Ricky Hatton vs Juan Manuel Marquez would have been some fight. WBN looks at how close the super-bout came to reality.
Golden Boy Promotions pursued the massive fight between two boxing legends towards the end of both careers.
Around 2010/11, Golden Boy made a move to make the clash a reality after Hatton had lost to Manny Pacquiao via knockout in 2009.
Hatton never intended to return to the ring after struggling with mental issues following a devastating defeat.
But as Robert Diaz picked up the story, it seems the ‘Hitman’ was approached with an offer to face the Mexican star.
Hatton vs Marquez
“Ricky Hatton came very close to a bout vs Juan Manuel Marquez,” stated Diaz. “Both had lost to (Floyd) Mayweather and Pacquiao. It almost happened.
“I tried, but Ricky was retired for a while. What a fight [it would have been],” he added.
Instead, it seems Marquez made his move up to welterweight. He took on Likar Ramos but eventually faced Pacquiao in a trilogy clash.
Pacquiao had scraped a draw and wafer-thin victory in their previous two meetings. He once again thwarted Marquez controversially when they met in November 2011.
Marquez lost on points again and would have to wait a year for his eventual redemption.
Juan Manuel Marquez Revenge
‘Dinamita’ blasted the ‘Pacman’ out in the sixth round of a now world-famous collision at the MGM Grand, later resisting any attempts for a fifth battle.
For Hatton, the Manchester man did make a comeback after a three-year absence in 2012. Sadly, the likable Brit lost to Vyacheslav Senchenko and never fought again.
If the two supreme warriors had traded punches back in 2010 or 11, it promised to be fireworks for the fight fans.
Around that time, Marquez fought Australian puncher Michael Katsidis. It was an unbelievable war and may have been a significant reason Golden Boy thought the Hatton fight would be a good idea.
Hatton losing to Senchenko put the final nail in the coffin of one of the most-followed UK boxing careers ever. The ring stint stood Hatton in good stead for his tenure as a trainer ever since.
When Tyson Fury fought Deontay Wilder in December 2018, famously getting up from a mammoth two-punch combo, Hatton was part of the corner team looking after the ‘Gypsy King.’
For his part, Marquez turned his hand to becoming a pundit and has since excelled in his field.
