Ricky Hatton vs Marco Antonio Barrera results: Jonas becomes three-belt champion before Hitman’s emotional last dance

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Ricky Hatton made a poignant return to the Manchester Arena as he shared an eight-round exhibition with Mexican boxing great Marco Antonio Barrera.

Ten years on from bringing down the curtain on his professional career at the same venue, the former two-weight world champion walked out to his trademark Manchester City anthem of Blue Moon, mockingly beginning his journey to the ring on a Zimmer frame.

Former three-weight ruler Barrera and Hatton are long-time friends and entered into their middle-aged endeavour to raise funds and awareness for the mental health charity Andy’s Man Club.

After Hatton’s well-documented struggles with depression and suicidal thoughts, it was wonderful to witness fulfilling closure for one of the finest British sporting careers of the 21st century before his ever-adoring public.

MORE: What happened when Ricky Hatton fought Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao?

The bout was made at middleweight, comfortably above the featherweight and super-featherweight divisions that Barrera ruled and the 48-year-old was the more comfortably proportioned of the two.

Hatton, 44, has shed a considerable amount of weight and looked in fine condition, bouncing on his toes and marauding forward in his familiar style.

Plenty of the old moves and skills were there to enjoy, from Hatton’s aggressive footwork and switching of attacks from body to head to Barrera’s skilful timing of jabs and right hands whenever the Mancunian’s advances became a little too rudimentary.

Prior to the Hatton vs Barrera bout – for which there was no winner declared (but we had a go at scoring it below!) – Natasha Jonas boxed superbly against the naturally bigger Marie-Eve Dicaire’s, adding the Canadian’s IBF super-welterweight belt to her WBC and WBO titles.

Huge fights against the likes of Terri Harper, Jessica McCaskill or even pound-for-pound superstar Claressa Shields could await Jonas next year, while a big 2023 might also be in store for Dalton Smith in Hatton’s old weight class.

The British super-lightweight champion produced a composed performance to prevail in a tense, tactical affair against Kaisee Benjamin, moving his career record to 13-0. 

Ricky Hatton vs. Marco Antonio Barrera as it happened, highlights

00:20 a.m. GMT/7:20 p.m. ET: It’s time to bid everyone good night, especially the inimitable Ricky Hatton. Ever since those blockbuster showdowns with Floyd Mayweather Jr and Manny Pacquiao, when Hatton came up short against the two best fighters of his generation, it has been truly upsetting to see a man who brought so much joy to so many labouring under the impression that he somehow let anybody down. Nothing could be further from the truth, Ricky – it was always a privilege and a delight to watch you.

Tonight, without any of the tension or jeopardy of old, it was a treat to see him and Barrera go to work. Hopefully he can now let any of that lingering ill-feeling go for good. There might be talk of further exhibitions – Mayweather is in action with his latest boxing bank job tomorrow –  but at the arena he made his home, Ricky Hatton said goodbye by having fun with one of his mates, who also just so happened to be an elite boxer. Sink that full stop onto the page like a signature left hook to the liver. He’s done. He should be so proud. 

00:05 a.m. GMT/7:05 p.m. ET: Hatton has got the microphone on Sky Sports: “I wondered how it was going to go. Me and Marco are friends but we’re proud men,” he said. “It was good it was entertaining, everything we wanted. Because of the stage I’m at in my life, this is one of the best things I’ve done in boxing.”

He’s audibly and visibly emotional as the thanks those in attendance. “You don’t need me to tell you what I think of the fans,” he adds. “They’ve always been my main achievement.”

00:01 a.m. GMT/7:01 p.m. ET: Warm applause as everyone in their arena rises to their feet. Hatton is wrapped in the Mexican flag, Barrera wears the union flag. Vann raises both their hands aloft. Wholesome content.

Round 8: Booming right from Hatton, Barrera responds with a nice left on the inside. Another backhand down the pipe form Hatton, who’s superior conditioning is allowing him to finish stronger. They both flail away during the final 10 seconds and embrace at the bell.

SN unofficial scorecard: Hatton 78-76 Barrera

Round 7: Fast start to the penultimate round from Hatton. Barrera goes to the body. They’re definitely a lot keener to let shots go down the stretch, Short left from Hatton as the Mexican comes in, and another on the inside after they grapple. 

