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Live UK TV Blackout for Matthew Hatton

Phil D. Jay
WBN Editor

Manchester fighter suffers blow as world title shot is shown on delayed broadcast


When European welterweight champion Matthew Hatton steps into the ring at around 4am on Sunday morning, UK time, nobody in the UK will be able to see him in his quest to claim the WBC light-middleweight champion and become Britain’s fifth world title holder.

Sky TV, who usually broadcast the younger Hatton’s fights, have chosen not to broadcast the fight live, when the 29 year-old faces his toughest test yet against undefeated Mexican Saul Alvarez at the Honda Center in California and instead will show the fight delayed on Sunday evening.

It’s a huge blow for British fight fans who expected, maybe even took it for granted, that any British boxer fighting for the WBC title would be shown live, but as WBC super-middleweight champion Carl Froch has also learned in the past, its not always the case.

It now seems that you have more chance of seeing a Briton fight a Mexican in America, than you do if you actually live in Britain and I am sure the UK fight fans will vent their disappointment is Sky’s decision not to allow them to see Hatton bid for the title live.

Matthew Hatton v Saul Alvarez is live on HBO After Dark from 10.30pm ET this Saturday night.


UK viewers can see the fight on Sky Sports 2 at 6.30pm on Sunday.
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