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RICKY HATTON was unable to attend his own comeback announcement after being injured by his SUNGLASSES watching Oasis.

British boxing great Hatton will make an Oasis-like comeback in December to fight Eisa Aldah in Dubai.

@campbellhatton

Ricky Hatton with his son Campbell and friends at the Oasis gig[/caption]

The 46-year-old Manchester legend – who was in Cardiff on Friday night to see his old pals reunite – had his last professional bout in 2012.

But the City super-fan – who was walked to the ring by Noel and Liam for his 2008 win over Paulie Malignaggi – will slide between the ropes once again – 13 years later – to grab a punching pension pot in the desert.

The Gallagher brothers made their triumphant return this weekend after 16 years away and almost as many fights between them as on Hatton’s 45-3 record.

The Hitman’s opponent, 46-year-old Aldah, was the Gulf’s first ever professional fighter.

But, between 2008-2009, he won three fights in Welsh boxing backwaters of Newport and Merthyr Tydfil.

Hatton was due to fly out to Dubai this week to star in Sunday night’s big-money launch press conference.

But he suffered an eye injury on his designer sunglasses at the Oasis reunion gig and was not cleared to travel until the injury heals.

The adored two-weight world champion struggled with depression and addiction following crushing defeats – at the backend of a legendary career – against Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao.

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But he – like Frank Bruno – has become a national treasure in retirement and a respected advocate on men’s mental health.

The brilliant body puncher hit the headlines last month when he appeared with a shock skinhead.

But the working-class hero revealed he had braved the shave to support the Brain House Children’s Hospice.

The Guinness-loving lad explained: “Head shaved for @brianhousech.

“Won’t be keeping the skinhead but it raised a right few quid for charity. So I’m more than happy to stomach it.”

Reuters

Hatton did have an exhibition with Marco Antonio Barrera in 2022[/caption]

WHEN red-haired student Jess met trainee bricklayer Bradley in a nightclub, the spark between them was unmistakeable.

But while 20-year-old Jess was quickly smitten with her handsome boyfriend, not everyone was quite so pleased.

Lorna Roach

Pharmacist Jess Simpson married a tradesman and says her husband Paul beats any posh boy she’s dated, especially in the bedroom[/caption]

Aaron Collett Photography

Laura Dolphin, a CEO for a global company, married mechanic Rob[/caption]

“Bradley bought me a drink, chatted me up and made me laugh,” recalls Jess, then a chemistry undergraduate at the University of Manchester.

“When he asked for my number my university mates were horrified.”

It was a similar story with her upper middle class parents.

Did poor Brad have bad breath or a drug habit which put off her friends?

No. His crime was not having a degree — with Jess’s friends and family claiming she was ‘dating down’.

And she’s not the only one.

With far more girls now going to university than boys in Britain, increasing number of couples are made up of a white collar wife and blue collar bloke — with some claiming this pairing is the secret to both a healthy bank balance and a sizzling sex life.

‘Breath of fresh air’

Jess, 30, says: “Mum and dad made it clear even socialising with a tradie was out of the question — a girl like me was better and smarter than that.

“They wanted the best for me, but I found it boring.

“They wanted me to marry up.

“Their friends were constantly bragging about the wealthy or well-to-do husbands their daughters were marrying.”

But when Bradley asked Jess out, she instinctively wanted to say yes.

She said: “My inner rebel geek took hold.

“Brad was honest from the start, admitting he’d grown up on a local estate, had been a bit of a ladies’ man and wasn’t parent-pleasing material.

“He made me laugh, he had great banter and he could fix things.”

And Bradley, 41, excelled in another area.

Jess says: “He’s also an amazing kisser, great in bed and a lover who was definitely good with his hands.”

While once it was the done thing for women to “marry up” for financial reasons, the tables have turned.

Last year, over half of British women reported feeling financially independent.

Now females have more freedom when choosing their spouse — and are plumping for males who are more physical and practical than brainy breadwinners.

