One thing Ricky Hatton won't be lacking on Saturday night is effort.
I know the Hitman will have worked terribly hard in the lead up to his comeback bout against Viacheslav Senchenko because Bob Shannon is a great trainer and a good guy - and because it means so much to Ricky.
Hat stand: Hatton will return to the ring for the first time in over three years on Saturday
Hatton's life came crashing down when he lost to Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao and quit the sport, and his return to the ring is all about redemption, supressing some demons and his need to re-establish himself as a boxing force.
Ricky was a true fighter in his heyday, my kind of fighter; he was prepared to get hurt in order to inflict pain and destroy his opponent. He wasn't looking to be slick or pick up an easy win, he was there to entertain and get involved in a scrap.
Ricky's return to the ring is all about redemption, supressing some demons and his need to re-establish himself as a boxing force.
Glenn McCrory
Quotes of the week
I'm sure Hatton would love to be just like that that against Senchenko but after three-and-a-half years out of the ring it will be asking a lot for him to be as sharp.
I expect we will see cameos of the old Ricky, which I'm sure will delight the masses of fans at the Manchester Arena, but it won't be like before.
He will also have to contend with a very dangerous opponent; Senchenko, a technically-sound former world champion, would have been a tricky man to overcome had Ricky fought him in 2009, but to tackle him after a spell out of the sport will make it doubly difficult.
I have no doubt that Ricky will have his eyes on another world title and, in the process, proving all those that have questioned his decision to lace up the gloves again wrong - but I would like him to beat Senchenko, say: 'Thank you very much' and walk away.
However, even that will be hard to accomplish as boxing is not like the story of Handesl and Gretel, it is not a fairy-tale, it is a tough, tough business. I have severe doubts that Ricky, who I love to pieces, will win this fight, but I wish him all the best.
Cut above
Rendall Munroe and Scott Quigg will square off on Hatton's undercard in a rematch from their June bout, which ended as a technical draw after a nasty clash of heads in the third round.
Munroe, who lost on points when he battled for the WBC super-bantamweight title against Toshiaki Nishioka in 2010, is a cut above Quigg when he is at his best, but Quigg is a developing talent so it's hard to pick a winner.
Munroe is the older man at 32 but he is not seeing this as a retirement fight and he knows that if he can pick up the win then clashes with WBA champion Guillermo Rigondeaux and Commonwealth titlist Carl Frampton could materialise.
The Leicester fighter will have to use his liveliness and take Quigg, who has looked a little pedestrian in the past against some reasonable but not great boxers, and not improved to the levels I expected, to places he has never been before.
Therefore, this is an acid test for Quigg and if he can come through the fight with flying colours then you could argue that he is world class, but I think Munroe has too much about for this to turn into a breeze for the man from Bury.
So much can happen in a boxing ring, as we saw when these two fighters banged heads in the summer, and for that reason I think Munroe, who has more experience and a better all-round skillset, will edge it - and then, hopefully, meet Frampton.
Post to your View!
Be the first to post a comment on this story













Recent Comments:
Ste Stafford on A dynasty in Dallas
"Great article I have to agree with you about Manny he is looking close to being in the same bracket of fighters like Sugar Ray Robinson, Joe Louis, Ali and Duran. Its not often in ... " View all comments
Grant Barker on He who dares, wins!
"Bit of a shock! Hope Chisora does alright though, i think it possibly could be to early to fight a champion like Wladimir Klitschko! Im a massive David Haye fan myself, i was at the ... " View all comments
Joe Mitchell on A five-star show
"Chisora stole the show for me aswell. Really unexpected performance didnt realise he had such great talent and ability. He is a breath of fresh air and I agree he is better than Eddie ... " View all comments
Richie Everitt on Feud for thought
"Great Article Glen, your spot on with with your verdict regarding fighting on undercards on big bills in america, its a shame Frank Warren never tries to do the same with some of his ... " View all comments
Danny Davis on Money clipped!
"I can't see it myself Glenn, I know this isn't the fight that we all want to see, but I do think that Mayweather will out class and out box Mosely and come away with the win. As for ... " View all comments
Vaughan Jones on The only Haye is up!
"Haye took a couple of punches in that fight that seemed to wobble him slightly but he showed he can recover quick which is probably the one advantage that going up in weight gives Haye.... " View all comments