by Johnny Walker
According to the Manchester Evening News, retired British light welterweight star Ricky “The Hitman” Hatton will soon make his intentions clear regarding a boxing comeback.
Hatton, who has been out of the ring since losing by a second round knockout to Manny Paquiao in 2009, has been photographed in recent weeks looking to be in fighting trim; this has not been the usual state of things for the ex-boxer, who has famously struggled with his appetites for food, booze and drugs.
Nevertheless, Hatton remains a huge star in the UK, where even his personal travails are seen as part of the “everyman,” working class persona that endears him to the public.
Hatton has often expressed dissatisfaction that his career ended on a sour note, and has said that he would like to put things right. He struggled with motivation in the latter stages of his boxing career, but apparently his work with other fighters as the head of Hatton Promotions has seen him fall in love with the sport all over again.
According to the MEN, Hatton has been discussing the possibility of a comeback with close friends, and is set to make a announcement soon, following a holiday with family members.
The likely scenario would be a warm-up fight for Hatton in his hometown at the Manchester Arena, followed by a bout with WBA welterweight world title-holder Paul “Magic Man” Malignaggi, who Hatton defeated via a late TKO in 2008.