Ryan Rhodes will become the latest Hatton Promotions fighter to challenge for a world title next month. The classy Sheffield boxer will challenge Saul Alvarez for the WBC light-middleweight championship in Guadalajara, Mexico on Saturday June 18.
In March, Matthew Hatton stepped up to the 154lb division and lasted the distance against hotshot Alvarez who is unbeaten in 37 fights. Hatton Promotions President, Ricky Hatton is expecting Rhodes to score a stunning upset at the VFG Arena.
“My brother Matthew showed that Alvarez can be hit, but unfortunately that night, he just was not big enough.
“I expect that Ryan, who is a natural light-middleweight, will come through and become Hatton Promotions’ first world champion.”
Hatton Promotions have forged a working relationship with the world’s number one promoters Golden Boy and the alliance will lead to major title chances for many of their fighters. Gareth Williams, CEO of Hatton Promotions said: “We have had a great working relationship with Golden Boy Promotions for a number of years and it is great to be working with them again.
“I hope Ryan will build on the performance from Matthew Hatton and become the first of hopefully many Hatton Promotions world champions.”
Rhodes, 34, has been a professional for more than 15 years and among the titles he has won are British and European light-middleweight championships. When he won the domestic crown, back in December 1996 with an eighth round stoppage of former WBO champion Paul Jones, he had just celebrated his 20th birthday and is still the youngest ever British champion. In October 2009 he was involved in a sensational battle against Jamie Moore, winning by a seventh round stoppage to become European champion.
Rhodes boasts an impressive 45-4 record, but has never lost at light-middleweight. All four defeats came when he stepped up to the middleweight division. He is currently on a ten fight winning streak – eight of them coming inside the distance.
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