HATTON RETURNS AFTER THREE AND A HALF YEARS
By Maloney L. Samaco
PhilBoxing.com
Sun, 25 Nov 2012
Former WBA (Super), IBF, IBO and The Ring lightwelterweight and WBA welterweight champion Ricky Hatton will climb the ring today against former WBA welterweight champion Vyacheslav Senchenko of Ukraine. The fight will take place at the Manchester Arena, England, Hatton?s state.
Hatton has 45 wins, 32 by KO, and 2 defeats dealt by Floyd Mayweather. Jr. and Manny Pacquiao. He was sulking after those two losses especially that of Pacquiao when he was brutally floored two times in the second round enroute to a TKO loss on May 2, 2009.
Senchenko has a professional record of 32-1 with 21 KO wins. His only loss was when he was dethroned of his WBA title by Paulie Malignaggi last April 29, 2012. From the start of the fight, Malignaggi released a barrage of punches causing Senchenko?s left eye to swell in the second round. The champion could no longer see Malignaggi?s attacking right hand prompting the referee to stop the contest.
On September 13, 2010, Hatton was admitted to a rehabilitation center in London for substance abuse. He was caught on camera apparently snorting cocaine in a Manchester hotel room. He has alcohol problems to accompany drug abuse and at times was getting suicidal.
After three and a half years of inactivity, The Hitman is back to face an acid test of regaining his old strike. He has a high 68% KO rate justifying his moniker. And British boxing fans are excited to see their ring idol back. They trooped to the Manchester Town Hall where the official weigh-in was done.
"You've always been there for me, the support, the people who hold out for the tickets, the people who have supported me through the last three years since I've been away. Well I'm back now and I won't let you down Saturday, you watch," declared Hatton before a huge crowd who attended the weigh-in as reported by Boxing Clever of boxingscene.com.
"It's good to see Ricky back, it's good to see the band again and it's good to hear the chants and the crowd sing: 'There's only one Ricky Hatton'," Malignaggi who witnessed the weigh-in was quoted by boxingscene.com. "I'm glad I'm here tonight so hopefully we can get it on this spring," said the American world champion hoping to face Hatton next year.
Malignaggi picked Hatton to win over Senchenko whom he dominated by a ninth round TKO, calling the Ukraine boxer talented but lacking in self-confidence. Malignaggi lost to Hatton by eleventh round TKO on November 22, 2008 when his trainer threw in the towel.
?I don?t expect anyone else to believe until they see it with their own eyes but I will be better, meaner and more ferocious than the old Hitman. After this we will be talking world title challenges,? Hatton was quoted by Jeff Powells of Daily Mail, U.K. ?I was nervous when I first started sparring again and I?ll be nervous coming into the ring. But when the first bell rings, watch me go. Senchenko will be on the receiving end of all my pent-up tension and emotion.?
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