by James Slater – Ricky Hatton is a fighter known for piling on the pounds between fights. Indeed, this is one thing many fans speak about whenever they bring up Hatton’s name. Since he’s been out of action since last May’s brutal KO loss to Manny Pacquiao, the 31-year-old former champion has piled on even more excess poundage than he normally does between bouts. However, Hatton, who is planning a summer ring return, says the excess weight is no major concern for him..
“The Hitman” did admit, though, in a recent interview with BBC Radio, that people constantly talking about his weight does annoy him. Ricky also spoke about how he will likely have just one comeback fight, simply so as to prove the critics wrong and to leave his fans with a far more glorious final image of him than the one he left them with in the Pacquiao fight.
“I’m getting sick to the back teeth of hearing people talking about my weight to be honest with you,” Hatton said. “I’ve had enough of it in the past and a few more comments aren’t going to make much difference now. I haven’t hit the scales yet, but I would guess I’m around 12 stone, 10-pounds (178-pounds) and I would generally need to lose just over two stone for a [light-welterweight] fight anyway.
“So it’s [my current weight] not ideal, but I want to do four or five weeks away from the gym just shedding weight to compensate, and then do my normal 12 week training camp.”
Hatton, then, does not intend to fight at welterweight, as some fans suggested may have been a possible option. But how much of an effort will Hatton have to make so as to get at least 38-pounds of weight off? (some fans, having seen Hatton on TV recently, will no doubt feel he weighs considerably more than 178-pounds!) And how much strength will the pressure fighter be left with come the summer bout? Only time will tell.
Hatton did say that if he were to win and look good, he would very probably then call it a day satisfied.
“All I really want to do is just have one comeback win to prove the critics wrong,” Hatton said. “Then, the last memory would be of Ricky Hatton fighting either one of the best pound fighters in the world or a world champion.”
When pressed about the possibility of fans then saying he would have to fight Amir Khan, Ricky gave an interesting answer.
“I don’t have to fight Amir Khan at all, to be honest with you,” he said. “Amir’s a friend and also, the problems me and [promoter] Fank Warren have had in the past would make it very awkward. It’s not an impossibility, but it’s not at the top of the list.”
As we know, news has just broken of how Khan has left Warren (at least temporarily) and signed up with Golden Boy. Could this cause a change to Hatton’s thinking when it comes to a fight with Khan?
As for who it will be when Hatton returns in the summer; most talk seems to suggest it will be Juan Manuel Marquez.