Women are more likely to go to university than men.

In 2018, 53.6 per cent of girls went on to higher education, compared to 40.2 per cent of boys.

Like most women I’ve always had a ‘perfect-man checklist. When I met Rob he didn’t tick any of those boxes but I soon discovered that my list was snobby and shallow

Laura

It seems to be a global trend, with stats showing females being more educated than males in the US, France and Belgium too.

This means the dating pool of men at university has dwindled while women can rely on themselves financially.

Plus a survey by Materials Market found 74 per cent of women partnered with a blue collar worker said they were good in bed or better than more learned blokes.

After seven years together, Jess and Bradley, who live in Chichester, West Sussex, married in 2022 and welcomed their son a year later.

Jess says: “People who think marrying down is wrong are just snobs.

“Brad’s amazing in bed, better than university lads.

“Our marriage will last, while girls I know who married up are already divorced.”

Supplied

HR boss Paige Bournett clicked with forkift driver Adam Taylor[/caption]

R Diaz photography

Jess and Paul on their wedding day[/caption]

Bradley thinks the marriage works because the couple bring their “brains and brawn together”.

Jess agrees.

She adds: “I may be the brains but he works hard for his money.

“He’s not obsessed with keeping up with the Joneses and I find that to be a breath of fresh air.

“When we met, he was living paycheck to paycheck but he still continued to treat me like a princess.

“He wasn’t bothered that I was smarter than him.

“When I started work as a specialist pharmacist he was thrilled and didn’t care that I earned double his wage.

“I fell out with some of my posh pals who accused me of dating down and slumming it.

Brad’s building a business. He admits he doesn’t understand chemistry, I don’t understand the difference between a spanner and a screwdriver

Jess

“Brad’s building a business.

“He admits he doesn’t understand chemistry, I don’t understand the difference between a spanner and a screwdriver.

“Tradies are never out of work, they are in demand, and they have great chat.

“I’d rather be with a tradie than a doctor or surgeon.”

As for her parents, Jess says: “When they met Bradley they didn’t like him.

“But after a year he’d won them over with his charm, kindness and commitment to our family.”

Privately educated Laura Dolphin, 38, had a similar experience when she found love with husband Rob, 40, who left school at the age of 16 to become a mechanic.

“I went to a posh private school and some of my friends were determined to marry up and nab the richest and poshest husbands,” says Laura, who lives in Northampton with Rob and their seven-year-old daughter.

“I have dated lawyers and uber-wealthy businessmen with expensive motors and pedigree backgrounds.”

Before meeting Rob in 2013, Laura, who is a CEO for a global company, was in a relationship with someone she describes as a “super academic” from a wealthy family.

She says: “It ended when I realised he’d never consider me his equal or be interested in my goals.

“I’d realised marrying up meant living your husband’s life.”

Rob was a corporal in the British Army when he and Laura met.

“Like most women I’ve always had a ‘perfect-man checklist’,” she says.

“When I met Rob he didn’t tick any of those boxes but I soon discovered that my list was snobby and shallow.

“When he wasn’t fixing vehicles in the Army, he taught skiing.

“I was a learner in one of his classes when we met, and for a week, he saw me falling over, sliding on my butt, and making a fool of myself.

“He wasn’t someone I’d ever considered dating material but on the last night we shared a drink, had a laugh and he asked for my number.

“Within days, he called.

“We had the same dark sense of humour.

“I’d been an Army reservist, and we could talk about anything.

‘They were snobs’

“He didn’t care if I’d been to a private school or was a CEO earning more than him.

“He was my opposite and yet we fit.

“When I told a close friend about him she was stunned, telling me he was ‘below my rank’ and she didn’t like him.

“Her response was shocking — we haven’t spoken since.”

When Bradley asked for my number my university mates were horrified

Jess

While they may be opposites, Laura says they were the perfect match, marrying in 2016.

“I do the finances, all the household planning and organisation, the timetables and schedules and Rob does the heavy lifting,” she says.

