Ricky Hatton and his new girlfriend Angela Blemmings went public over the weekend, sharing a series of photos from a weekend in Dublin.
The boxer took some time out of training for his exhibition ring return to bring Blemmings, his new belle, to Ireland for what appeared to be a pub crawl. The pair took in the sights including the quays, and the Temple Bar pub, where they sipped on Guinness at one of the capital's most famous bars.
Hatton split with Marie Pollard, his glamorous girlfriend with whom he shared an on-and-off romance over the past few years, back in May. And he has been focusing his attentions on a return to the boxing ring, dropping two-stone and getting back to fighting shape before he faces Marco Antonio Barrera in November.
He was due to get back in the ring in July, but the card was pulled at short notice due to Hughie Fury, who was headlining the earlier portion of the night, pulling out of his fight with Michael Hunter. Fury vs Hunter was the Boxxer portion of a Sky Sports double-header, and despite Hatton preferring to keep the original date, he was forced to postpone.
The event will now take place on November 12 at the AO Arena in Manchester, with the undercard including UFC legends Dan Hardy and Diego Sanchez making their boxing debuts. Irish rapper Casey 'Caspar' Walsh will also face Don Strapzy in a celebrity bout, while it is unclear if the Fury vs Hunter fight will be moved to that date as well.
Hatton said of the cancellation: "Gutted the fight fell through. I’d worked so f***ing hard. But I’m staying at it, and and Marco Antonio Barrera will be back on November 12 in Manchester. The show still goes on, passing all my experience on to my son."
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He added in a later statement: "I wish Hughie a speedy recovery, but obviously I'm gutted as I have been training so hard for this event. But I'll take a little break and be back fitter and stronger for the new date with the fans.
"We've all waited a long time for this fight, soI hope the fans can be a little bit more patient so we can be back with a bigger and better show."
The legendary former boxer's son Campbell has been making a name for himself as a professional fighter in his own right, and spars with his dad from time to time. He currently holds a 7-0 record, and will return in Sheffield next month.
