or a loser.
What it did have became lots of noise and a deafening roar went up as Hatton held his palms as much as his crowd.
In a pleasing touch veteran referee Mickey Vann got here out of retirement to be the man in the center one last time himself. He wasn’t given a good deal to do as Hatton manoeuvred directly to the the front foot and started to ply Barrera with jabs, push him back and search for an indicator punch to the body.
Barrera is now 48 years old, to Hatton’s 44, but hadn’t absolutely forgotten himself as a fighter, bringing Hatton on to a short but flush proper before the cease of their first spherical.
Hatton whipped a left hook throughout to the chin, most effective for Barrera to screw his lead uppercut into the Mancunian’s jaw. Neither became dropping manipulate however every wanted to remind the opposite that there has been a real, if old, fighter still in there.
Hatton saw an opening for his right hook and flung that with gusto. He commenced to inject extra energy into his punches, his face set in a critical scowl even as a band inside the crowd led the cheers round him.
He worked Barrera suddenly on the ropes and would positioned him underneath strain. Barrera summoned up his reserves to catch out Hatton with the occasional response.
They traded meaty punches in the remaining round too, every making sure to finish with a flourish as they permit their palms move.
Hatton particularly motored through those eight rounds. He had proven just how some distance he’d come from the days of ballooning in weight and his personal struggles with intellectual fitness. That was the problem he’d desired to elevate and champion through this occasion.
Mickey Vann raised the fingers of each guys and the gang stood as one to applaud.
I puzzled the way it changed into going to go, me and Marco are buddies, but with this type of large crowd getting at the back of me I wondered if it might get a piece heated. But it was appropriate, pleasing, I assume the whole lot we wanted,” Hatton stated afterwards.
I’ve performed loads of accurate matters in boxing, my win over Kostya Tszyu, my fights in Las Vegas, but this is up there with one of the excellent.