“Instead of the mansion and posh cars I dreamt of, we live in a three-bed terrace with a veggie patch and chickens.

“Rob thinks lots of my mates look down on him, but they’re jealous.

“So many of my friends are divorced and those who are still single can’t find a man.

“My advice is to chuck out the checklist and marry down — it’s a recipe for a happy life.”

Rob agrees.

He says: “She’s the boss and brains, but being the brawn means I have my uses, too.

“The moment I met Laura, I felt a connection.

“We know our marriage will last.”

Dating coach and relationship expert James Preece, owner of HeraHaven, has seen a rise in women looking for “high emotional intelligence” rather than someone who can provide for them.

He says: “They understand that relationship success comes from having similar values and life goals, and are comfortable with being the main earner.”

Pensions and human resources executive Paige Bournett lives in Worcester with her fiance, forklift driver Adam Taylor, 38.

They have been together seven years and are getting married in 2026.

I was raised to be prim and proper. I was told to stay at school, go to university and marry a lawyer, doctor or businessman

Paige

Paige, 31, tried “dating up” but found the men boring, bad in bed and only interested in their needs.

She says: “I was raised to be prim and proper.

“I was told to stay at school, go to university and marry a lawyer, doctor or businessman.

“But every super geek or university lad who asked me out didn’t care about my needs.

“When I met Adam at a nightclub in 2018, he was cocky, sure of himself and full of funny banter.

“I was in heaven.”

At the time, Adam was in between jobs but this did not deter Paige.

Within two months they were a couple and Adam, who left school at 16, spent time on Universal Credit and flitting between part-time low-level jobs.

Paige recalls: “My posh friends were horrified he didn’t have a career or ‘prospects.’

“I didn’t care, they were snobs.

“I had the checklist for a husband — a rich man who would have a big house and I wouldn’t have to work.

“Instead, I found a fella who is a forklift driver and earns less than me but is a dedicated fiance and who loves me.

“My checklist was silly, I’d be unhappily single if I’d stuck to it.

“My single friends who at first slagged off my choice are now asking him to introduce them to his tradie mates.”

Adam adds: “Paige was posh and prim when I met her, but she was not a snob.

“She’s my uptown girl and I am proud to be her downtown man.”

COTABATO CITY, BARMM, Philippines — Barely two weeks after he ordered all his Cabinet officials, their deputy chiefs and heads of office to resign as part of the Bangsamoro bureaucracy’s cleansing process, Interim Chief Minister Abdulraof Macacua announced he would retain six of these top officials. Macacua announced on Saturday that he declined to accept

BOCAUE, BULACAN—Residents of this town and other parts of Bulacan braved the rain on Sunday to join or watch the fluvial procession marking the 175th year of the feast of the “Mahal na Krus sa Wawa,” or the town’s Feast of the Holy Cross. Bocaue Parish Priest Fr. Mario Jose Ladra led this year’s celebration

SUMMER school hols need not burn a hole in your pocket.

With summer activities costing around £500 per child, many families are choosing to spend time together instead – but even cute day-outs can end up costing a fortune.

TIKTOK/@kellybudgetingandfamily

One mum, from Portsmouth, took to TikTok where she offered fellow families a helping hand[/caption]

Getty

The cash-savvy mum also revealed how you can slash your petrol bill next time you’re out[/caption]

Luckily, one cash-savvy mum has come to rescue with easy tips that will slash the costs – and turns out, there’s even a simple way to get petrol for less when driving around.

Offering a helping hand to fellow parents, mum Kelly, from Portsmouth, took to TikTok to share hacks to keep the expenses as low as possible.

One of these, she recently revealed in the video, is preparing lunch and taking it with them when out and about – saving a fortune on going to a cafe or a restaurant for some grub.

”I can’t tell you the last time I didn’t pack a picnic and that’s just because they’re really expensive.

”That can whack on an extra £40 – and I don’t want to spend that on food.

