by Chris Cella
Since the first mention of the comeback of one of England’s favorite boxing sons Ricky “The Hitman” Hatton, the buzz on an international level has been tremendous. Fight fans worldwide know that when Hatton steps between the ropes—regardless of the opponent—they are in for a show.
On November 24 at the Manchester Arena in Manchester, England, Hatton (45-2, 32 KO) will come out of a three plus-year retirement to go to battle against former WBA world welterweight champion Vyacheslav Senchenko (35-1, 21 KO) in a 10-round bout as he begins his quest to once again fight for a world title.
To ensure that his countless fans on various continents have the opportunity to watch his reemergence into the light welterweight division, Hatton has confirmed that the fight will be broadcast across three television platforms and in selected cinemas and pubs through England.
Additionally, the fight will also be screened free of charge to servicemen in Camp Bastion and British army bases around the world, with the British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS).
Hatton is more than excited to know that his fans will be able to watch him go to battle with the Senchenko on the 24th.
“I’m humbled to have the best fans in world boxing and this way, more than ever will be able to watch my comeback,” the “Hitman” says.
“Primetime and ourselves have ensured this will be available to everyone and I thank every single one of my fans individually. I’m also absolutely delighted that the fight will be shown to our troops around the world. These guys are the real heroes and to be able to give something back, even something so small in comparison, is brilliant.”
It’s not difficult to understand why Ricky “The Hitman” Hatton has been a fan favorite through his career: he’s a class act out of the ring and one of the most vicious and unrelenting light welterweights in recent years.
About his upcoming fight, Hatton commented, “People ask if I should come back, will I win, can I be world champ again. They don’t get it. I’ve already won. I’m here. I saved myself. The end of the ‘Ricky Hatton Story’ was not being knocked out by Pacquiao.
“I’m looking forward to getting back in the ring and showing what I can do. I want to get back in the title mix, but you can’t do that by taking easy fights. That’s why I’m taking on this guy.”
Primetime, the exclusive broadcast partner for the fight, will broadcast the fight via its regular TV outlets Sky and Virgin, but TalkTalk will also pick up the event and broadcast the fight via the TalkTalk Player on their new YouView boxes.
TalkTalk is celebrating the ring-return of ‘The Hitman’ by offering the event as a gift to its YouView TV customers.
The scheduled 10-round welterweight fight will be a special, afternoon edition of Showtime Championship Boxing followed by a replay that night on Showtime Extreme.