23 October 2023 , 18:15
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Ex-world boxing champion Ricky Hatton appears to be loved-up with a knockout Playboy model.
Chelsea Claire, 31, has posted social media photos of the smiling pair in each other’s arms. They are understood to have enjoyed a romantic break in Tenerife earlier this year.
And Chelsea has been seen in Ricky’s hometown of Hyde, Greater Manchester. A source said: ”Ricky met Chelsea in Tenerife. Since then they’ve been on a couple of dates. It’s early days, they’re taking things as they come.”
Chelsea posted in August: “One of my favourite evenings in Tenerife... date night.” She has 4.5k followers on Instagram, works as a model for Playboy and regularly shares saucy snaps on social media.
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Ricky, 45, who was a two-weight world champion and known as “Hitman” during his years in the ring, said last month he was looking for love. “I’m single now, but I’d like to get married and settle down” he said.
Last year he dated beauty therapist Angela Blemmings and shared photos of a weekend trip to Dublin with her. He had earlier split with Marie Pollard, his ex girlfriend who he had shared an on-and-off romance.
Father of three Ricky was also previously engaged to long term ex-partner Jennifer Dooley, mother of two of his children. It was recently announced he will be appearing in the next year’s series of ITV ’s Dancing On Ice.
He said: “If I can hold my nerve in the boxing ring I should be able to hold my nerve in the ice rink.” Ricky received an MBE in 2007 for services to sport.
The pair recently shared a romantic break to Tenerife
Chelsea is 14 years younger than former boxer RickyHe was recently the focus of a hard-hitting documentary titled Hatton, which charted his glittering career inside the ring before his difficult struggles outside of boxing. Hatton revealed his defeats to Floyd Mayweather Jr and Manny Pacquiao, coupled with a split from long-term trainer Billy Graham and a feud with his parents, left him wanting to "drink and drug myself to death".
Looking back on his historic 2007 showdown with the unbeaten Mayweather Jr in Las Vegas, Hatton - who lost by 10th round knockout - recalled: "I had such self-belief. I knew I could beat him but when I didn’t, it had an effect.”
Hatton admitted he was not in a good place when he agreed to fight Pacquiao two years later. The Filipino boxer knocked Hatton out cold in the second round as partner Dooley screamed in horror from ringside. “This is when my mental health issues went into overdrive,” Hatton said.
Chelsea's Playboy profile describes her as a "bubbly blonde from Ireland"
Chelsea has left Hatton smitten after a string of datesIn September 2012 he retired from the ring but by then his life was falling apart. In 2010 Billy Graham, sacked as manager, sued him for money owed and there was a distressing estrangement from his father.
“I didn’t know what I was doing,” he reflects. “I couldn’t remember days on end.” Soon, despite the birth of his daughters, drinking benders became more common and his relationship with Jennifer suffered. In 2016 it was over. Humble and grounded, Hatton still worries what others might think.
He says: “When you’ve had 40,000 fans cheering you on, when it’s suddenly gone, it’s hard. When you’ve experienced that [kind of loss] in your personal life. And when it happens in your sporting life, it’s a double impact.”
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