Tyson warns Hatton over comeback

London: Mike Tyson, the former world heavyweight champion, has warned Ricky Hatton that it is tough to make a successful boxing comeback after years away from the sport.

Welterweight Hatton takes on Ukrainian Vyacheslav Senchenko in Manchester next month, his first bout since he announced his retirement three and a half years ago, but Tyson said in London yesterday: “As a fighter you have to know when to retire. It’s up to him to find that out. What I will say is that it’s very difficult to come back.

“You need to be consistent as a fighter and you need to fight four or five times a year in order to keep improving. A big break makes it even harder. My advice to Hatton is to keep his pride and ego in check and to take it very, very easy at first.”

Tyson, whose own comeback saw him regain a world title before defeat to Lennox Lewis marked the end of his career, also had words of encouragement for David Haye. “He’s a really good fighter who has impressed me in previous fights, even when he fought the younger Klitschko,” he said.

“I have a lot of respect for him. If he keeps getting more experience and matures as a fighter and as a person he’ll become world champion again.”