”The kids never ask to eat and they’re used to having a backpack – and actually, if you’re walking around, it doesn’t restrict you, you can just eat on the go.”

The same, she added, goes for drinks as well, with the mum carrying three to four water bottles to keep the brood hydrated.

As well as having their food ready, the parents also avoid popping into gift shops – unless it’s someone’s birthday.

”I don’t buy anything from the gift shop and the kids have never wanted that because they’ve never known it.

”And that’s probably got even easier as they’ve got older cause now they understand the value of money more.”

If your child, however, insists they do want that new overpriced toy, you should remind them of the teddy or another toy that’s just now sitting in the corner.

While out and about you may also want some coffee for that extra energy kick – however, with coffee shop prices higher than ever, your dose of caffeine can easily all add up.

To keep the expenses as low as possible, the budget-friendly mum now carries a thermal flask with coffee which she can enjoy whenever and wherever.

”Lastly, getting to places. I’ll calculate roughly how much petrol it’s going to cost me.

”I will use an app called Petrol Prices to look for the cheapest petrol station in my area.

”There can be a massive difference between the most expensive to the cheapest, so I will plan that in advance.”

She went on: ”The most I spend on a day out whilst I’m there is probably £7 on ice creams – I’ll let the kids have an ice cream – but that’s usually about it.”

Kelly, who posts under the username @kellybudgetingandfamily, wrote in the caption: ”The days out themselves aren’t too bad, but when you start adding drinks, food, gift shop etc it all starts to really add up and before you know it you have spent hundreds!”

BACOLOD CITY—Sugarcane farmers on Negros Island and the provinces of Iloilo and Capiz in Western Visayas dealing with pest infestation will have some relief soon as the spread of the destructive red-striped soft scale insects (RSSI) in their fields appeared to have slowed down, the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) said. “RSSI is still spreading but

LIAM CAHILL says Darragh McCarthy’s red fired Tipperary up as they marched back to the All-Ireland final. 

The Premier will face Cork in the showpiece on July 20 for the first time ever after they blew Kilkenny away in yesterday’s classic semi at Croke Park. 

Tipperary went down to 14 men when McCarthy was shown a second yellow card for wrapping stopper Eoin Murphy across the knuckles with his hurl with 12 minutes left. 

But Oisín O’Donoghue’s wonderstrike at the death fired Tipp back to the showpiece for the first time since 2019 – and Cahill hailed his warriors for clawing the Cats at Croker. 

He said: “It was a bit of a blow at the time but look, I think it really ignited the rest of the players on the field. 

“Look, it’s misfortune, the second yellow. By the rule book it’s there, as a second yellow. We had no complaints with it at all. 

“Just disappointed for Darragh, he commits to everything. I suppose just before that we probably had really discussed getting Oisín in at that time.

“Lo and behold, Darragh was coming off alright but we can’t get Oisín in to replace him. Again, the impact of our bench coming in had a big bearing on today’s game.

“I really thought they gave us huge energy. Tynan in particular was superb when he came on. Obviously, Oisín and Noel as usual, giving us that calming influence. Just happy, as I said, that the job is done now.

“We try and turn the page as quick as we can and look forward to two weeks’ time.” 

Cahill’s tenure as Tipp boss was under huge fire when they failed to win a game in the Munster SHC last year. 

But his pleas for patience have paid off, and he hailed his players for taking them back to the biggest day of all against all the odds as McCarthy, John McGrath and Jason Forde fired first half goals against the Cats.

He said: “It’s been difficult to navigate over the last two years from my perspective, I won’t deny that. A huge change was required, it’s starting to come through now.

“As I said, it’s all down to the players. And to be fair, the alignment with our county board off the field as well. 

“These fellas set really high standards for themselves to be fair and they committed to that. We have a really tight group.

“I know every manager says that when they sit in front of you guys after a win. It takes a lot of work to create that because if you haven’t everybody on the same wavelength, days like today just don’t happen. 

