It's been a difficult couple of months for the sport of boxing in Ireland, with last month's horrendous events at the Regency Hotel forming a cloud over what was a resurgent period for big fight cards in the capital.
With the the subsequent cancellation of MGM and BoxNation's Clash of the Clans card, doubts - rightly or wrongly - have resurfaced as to whether Ireland is a viable option to host boxing events.
However, according to Irish-boxing.com and a number of other sources within the industry, it appears former light-welterweight champion of the world Ricky Hatton intends to lift some of the doom and gloom, which was compounded by the recent postponement of Matchroom and Sky Sport's Belfast event.
Suggestions are that the 37-year-old intends to bring a number of televised boxing shows to Dublin this year.
In his heyday, the Mancunian icon was always a favourite amongst Irish fight fans - many of whom travelled to support 'The Hitman' in Las Vegas for his fights with Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao.
Hatton, who promotes current WBA heavyweight champion Lucas Browne along with the Belfast-raised Upton brothers - namely Sonny, Paul and Anthony - apparently already has a number of events lined up in Dublin, having travelled across from Manchester in mid-February with his wife.
Irish-boxing.com reports that the first of these events will take place in late May at Citywest Hotel, which incidentally hosted the last boxing card to be televised on RTÉ - Willie 'Big Bang' Casey's first round defeat to pound-for-pound-status Cuban, Guillermo Rigondeaux.
Nothing has been confirmed as yet, though the word from Hatton Promotions charge Anthony Upton is simply, "Watch this space."
If the whispers prove true (and it seems likely that they will), it would be great news for the professional fight game in Ireland; Hatton Promotions could join MGM - incidentally founded by Hatton's former stablemate - in becoming a serious promotional entity in Ireland, likely in association with BoxNation.
H/T: Irish-boxing.com