SN unofficial scorecard: Hatton 68-66 Barrera

Round 6: A couple more nice moments from Barrera. Hatton then goes from body to head in his classic style. Vann has to separate them at the bell.

SN unofficial scorecard: Hatton 58-57 Barrera

Round 5: Better round for Barrera, who lets a few more shots go. There’s a lovely wide left hook to the the chin of Hatton, who came in square on a couple of times to be caught on the way in.

SN unofficial scorecard: Hatton 48-48 Barrera

Round 4: Hatton still light on his feet, showing a lot of the old footwork and getting off some sharp head shots. Barrera hasn’t looked especially light on his feet at any stage, if we’re being completely honest, but it’s really great to see the two of them going to work.

SN unofficial scorecard: Hatton 39-38 Barrera

Round 3: Skills school in the third as Barrera switches to southpaw. Hatton is closing the ring off in his customary fashion, though, and continues to be the busier fighter, although he catches a couple of Barrera lefts coming in. Vann warns them about the heads coming together. He might have been banking on a quieter night.

SN unofficial scorecard: Hatton 29-29 Barrera

Round 2: Bit naughty from Ricky, who holds behind the head and looks to get a shot off. Old habits and all that. The Mancunian definitely looks sharper and quicker, showing some nice head movement. A fairly meaty Hatton right is the pick of the round two work.

SN unofficial scorecard: Hatton 20-19 Barrera

Round 1: Hatton is on his toes and looking to press the action. Barrera pops out a few nice, educated jabs. Hatton sinks in a trademark left to the body towards the end of the session. Warming up nicely.

SN unofficial scorecard: Hatton 10-10 Barrera

11:34 p.m. GMT/6:34 p.m. ET: As you might expect for a man who campaigned for most of his career between 122lbs and 130lbs, Barrera definitely looks the fleshier of the two. Hatton really is in tremendous shape, all things considered. Micky Vann, who refereed many of Hatton’s famous nights in this arena is the third man in the ring. We’re ready to go.

11:31 p.m. GMT/6:31 p.m. ET: Hatton vs Barrera will take place of eight two-minute rounds. The boxers are wearing 16 oz gloves and there will be no official winner declared, what with it being an exhibition. However, we’re going to follow along round-by-round and score it. Should be fun!

11:29 p.m. GMT/6:29 p.m. ET: Hatton is standing at the top of the ramp, at an arena where he has made the same walk many times. It’s probably never felt like this much fun though, with no pressure and just pure adoration. A career-spanning montage is playing. Now Hatton walks out, initially with a Zimmer frame. It’s time for Blue Moon!

11:27 p.m. GMT/6:27 p.m. ET: There’s a warm reception for Barrera. Sure, he’s the away fighter here, but the fans in attendance are excited to be seeing two modern greats. Here comes Ricky, looking all business.

11:25 p.m. GMT/6:25 p.m. ET: Here we go then. Barrera is getting ready to make his entrance. Hatton’s name is booming around the arena. 

11:14 p.m. GMT/6:14 p.m. ET: Jonas tells Sky Sports afterwards that she’s mainly looking forward to a holiday but there are huge fights out there in 2023. A rematch with Terri Harper would double up as an undisputed clash at super-welterweight. Jessica McCaskill, beaten in Abu Dhabi last weekend as Chantelle Cameron became undisputed at super-lightweight has also expressed an interest in stepping up to 154lbs. Then there’s a certain Claressa Shields, just a weight class higher up and still probably able to make 11 stone.

Natasha Jonas beats Marie-Eve Dicaire (UD 10) to add the IBF belt to her WBO and WBC super-welterweight titles

11:14 p.m. GMT/6:14 p.m. ET: Jonas gets it to become three-weight champion at 154lbs. Scores of 100-90, & 98-92 97-93 perhaps do Dicaire a slight disservice but Jonas was a deserved and impressive winner there against the bigger woman. 

Round 10: Dicaire swings for the fences, missing with a couple of huge lefts as the clock ticks down. Jonas’ superior quality might just shade the session and seal the deal.

SN unofficial scorecard: Jonas 97-93 Dicaire

Round 9: Huge guts from Dicaire in the penultimate session. She draws Jonas into scarp and lands a big left hook as they trade during the closing seconds. Gallagher admonishes Jonas for letting Dicaire drag her down to her level.

