The news announced by former super lightweight world champion Ricky Hatton has left boxing fans around the world stunned. “The Hitman” has revealed his intention to return to the ring at the age of 47, after an inactivity that dates back to November 2012, when he was knocked out by Ukrainian boxer Vyacheslav Senchenko.
According to Hatton’s announcement on his social media channels, the date, location, and opponent for his unbelievable comeback fight have already been confirmed. The Brit will face 46-year-old Eisa Al Dah of the United Arab Emirates on December 2nd in Dubai. Al Dah holds a record of 8 wins and 3 losses and has been inactive since July 2021, when he was knocked out in a single round by Mexico’s Pedro Delgado.
Ricky Hatton became a world champion in 2005, when he defeated the formidable Kostya Tszyu in eleven rounds in his hometown of Manchester. He remained on the throne until 2007, when he challenged American superstar Floyd Mayweather Jr at welterweight, losing by TKO in the tenth round.
The career of the relentless English slugger seemed to have come to an end in 2009, when Hatton suffered a brutal KO at the hands of Filipino legend Manny Pacquiao. Three years later, however, the Manchester idol attempted a comeback, suffering another stoppage loss to the aforementioned Senchenko, who knocked him out with a devastating body shot.
The idea that Hatton still has something to offer boxing as an athlete at this stage is nothing short of science fiction. Let’s just hope that this bizarre return ends without consequences for the health of the two boxers involved, and that it truly marks the final chapter of “The Hitman’s” sporting journey.