Ricky Hatton has said that old habits were close to kicking in when he was fighting in the pocket with old pal, Marco Antonio Barrera.
The two legends of the game put on a show for the Manchester crowd this weekend as they traded blows in an exhibition format. From the ring walks to the crowd chants, the event was a well-played dose of nostalgia.
Having said that, Hatton did point out a bit of confusion to Sky Sports.
“To share the ring with Marco is brilliant. I didn’t know if I should be working him in close because every time I went in close, he backed off and I thought, because it’s my first exhibition, ‘should I dig him here or not?’, but I hope everyone enjoyed it as much as I did.”
Thankfully, both men set the pace and handled the action well – giving the crowd and audience at home a safe glimpse of what they were known for whilst respecting the fact that the combined age in the ring was 92 years.
Going on to speak of what the event meant to him in general, ‘The Hitman’ had nothing but good things to say.
“It’s great – the build-up, to get in the ring, to hear the roar of the crowd again, see my mum and dad and all my friends and family, and everyone who has been there from day one. Even people from Sky – I made my professional debut when I was 18 and I’ve had my last dance when I was 44, and the same people have been videoing me and photographing me.”
As for what’s next, Hatton is aware of how good for his health this experience has been. He remains open about the possibility of another exhibition in the future, but wants to ‘enjoy this one first.’