SN unofficial scorecard: Jonas 87-84 Dicaire

Round 8: Some crisp head shots from Jonas to start the round. Blood is now flowing from Dicaire’s nose. The IBF champion draws Jonas into some close-quarter exchanges for some encouragement late in the round but you’d think she needs a stoppage at this stage.

SN unofficial scorecard: Jonas 78-74 Dicaire

Round 7 Much better from Jonas, who gets back to her quality work from earlier on. She picks some wonderful shots, most notable a booming left off the jab. When that range-finder is working there’s only one winner.

SN unofficial scorecard: Jonas 68-65 Dicaire

Round 6: Dicaire rumbles forward again and this suddenly looks gruelling for Jonas. The Scouser responds well enough, though, digging a right into the body and bloodying her opponents’ nose. This could get torrid down the stretch.

SN unofficial scorecard: Jonas 58-56 Dicaire

Round 5: That’s where Dicaire needs the action to be. Jonas is drawn into some grappling and gets pushed around a bit. Dicaire gets off some solid work to the body and then they trade in centre ring.

SN unofficial scorecard: Jonas 49-46 Dicaire

Round 4: More of the same as Jonas reads Dicaire’s advances and picks her off. The Canadian also gets a warning from the referee for use of the forearm. Dicaire will hope her physicality can have an impact once the pace slows in the second half.

SN unofficial scorecard: Jonas 40-36 Dicaire

Round 3: Dicaire stalks forward with more intent in the third, applying more consistent pressure. But she still cops a walloping Jonas right and looks easy for the WBC and WBO champion to hit. The Jonas jab is also working well.

SN unofficial scorecard: Jonas 30-27 Dicaire

Round 2: Dicaire looks slightly cumbersome stepping in and is vulnerable to Jonas’ superior speed. The former British Olympian chops home a couple of nice lefts and gets out before Dicaire can return fire.

SN unofficial scorecard: Jonas 20-18 Dicaire

Round 1: The size difference is immediately apparent. Jonas challenged for her first world title against Terri Harper down at super-featherweight, remember. But that won’t be too much of an advantage for Dicaire is she eats many more of those. Jonas sends home a couple of meaty southpaw backhands. It probably gets her the round, even through the Liverpudlian switched off to ship some needless punishment in the closing seconds. Coach Joe Gallagher is furious.

SN unofficial scorecard: Jonas 10-9 Dicaire

10:35 p.m. GMT/5:35 p.m. ET: Here comes Jonas to a rapturous reception. At least it’s lively because I’m pretty sure Dicaire entered the ring to Celine Dion. With our power ballads quota out of the way for the evening, we’re going round-by-round.

10:32 p.m. GMT/5:32 p.m. ET: Hatton and Barrera are the de facto headliners but the main event of the evening is up next. Natasha Jonas has completely turned her career around four years on from a shocking stoppage loss to Viviane Obenauf and brings her WBC and WBO super-welterweight titles to the table against Canada’s IBF champion Marie-Eve Dicaire. The vacant Ring Magazine belt vacated by Claressa Shields is also up for grabs between two fighters generally viewed as the top two in the 154lbs division.

Dalton Smith beats Kaisee Benjamin (UD12), retains British super-lightweight title

10:22 p.m. GMT/5:22 p.m. ET: Smith gets the job done. Benjamin’s corner urged their man to leave it all out there going into round 12, only for him to be greeted by a volley of clattering head shots early in the round. We know all about Smith’s skills but it speaks very well of his temperament that he came back from those tricky sessions in the eighth and ninth to close out the championship rounds in relative comfort, also negotiating a cut above the right eye.

The nature of the contest means a variety of scores were probably inevitable as Smith wins by margins of 115-114, 117-112 and 116-113. The former feels a bit too close but it’s job done for the undefeated Sheffield fighter, who has just revealed he was laid low with a chest infection last week.

10:10 p.m. GMT/5:10 p.m. ET: Really good response from Smith. Perhaps buoyed by his recent success, Benjamin comes forward a little sloppily and a little square on. The champion sends home a meaty one-two to stiffen his foe’s legs. There are more of those signature straight shots from Smith, along with a clubbing left hook to the jaw. That might be the Benajmin rally quelled.