“I mean not just players, I mean the backroom team we have, the people that support them. We’re a unit that keeps things really tight and we have one another’s back.

“That’s what really makes it proud for me is that when you can create something like that and the tests come like they came today outside there at Croke Park.

“The players usually find the answers. Just thrilled as I said to be in the final.

“The game was exciting, it was probably a very much mistake-ridden game as well which probably led to a lot of the excitement with the number of mistakes that were in it.

“We have a lot to do to make sure that we’re in a position to go forward and try and take on Cork in two weeks’ time.”

LUCENA CITY – The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) on Sunday warned that the increase in real-time seismic energy measurement (RSAM) and the low level of emission of sulfur dioxide (SO2) in Taal Volcano in Batangas province since last month may trigger an eruption. “The sharp increase in RSAM and the lack of

POLICE are trying to identify a man they want to speak to after a teenage girl was allegedly raped near a Surrey library.

The 15-year-old was with a friend close to Chertsey Library when they were reportedly approached by two males on Friday, June 27.

One of the men is reported to have assaulted the girl at around 7pm.

Surrey Police have released a photo of a man they are hoping to speak to in connection with the incident.

In a post shared on Facebook, the force said: “Can you help us identify the man in this image?

“We are looking to speak to him in connection with a report of rape in the area around #Chertsey Library at around 7pm on Friday, June,27.

“If you recognise him or have any information that could help us identify him, please get in touch quoting PR/45250077899.”

Detective Sergeant Mihai Kerekes previosuly said: “Incidents of this nature are extremely concerning, and we want to reassure the public that a full investigation is underway to identify the person involved.

“Should you have any information that can assist us in identifying the suspect, please contact us quoting PR/45250077899.”

Anyone with details that could help is urged to come forward.

More to follow… For the latest news on this story keep checking back at The Sun Online

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THE last easyJet flight of the night from Luton touched down in Ibiza to a round of applause and shouts of “Oi Oi!”

It was 11.40pm, I was ready for a nice cup of chamomile tea and bed, but the two Essex ravers, who looked barely out of their teens, in the seats ahead had other ideas.

Louis Wood

Oliver Harvey partied alongside the ‘Gravers’ at Gen-Z Ibiza hotspot UNVRS[/caption]

Louis Wood

Oliver partied at the UK’s biggest nightclubs in the 80s and 90s[/caption]

Louis Wood

The club’s mammoth, red-glowing dome ­dominates the skyline like St Paul’s Cathedral in London[/caption]

“We’re going to Amnesia, mate” one gurned — that’s a nightclub, not the condition experienced by some middle-aged folk like me.

While I was with the young ­clubbers in spirit, my 57-year-old dad bod said a firm no.

I was saving myself for the big one — UNVRS, the world’s first hyperclub, later in the week.

Pronounced “universe,” it is the recently opened king of clubs on an island that helped launch acid house, which morphed into the rave ­phenomenon that swept Britain in the late 1980s.

UNVRS may not have many ­vowels but it has a lot of punters — 10,000 can cram into its labyrinth of bars and dance floors.

Its superstar DJs including David Guetta, Carl Cox and Fisher attract clubbers from all over the planet.

Footie ace Jude Bellingham was at the opening night last month.

So, staring down the barrel of 60, would I be able to cut it at clubland’s hottest ticket?

And would I be the only relic from the halcyon days of Eighties and Nineties clubbing still trying to throw shapes?

Known as Gravers, I was interested to talk to survivors from the rave era for whom the party won’t stop until the Grim Reaper calls.

I haven’t been to a nightclub for decades, but back in the day I graced London clubs Ministry Of Sound, Heaven, Sin and Bagleys.

With Cardiff-born superstar DJ Jamie Jones on the UNVRS decks on Wednesday, I headed to this ­pinnacle of modern clubbing, hoping to rekindle the rave era spirit.

I bought an early-bird ticket for 55 euros, which means you must arrive at UNVRS before midnight.

