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Boxing

Ricky Hatton ready for Marco Antonio Barrera clash: 'We're still proud champions'

Alexander Netherton
Ricky Hatton ready for Marco Antonio Barrera clash: 'We're still proud champions'GettyImages
The former world champion is back in action this July.

Ricky Hatton is impatient to get back in the ring as he prepares for an exhibition fight against Mexican boxing star Marco Antonio Barrera this summer.

Hatton recently announced the event on his Twitter account and the 43-year-old former light welterweight world champion is keen to get back into action on July 2 in Manchester, having retired back in 2012 after a few years struggling to find his best form.

"I can't wait, to be honest with you," Hatton told Sky Sports.

"Even though we retired, we're not dead, we're still proud champions, me and Marco.

"We've still got to set ourselves goals, we've got dreams to live. It was an easy decision to make."

Hatton continued: "It's an exhibition but it will be competitive, because we're both proud champions. I don't think he'll want to come to Manchester and have me box his ears off, and I don't think I'd like Marco to box my ears off either.

"We all know what a great fighter Marco was, no one needs to tell me, but to actually go in there and share the ring with him and find out first hand just how good he is it's going to be a dream come true.

"Trust me, none of the fans will leave this event disappointed."

Hatton reflected on his time out of the ring and the mental health problems he has faced.

"It was a horrific time for my friends and my family to see someone who reached the heights that I did just to crumble as a man," Hatton explained.

"But, six or seven years on, on July 2 there is going to be this exhibition, and I just hope there is one person in that audience that says, 'look at Ricky, where he was and look at him now and the shape he is in at 43 years of age doing an exhibition - you can still turn your life around'.

"If one person comes out of that show and is better for it because they've seen how I've changed my life around, then it has been a success already hasn't it."

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