10:07 p.m. GMT/5:07 p.m. ET: Good moments for Benjamin in rounds eight and nine. The challenger might have let a few too many of these rounds just slip by but he ups his work rate, scoring with a left to the body before moving upstairs to good effect. There’s some more nice body work in the ninth. Smith responds by audaciously landing a couple of right-hand leads but Benjamin finishes the stronger, closing things up as we head into the championship rounds.

9:54 p.m. GMT/4:54 p.m. ET: Benjamin scored well to the body in round four but Smith is gradually managing to get the fight to happen at the distance he prefers as we reach halfway. Still, it’s a case of two technically assured boxers trying to crack a tricky code. Most of the scoring of note has also come from single shots and the Benjamin corner wants their man to double up on the jab.

9:41 p.m. GMT/4:41 p.m. ET: Incredibly cagey stuff so far, with both boxers operating on the edge of each other’s range, looking for little faints, tells and giveaways. They’re not spotting too much to work off yet. Smith landing a couple of eye-catching straight shots but nothing especially flush. Benjamin is looking to snake his jab from low. Definitely a fight that has yet to catch fire. 

9:28 p.m. GMT/4:28 p.m. ET: This could be a corker for the British super-lightweight title in the co-main event. Dalton Smith is making the first defence of his title. The Sheffield man is one of the most exciting prospects you’ll find anywhere, boasting a record of 12-0 with 10 inside the distance. His combination of power and skilful punch-picking might get a thorough examination against Kaisee Benjamin, who has done most of his work as a professional at welterweight and very much fancies the job.

Frazer Clarke beats Kamil Sokolowski (PTS 6)

9:16 p.m. GMT/4:16 p.m. ET: Just what the doctor ordered for Clarke, who gets rounds in the bank and a few things to work on. Referee Steve Gray scored it 60-54. “The six rounds weren’t wanted, the six rounds were needed,” Clarke tells Sky Sports. “I know there’s so much to build on but it’s a step in the right direction.”

9:11 p.m. GMT/4:11 p.m. ET: An accidental clash of heads towards the start of round five left Sokolowski with a cut below his right eye. Clarke then proceeded to put together his best work of the fight, showing some nice hand speed to land in combinations that troubled his foe. Sokolowski mauled forward to try and smother the Briton’s work.

9:03 p.m. GMT/4:03 p.m. ET: We’re halfway through a bout scheduled for six rounds. Clarke is banging the rounds, as you’d expect, but could do with a little more variety against an opponent who has not been unduly troubled so far. Of Sokolowski’s 26 defeats, only four have been by KO.

8:50 p.m. GMT/3:50 p.m. ET: Great reception for Olympic bronze medalist Frazer Clarke, who will hope to get his professional career of and running against experienced veteran Kamil Sokolowski. The heavyweight’s first three outings in the paid ranks have all been blowouts against over-matched opponents. Sokolowski is a tough man to stop and it is hoped he will pose a few fresh questions.

Tyler Denny beats Brad Rea (UD 10)

8:35 p.m. GMT/3:35 p.m. ET: Lovely scenes as Denny and Rea conduct their post-fight interview with their arms around one another. Rea admits the better man won, Denny concedes his opponent “tickled him” a few times before that left hook to the midsection that threatened to change everything. They look like they might share a drink or two afterwards and, boy, have they earned it after an absorbing domestic scrap.

8:33 p.m. GMT/3:33 p.m. ET: It’s a deserved win for Denny, who gets it 95-94 (twice) and 97-92 on the cards. Those 95-94 cards are a bit ridiculous. Rea will have learned plenty in defeat there and, although there will be a temptation to chase a rematch after the thrills and spills of round nine, it should be a case of back to the drawing board for the 24-year-old Manchester man.

8:30 p.m. GMT/3:30 p.m. ET: Denny gets on his bike to ride out the storm, moving well to keep out of harm’s way. By the final minute of the round he was back to pot-shotting Rea effectively. We’ll go to the cards. Denny embraces his corner at the end. He knows he came through hell there.