VIP tickets go for £425-plus.

As you journey inland towards San Rafael de la Cruz, the club’s mammoth, red-glowing dome ­dominates the skyline like St Paul’s Cathedral in London.

I joined the queue with thousands of women in barely there skirts and boob tubes and well-honed guys in shorts and tees.

Most looked young enough to be my grandchildren.

Security thoroughly patted me down, then I entered another world.

Intense white light cascaded from a mirror ball into my eyes as the unrelenting bass seemed to rattle my chest bone.

This being Gen Z clubbing, there was an immediate opportunity to update your socials at the transparent selfie booth.

A sweeping staircase leads to a huge dance floor with a raised DJ booth at the far end, and it was soon a swarming mass.

Just like the old days, the hands are in the air when the music reaches a crescendo, but now thousands of phones are held aloft, recording every beep and thud for posterity . . . and Instagram.

UNVRS began life as Club San Rafael in the 1970s, later changing its name to KU Club and then ­Privilege.

‘DON’T EVER CHANGE DAD’

Celebs who once partied there include Bowie, Madonna, Kylie Minogue and Tina Turner.

In the 1990s, it hosted the ­infamous Manumission night, which featured live sex acts on stage.

UNVRS is less decadent for a ­different age, drawing a very glam and British — crowd.

With my back aching from too much standing, it was time for a beer and a sit down at the cavernous Dome Bar. I wince at the price list.

A 33cl bottle of Heinken? That’s £15, guv.

A bottle of water is nearly £13 and a vodka- redbull around £23.

Also catching some air were clubbers approaching my own age.

Department store manager Jose Antonio, 55, his wife Maria, 56, and their son Alonso, 21, were on ­holiday from Marbella in Spain.

Asking Jose what brought them to the hyper club, he revealed: “We like electronic music and know Jamie Jones and, of course, we are going to dance and will stay for two or three hours.”

Student Alonso, meanwhile, points out a decent advantage to going clubbing with your parents, revealing: “They paid!”

But Andrew Killin, 56, from North London, who has been to Ibiza ten times over the years, said he wasn’t impressed by the sprawling size of the club, finding it a little “soulless”.

Louis Wood

DJ Chinny reckons you are never too old to rave[/caption]

Louis Wood

Jose Antonio, 55, his wife Maria, 56, and their son Alonso, 21, all partied together[/caption]

In the main room I spot a greying figure with large specs nodding his head as if entranced by the beat.

Skegness dad-of-four Matthew O’Connor, 57, tells me he’s been “havin’ it” since 1988.

I’d found a bone-fide Graver.

“I couldn’t be on the island, in light of all the hype, and not come to UNVRS,” he told me.

“I wanted to see it and I’m quite wowed.”

So are his kids embarrassed that he is still raving as he approaches his seventh decade?

“Quite the opposite,” he insists.

“They tell me, ‘Don’t ever f***ing change, Dad’.”

Matthew — aka DJ Chinny — turns out to be a great raconteur who still “loves” this party island.

“I came out here in 1988 raving then in 1989 went to Tenerife where things also f***ing exploded,” he revealed. “

Since then I haven’t been to Ibiza every year, but it’s a love affair that’s lasted.”

‘IF IT’S IN YOU, IT’S IN YOU’

He’s still DJ-ing while running a ­decorating business, and I ask if his clubbing was ever fuelled by drugs?

“I’ve experimented over the years,” he added.

“It was all about ecstasy and LSD.

“That’s back in the day.

“I’m proud now that my weapon of choice is alcohol.

“I’m of the age now where I really need to slow down!”

Finally, I asked this fellow 57-year-old if we are too old to rave?

“I’m the same age as the parents of some of the guys I travelled out here with. I’m like the old fossil,” he reveals.

“If it’s in you, it’s in you.”

With Matthew’s assurance ringing in my ears I head back to the dance floor and throw my arms in the air to the pumping music.

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