FITMAN HATTON
‘I’ve lost two stone in two months, I can hide behind a lamppost’ – Ricky Hatton’s huge weight loss before Barrera fight
RICKY HATTON has undergone a dramatic body transformation ahead of his return to the ring - shedding TWO stone in less than eight weeks.
The former IBF light-welterweight champion, 43, will return to the ring on July 2nd for an eight-round exhibition against Marco Antonio Barrera.
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The Hitman, who famously ballooned up between fights, has left no stone unturned in preparation for his showdown with the Mexican great - ditching the booze and junk food and sticking to a strict diet.
He told : "I was 14 [stone] six and I’m 12 two now, I’ve lost that in seven weeks which is incredible.
"I don’t think I did that when I was fighting but I was always good at losing the weight.
"When I told people I'm doing the exhibition bout in July, which came about as an idea after I saw Mike Tyson and Roy Jones Jr fight in a similar bout in lockdown, they said, 'Absolutely no chance, you’re never out of the pub, look at the size of you, you’ll never do that.'"
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The detractors only added fuel to the competitive fire that still burned deep inside the pride of Manchester.
He said: "If you tell Ricky Hatton I can’t do something I'll do it. I'm already seeing this as a complete life change.
"It's about exercise and diet, knowing to eat the right things, when to eat the right things.
"'I used to be in the pub a few nights a week. Now I’m not drinking, I’ve had a couple of glasses of wine over the last couple of weeks in the house.
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"My willpower is strong. I still have my nights out but they’re few and far between and I think this Ricky is here to stay.
"I like to go for meals, I like takeaways, I like to have a pie, I’m never going to be one of them but I’m enjoying the fact that everyone comes up to me and says, 'Ricky you’re looking well.
"No one can say, 'You fat b****** anymore.' And I can hide behind a lamp-post now - not a skip."
Hatton's incredible weight loss journey was fueled by a diet of protein shakes and lean ready-made meals
He said: "They prepare the food which I make along with protein shakes, protein drinks, my vitamins and I have a little bit of fruit in between.
"When I was sat home alone it used to be crisps and biscuits but now it’s a little bit of a banana for protein.
"To lose two stone in seven weeks, I’ve cut no corners.
"For breakfast, I have a little bit of porridge and then I have my set meals [prepared by the nutritional company], I cook them myself, I have a protein drink or milkshake in between, a little bit of fruit just to take the hunger off here and there, and here I am.
"I also know when to put my foot down because obviously we’ve got eight rounds to do with Marco at pace.
"Then I know when to put my ass on the settee and have a rest. I've started listening to my own body."
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Hatton's dramatic weight loss has also had a major impact on his everyday life - with run of the mill tasks now being far easier to complete.
He said: "I feel great, I feel better in my appearance.
"If you look better, you feel better, you speak better, you perform better, everything’s better when you feel good inside.
"The fighters I train are getting even better training because I’m thinking quicker, I’m thinking faster, I’m feeling healthier in myself.
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";I look forward to picking my kids up from school and dropping them off and everything’s less hard work.
"I don’t have an ego, well I suppose we all have a slight little ego, but it’s nice when people turn around and say, 'Ricky, you look so well, it’s took years off you.' "
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