You might think you’ve already had your fill of top-class boxing thrills this year; from Tyson Fury’s stunning knockout of Dillian Whyte to Katie Taylor’s split-decision win over Amanda Serrano in a classic showdown at Madison Square Garden, there have been some incredible showcases of the sweet science in recent weeks.
But wait, there’s more! The boxing gods have bestowed upon us another gift in the form of Hatton and Barrera, who will face off at the AO Arena on 2 July. That’s right, Manchester’s favourite boxing son will be returning for one night only on home soil!
The hometown hero last fought in 2012, at the same venue, in a defeat to Vyacheslav Senchenko. The Ukrainian was only the 3rd man to defeat Hatton in his 48 career fights. The other 2 – Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao – are all-time boxing greats who were at the peak of their powers.
While Hatton may not have managed to best either of them in the ring, his impressive career nevertheless saw him acquire multiple world championships at light-welterweight, as well as the WBA welterweight title. He’ll also be remembered as one of Great Britain’s most popular boxers, taking with him around 40,000 fans to Las Vegas for his bout with Mayweather.
The 43-year-old is looking forward to getting back in the ring: "This is a dream for me. I know my days are numbered but it doesn't matter how old you are, you still have to keep setting yourself targets to get out of bed at four in the morning and train – and that's what I've been doing."
Likewise, he’s excited to be facing Barrera: "He's a great friend and neither of us will be taking liberties – but Marco will definitely be coming over here to try to give me a boxing lesson – and that's where the competitiveness will kick in. We'll both be putting on a show for everyone."
Barrera, 48, has been retired even longer, having hung up his gloves in 2011, although he did fight in 2 exhibitions last year. The Mexican ended his career with an impressive 67-7 record, and along the way he picked up multiple world titles in no fewer than 3 weight classes, from junior featherweight through to super featherweight.
The pair will be fighting over 8 rounds atop a card featuring a number of famous faces, including a clash between UFC stars Dan Hardy and Diego Sanchez and a face-off between rappers Casper Walsh and Don Strapzy. The event will also feature musical performances from Tion Wayne, Bad Boy Chiller Crew, and more, and will raise money for Andy’s Man Club, a mental health charity.
