Ricky Hatton has announced he will return to the ring this December in Dubai after retiring in 2012.
Ricky Hatton retired in 2012 after back-to-back stoppage losses at the hands of Manny Pacquiao and Vyacheslav Senchenko.
Since then, Hatton faced Marco Antonio Barrera in a return to the ring in an exhibition bout in 2022. There was no scoring and no winner or loser.
He has now announced his return, and it is unclear whether it’ll be an exhibition or a pro contest, though what is known is his opponent.
Ricky Hatton will face a lackluster opponent in Eisa Al Dah
Eisa Al Dah is an 8-3 fighter who last fought in 2021, when he was stopped in one round by a 6-6-1 opponent.
Before that, Al Dah had not fought since 2012, meaning it has been 13 years since his last win. This is still better than Hatton, who hasn’t won in 17 years now, with his last being against Paulie Malignaggi in 2008.
A closer look at Al Dah’s resume shows him to be quite unimpressive, with 90% of his opponents, including the ones that beat him, having losing records.
Al Dah’s first 10 opponents had a combined record of 60-209-10.
Al Dah lost to a debutant in 2009 and a 6-13 fighter in 2010.
His only win against an opponent with a winning record came in 2011, when he defeated 5-3 Ignasi Caballero, who has moved to 10-13 since then.
Al Dah is reportedly 46 years of age, the same as Hatton.
Ricky Hatton criticized Manny Pacquiao’s comeback recently
Hatton was asked by TNT Sports not too long ago who would win a fight between Manny Pacquiao and Prince Naseem Hamed.
Hatton, who Pacquiao KO’d, responded, “I think we’d have to go with Manny Pacquiao, sorry Naz. I mean you know, world champion at so many different weights, how can you go against that?”
However, Hatton added some words on Pacquiao’s comeback fights, both the Yordenis Ugas fight in 2021 and now his return against Mario Barrios, “I think the way his career come to an end a little bit, it was a shame to see.”
Now Hatton is preparing to come back himself.