Boxing-Hatton to return to ring in November

LONDON, Sept 14 (Reuters) - Ricky Hatton will return to the

boxing ring in November after the former world welterweight and

light-welterweight champion confirmed he was coming out of

retirement on Friday.

The Manchester-based fighter, who quit the sport after a

devastating two-round knockout at the hands of Manny Pacquiao in

May 2009, will fight a so far un-named opponent in his home

city's MEN Arena in November.

"I got beaten by the best two pound-for-pound fighters of

their generation," Hatton told a news conference. "It was a

two-round demolition against Manny Pacquiao and nobody wants to

end their career like that."

Hatton, whose best performance came in 2005 when he stopped

Australia's Kostya Tszyu to add the IBF light-welterweight title

to the WBU belt he already owned, had a perfect 43-0 career

record until he was floored by Floyd Mayweather Jr in Las Vegas

in 2007 and he was never really the same again.

Unconvincing victories followed against Juan Lazcano and

Paulie Malignaggi but he was outclassed by Pacquiao and after a

long period of inactivity he retired in July last year.

Hatton, who would often put on large amounts of weight in

between fights and made no secret of his liking for a few pints

of beer, checked into a rehabilitation centre in London in 2010

after being photographed apparently snorting cocaine.

"It's well documented what's happened to me, my life turned

to mush," Hatton said.

"I feel I've put a bit back into the game but it didn't fill

the void. I got my trainer's licence and started working in the

ring and that started the fires burning and I started looking

after myself a bit better and getting fitter.

"I'm back to fight for world titles. It's more than a

comeback. It's worth more than money. A lot of people have said

they don't want me to tarnish the legacy but they don't know

what goes on between my ears."

Hatton's all-action, "guts-and-glory" style endeared him to

fans who travelled in their thousands to watch him take on

Mayweather. The 33-year-old won 45 of his 47 fights.

(Reporting by Martyn Herman; Editing by Clare Fallon)