RICKY HATTON enjoyed an exhibition bout with fellow fighting legend Marco Antonio Barrera after hilariously using a zimmer frame on his ring walk.
The 44-year-old grandfather shed FOUR STONE to face the Mexican legend, 48, at his old Manchester arena stomping ground.
The two-weight world champ – who has battled addiction and depression – was 15st when he took up the challenge but looked a first-class athlete on Saturday night.
That was despite the fact that Hatton jokingly made his ring walk flanked by two nurses as he pulled himself along on a zimmer frame.
The Man City super-fan enjoyed 8x2min rounds with a few trademark body shots and even suffered a nice shiny bruise on his right cheek to prove he still loves a tear-up before both men had their hands raised in the exhibition “draw”.
And he has vowed to continue his diet and training regime in case any more throw-back legends bouts are offered up.
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Hatton said: “I got everything and more than I hoped from that. I didn’t know how it would go but it was entertaining.
“I have done loads of good things in boxing – world titles to Las Vegas – but this is up there with one of the best.”
Liverpool’s Natasha Jonas added the IBF super-welterweight belt to her WBC and WBO belts, with a decision win over Canada’s Marie Dicaire.
Jonas says: “I won, it was clear and she was No1 in the division.
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“She was tough, I trained for it to be tough and trained with great southpaws.
“Right now I want to go and have a holiday with my daughter and then I will look at new fights in 2023, I haven’t had a break for a year.
“There are always options but I have been in the situation before where I have all the doors open, then I lose, and all the doors close.”
Source: Boxing - thesun.co.uk
