Hatton's prime

Right, I thought I'd post this in the British forum as opposed to the general forum because I feel I'm more likely to get some proper answers as opposed to childish abuse. Okay, do people feel Hatton wasted a good part of his "prime" & if so how much?

Please put aside the reasons why because I think we all have a fair idea but just think about if Hatton had stepped into the world elite earlier could he have achieved more?

My own personal opinion is that there was a 2 year time span where he was essentially treading water & fighting the people he was fighting did nothing for him development wise & he could have been mixing in better class. I'd say from the Stephen Smith fight up to & including the Vilches fight were a waste of time career wise except for, arguably, the Tackie fight.

[ApatheticLeader]

Originally Posted by dan-b

Right, I thought I'd post this in the British forum as opposed to the general forum because I feel I'm more likely to get some proper answers as opposed to childish abuse. Okay, do people feel Hatton wasted a good part of his "prime" & if so how much?

Please put aside the reasons why because I think we all have a fair idea but just think about if Hatton had stepped into the world elite earlier could he have achieved more?

My own personal opinion is that there was a 2 year time span where he was essentially treading water & fighting the people he was fighting did nothing for him development wise & he could have been mixing in better class. I'd say from the Stephen Smith fight up to & including the Vilches fight were a waste of time career wise except for, arguably, the Tackie fight.

I'm in total agreement, including with the span of time in which he was treading water. It must be stated though, that at no point in his career would he have lived with someone as good as Mayweather.

[GazOC]

I'd generally agree, I think Phillips and Tackie were both decent opponents but there was def. 18 months/ 2 years where the opposition was mostly 'b' class.

[Claypole]

I would go as far as to say Hatton largely wasted the years between Jon Thaxton and Kostya Tszyu. Philips, Magee and Tackie were decent enough, but not top tier, and all three failed to go on to achieve much afterwards.
These were his best years in my opinion, but it's only with the advantage of hindsight that I wish he did more with them.

[Diablo]

He should have stepped up and challenged for a real title in 2003..rather than waiting until 2005. Im not sure if that WBU trinket held him back a bit as well, cuz he seemed to take pride in wearing that thing and defending it.

Some fighters peak young and need to be let off the leash, the same will likely happen with Khan.

[toffeejack]

Originally Posted by dan-b

Right, I thought I'd post this in the British forum as opposed to the general forum because I feel I'm more likely to get some proper answers as opposed to childish abuse. Okay, do people feel Hatton wasted a good part of his "prime" & if so how much?

Please put aside the reasons why because I think we all have a fair idea but just think about if Hatton had stepped into the world elite earlier could he have achieved more?

My own personal opinion is that there was a 2 year time span where he was essentially treading water & fighting the people he was fighting did nothing for him development wise & he could have been mixing in better class. I'd say from the Stephen Smith fight up to & including the Vilches fight were a waste of time career wise except for, arguably, the Tackie fight.

I have to agree with you here.

In my opinion Hatton was past his best before he went to America. It's a shame but I believe we saw the best of Hatton before the Colazzo fight and most of the Americans never saw Hatton at his best.

Whilst the prime Hatton may still have lost to PBF, he would have given a better account of himself than last December no doubt.

Hatton's constant abuse of his body in between fights has stopped him from reaching his true potential in my opinion.

[scurlaruntings]

Originally Posted by dan-b

Right, I thought I'd post this in the British forum as opposed to the general forum because I feel I'm more likely to get some proper answers as opposed to childish abuse. Okay, do people feel Hatton wasted a good part of his "prime" & if so how much?

Please put aside the reasons why because I think we all have a fair idea but just think about if Hatton had stepped into the world elite earlier could he have achieved more?

My own personal opinion is that there was a 2 year time span where he was essentially treading water & fighting the people he was fighting did nothing for him development wise & he could have been mixing in better class. I'd say from the Stephen Smith fight up to & including the Vilches fight were a waste of time career wise except for, arguably, the Tackie fight.

Theres no question about that. The Smith fight was so woefully inept and the poor kid was so out of his class that his dad lept into the ring to defend his boy as Hatton literally mauled him to pieces. It was a joke. I believe it was even promoted as a unification because the IBU was on the line aswell Not long after that bout Smith packed it in and stuck to modelling. He wasnt even a light welter. And i believe he had most of his fights at 35.

FW took an educated gamble with Tackie but Tackie had seen much better days. Kostya pitched him out in a shut out boxing clinic and apart from blasting out Teddy Reid a few years before all he brought to the ring was a granite chin and a fair punch.

Too much of Hattons career has been a waste and thats because of FW and his penchant for protecting his fighters, aswell as Hattons own desire to make easy money at the M.E.N. In my opinion it has come back to bite him in the ass.

[scurlaruntings]

Originally Posted by Claypole

I would go as far as to say Hatton largely wasted the years between Jon Thaxton and Kostya Tszyu. Philips, Magee and Tackie were decent enough, but not top tier, and all three failed to go on to achieve much afterwards.
These were his best years in my opinion, but it's only with the advantage of hindsight that I wish he did more with them.

Phillips was a relic by the time he got in the ring with Hatton. He was so washed up you could see the soaps suds blowing through his ears. The Magee Tackie and Phillips fight should have happened but when Hatton was around 20-0. When he was 35 fights in he was still beating up tin cans. It simply wasnt good enough.

[Bomber]

He has lost his way interlectualy as a fighter also. He has turned into a headhunter. He doesnt stalk anymore, he smothers.

[scurlaruntings]

Originally Posted by Bomber

He has lost his way interlectualy as a fighter also. He has turned into a headhunter. He doesnt stalk anymore, he smothers.

He never stalked before. Hatton always smothered his work. The diffrence is now that his moved up in class his facing bigger punchers with better talent that fight back. Hatton looks great when his bullying his opponent who doesnt have the fire power to hold him off. