RICKY Hatton has decided to roll the dice, becoming the second legendary boxer at 46-years-old to announce his comeback fight in 2025.
Eyebrows were raised earlier this year when Manny Pacquiao declared that he would not only return to a professional ring, but challenge for world honours.
Sure enough, the Filipino Icon will be doing just that on July 19, taking on welterweight champion Mario Barrios after controversially entering the WBC rankings.
And now Hatton, who suffered a devastating second-round stoppage defeat to Pacquiao back in 2009, is gearing up to follow in the footsteps of his former rival.
Instead of entering a world title fight, though, the Mancunian will face limited middleweight campaigner Eisa Al Dah, who shares the same age, at The Agenda, Dubai.
With the venue boasting a capacity of around 5,000, it has perhaps aptly been selected to play host when Hatton ends a 13-year retirement on December 2.
His last professional outing, which culminated in a ninth-round stoppage loss to Vyachesla Senchenko, saw the two-weight world champion call time on a decorated career.
Yet despite sailing off into the sunset, Hatton returned to the squared circle, albeit for an exhibition against Mexican legend Marco Antonio Barrera, in 2022.
And now, ‘The Hitman’ has gone one step further, with his encounter against Al Dah expected to be sanctioned as a professional contest.
Al Dah, meanwhile, last fought in 2021, back when he found himself on the receiving end of a first-round finish against a Mexican journeyman.
But regardless of his uninspiring resume, ‘The Arabian Warrior’ will lock horns with Hatton in a bout where an official weight, and the number of rounds, is yet to be revealed.