8:26 p.m. GMT/3:26 p.m. ET: Drama in round nine! Rea finds a brutal body shot that has Denny all over the place! It’s a left hook and it’s removed the air from Denny’s sails. What a turnaround this would be! The referee misses a low one form the challenger. Denny is in huge trouble. A big right hand to finish from Rea just before the bell. The champion gets out of the round but this no longer feels like a formality.

8:24 p.m. GMT/3:24 p.m. ET: Barring a dramatic turnaround or something truly absurd on the cards, Denny is two rounds away from retaining his title. Rea landed a couple of right hands high on the head to discomfort the champion in the eighth but those were his first notable moments of success for some time. Towards the end of rounds six and seven, the more experienced Denny started to unload effectively to body and head, making this a painful lesson for the man seven years his junior.

8:10 p.m. GMT/3:10 p.m. ET: Halfway through the scheduled 10 and things are looking very good for the champion. Rea has had moments of success in each round, most recently with a short left uppercut in round five, but Denny is continuing to measure him with that long left hand, while also scoring with greater frequency to the body. Rea looked to turn into into a bit of a firefight in the previous session and came off second best.

7:58 p.m. GMT/2:58 p.m. ET: Problems for the challenger through two rounds. Rea is huge at the weight and is looking to catch the shorter Denny coming in with the uppercut He’s had some success in that regard and also landed a nice left to the body in the second before veering too low downstairs. But the story of the fight so far is the southpaw Denny finding a home for his back hand. Rea is too static with too little head movement and a couple of stiff left hands have snapped his head back.

7:48 p.m. GMT/2:48 p.m. ET: Next up we have some local interest in an intriguing scrap for the English middleweight title. Unbeaten Mancunian Brad Rea (nickname Sting, lovely stuff!) is challenging Tyler Denny in the Birmingham man’s first defence.

Viddal Riley beats Ross McGuigan (KO 3)

7:33 p.m. GMT/2:33 p.m. ET: McGuigan, himself a novice pro, came out upright and with his hands down against a confident opponent throwing heavy right hands. That ultimately panned out about as well as you’d expect. After steadying his foe a couple of times during the opening session, Riley drove McGuigan towards the ropes in the third, attacked the body initially and finished the job with a looping right hook over the top. The Londoner moves on to 7-0, with four wins inside the distance.

7:15 p.m. GMT/2:15 p.m. ET: It’s almost 10 years since Hatton boxed as a professional at the Manchester Arena and more than 17 since his seismic victory over pound-for-pound star Kostya Tszyu thrilled his hometown crowd and sent the all-action super-lightweight on the path to global stardom. It’s been an up-and-down road since then, but there will be few dry eyes in the house when Ricky makes his ringwalk at around 11 p.m local time tonight for an exhibition against the great Barrera.

Before that, we have the serious business of some competitive action involving fighters at the other end of their journey in the sport. Unbeaten cruiserweight Viddal Riley is in the ring for a scheduled six-rounder against Ross McGuigan.

7:00 p.m. GMT/2:00 p.m. ET: Hello and welcome to The Sporting News’ live coverage of Ricky Hatton and Marco Antonio Barrera’s exhibition bout in Manchester.

How to watch Ricky Hatton vs. Marco Antonio Barrera

Fans can watch Hatton against Barrera on Sky Sports Arena.

Sky Sports subscriptions as part of a Sky package start at £46 a month, with a contract-free deal for the broadcaster’s 11 sports channels only available through Now TV for £33 a month.

Ricky Hatton vs. Marco Antonio Barrera live stream

Subscribers will also be able to watch the fight on mobile devices via the Sky Go app.

Ricky Hatton vs. Marco Antonio Barrera fight card

  • Ricky Hatton v Marco Antonio Barrera; eight-round middleweight exhibition.
  • Natasha Jonas (c) bt Marie-Eve Dicaire (c); UD (10), adds IBF super-welterweight belt to WBC and WBO titles.
  • Dalton Smith (c) bt Kaisee Benjamin; UD (12), retains British super-lightweight title.
  • Tyler Denny (c) bt Brad Rea; UD (10), retains English middleweight title.
  • Frazer Clarke bt Kamil Sokolowski; PTS (6)
  • Jordan Ellison bt. Dylan Cheema; PTS (4)
  • Viddal Riley bt. Ross McGuigan; KO (3/6)
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