Ricky Hatton aiming to win Manchester bragging rights in new Box Off tournament

Ricky Hatton will be hoping to help Manchester win bragging rights as part of a new boxing format.

The Box Off tournament is set to bring a fresh team competition to boxing and will see four cities go toe-to-toe against each other. Former world champion Hatton will lead five prospects and novice professionals as part of ‘The Revolution’, battling rivals from Leeds, Birmingham and London.

The inaugural semi-finals are being hosted in Telford (Saturday, September 16) and pits Manchester against Leeds, with ‘The Armoury’ captained by boxing pundit Johnny Nelson, for a place in the final. Hatton became synonymous with Hyde and Greater Manchester during his career as a five-time world champion and is eager to help local fighters emerge victorious.

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“I like the route they’ve gone down, using the counties,” Hatton told MEN Sport. “You’ve got Leeds, Yorkshire; Manchester, Lancashire; London; Birmingham. There has always been that healthy rivalry between the counties and I think that will help make it exciting.

“When I was boxing, coming through, I never wanted to get beat by a Scouser, Brummie or a Cockney. From that point of view, they’ll want to win anyway but if you put on a format where you’re fighting someone from another county, I think it’s great.”

Heading up the Birmingham and London contingents are grime artist Jaykae and internet personality Thomas Skinner, who are both gym owners. Both sets of semi-finals will play out at the Telford International Centre and Hatton hopes it will provide a platform for skilled boxers, who may have missed out on a major TV deal.

“It’s an opportunity for fighters that maybe