Ricky Hatton has lost a serious amount of weight and pulled off an impressive body transformation ahead of his return to boxing.
Ricky Hatton : Transformation | Weigh in | Next fight
Richard John Hatton MBE is a British former professional boxer who competed between 1997 and 2012, and has since worked as a boxing promoter and trainer.
| Statistics | |
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| Real name | Richard John Hatton |
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| Weight(s) |
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| Height | 5 ft 6 in (168 cm) |
| Reach | 65 in (165 cm) |
During his boxing career he held multiple world championships at light-welterweight and one at welterweight.
BoxRec ranks Hatton as the 11th greatest European fighter of all time and 5th greatest British fighter of all time, pound for pound.
In 2005 he was named Fighter of the Year by The Ring magazine, the Boxing Writers Association of America, and ESPN.
Ricky Hatton Transformation
Ricky Hatton shocked the crowd as he showed off a weight loss of almost four stone on the scales to weigh-in at 159.5lbs.
The British boxing legend – a former world champion – was 43 years old and training professional fighters in his gym in Hyde in Manchester from Monday to Friday, but admits: “I was massively obese.”
Then he got a call asking if he would be interested in taking part in an exhibition fight with an old rival turned good friend – former three-weight world champion Marco Antonio Barrera, now 48, at the AO Arena in Manchester.
He jumped at the opportunity, seeing it as a chance to lift people’s spirits, and his own.
“It was a very easy decision to me to make,” says Hatton, now 44.
“The whole purpose was to set myself a goal for this exhibition, to get in shape and inspire so many people.
“I haven’t even set foot in the ring yet but the letters, comments of people who’ve struggled with weight, struggled with mental health have said: ‘Wow, if you can do it, what you’ve been through and shift all that weight at 44 years of age?’
“That’s what it’s all about for me, just as much as throwing the punches.”
Ricky Hatton Weigh in
Speaking to talkSPORT ahead of the fight, the former light welterweight world champion revealed that his weight loss had inspired others and helped with his own mental health issues.
‘I always made it hard for myself when I was in my prime, to be honest with you, things haven’t changed now that I’m 44 years of age, but it’s been so good for my well being,’ Hatton said.
Ricky Hatton has showed off his incredible weight loss at the weigh-in for his exhibition fight with Marco Antonio Barrera this Saturday night.
The 44-year-old is set to clash with the Mexican at the AO Arena in Manchester and tipped the scales at 11st 5.5Ibs.
Marking a four-stone weight loss from when he stepped on the scales before he started training and weighed 15st 4lbs.
In fact ‘The Hitman’ is just 13Ibs heavier than what he weighed in at for his last professional fight in 2012. Even more impressive is how the weight loss has taken years of Hatton and he showed off his six-pack for all to see during the weigh-in.
Hatton’s not alone either, his opponent on Saturday night, Barrera, is also in impressive shape. Weighing in at 11st 7Ibs ahead of their meeting this weekend.
Next fight
Ricky Hatton returns to the ring for the first time since 2012 on Saturday night as he takes on Marco Antonio Barrera at the AO Arena in Manchester.
Hatton had a glittering career, winning multiple world titles and had a fantastic record of of 45 wins and three losses.
Two of those losses came against the legendary figures of Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao, with Hatton a key protagonist in the world of boxing during the late noughties.
The fight takes place on the BOXXER card at Manchester Arena on Saturday night which will include Natasha Jones vs Marie-Eve Dicaire as well as former Olympian Frazer Clarke.
The fight will take place on Saturday, November 12. Hatton vs Barrera is expected at around 10:30pm, with the card getting underway at 7pm.