Ricky Hatton has denied that his comeback fight against Marco Antonio Barrera will be moved to a new date after the Sky Sports portion of the evening fell apart.
Hatton had dropped over 40lb to prepare for his return to the ring, which was set to take place after a separate card promoted by BOXXER on July 2 at the AO Arena in Manchester. But the headliner of the Sky Sports portion of the card has been pulled after Hughie Fury was forced to withdraw from his fight with Michael Hunter.
The BOXXER show is set to be rescheduled for a new date, and while it is expected that Hatton's fight will also need to be rearranged, the boxer has claimed no decision has been made yet. Ticket holders for the Fury portion of the event have been told their tickets will remain valid if they don't choose to avail of a refund.
"Gutted to hear that Hughie Fury is injured and wish him a speedy recovery," Hatton tweeted. "Talks ongoing but not decided yet about whether to move my Sky Sports bout on July 2 as well, as it was on the same bill. I will let my fans know the outcome here first."
A spokesperson for the Hatton vs Barrera event told Mirror Fighting: "Ricky is still keen to fight as he has completed a 15-week training camp and is in great shape. Talks are ongoing to see if the bout can still happen. If not, an alternative date will be announced in the next few hours."
"Boxing fans all over the world have been looking forward to this fight and so have the two fighters," said Ben Shalom, the BOXXER founder and CEO who was promoting the Fury vs Hunter fight night.
"Nobody will be more disappointed than Hughie Fury and Michael Hunter by today’s news, but health is more important than anything. We wish Hughie a speedy recovery while we arrange a new date for this bout in Manchester."
The Hatton event was set to begin after the Fury vs Hunter fight ended, and had an undercard planned that included the boxing debut of Irish rapper Casey 'Caspar' Walsh, among others. Walsh was due to face Don Strapzy, while UFC legends Dan Hardy and Diego Sanchez were also set to square off in their respective boxing debuts.
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Musical performances were scheduled for Tion Wayne and Bad Boy Chiller Crew in order to create a party atmosphere for Hatton's homecoming. It remains to be seen if those will also be rebooked for the new card if the event is moved.
Hatton has dropped a massive amount weight and even sparred with his unbeaten son, Campbell, in the lead-up to the bout. "I like pints of beer, it has been well known, but you can't do that. I think that is the main thing with the weight," Hatton told British Boxing TV.
"If you go out and have pints seven days a week you won't be walking around with a six pack. I think it is just sensible, eating the right things small and often and regular workouts. Some days I have thought 'can I have a rest day?' and then I have thought I will take my foot down on the pace and go for a run to keep a sweat on.
"I do two workouts a day so my metabolism is always racing. Cut it down on treats, I have 12 cups of tea a day normally but it has to just be a one-off. I think the best thing is the willpower, and a nutritionist is only good as the lad that advises him and I think it is all down to your own personal discipline."
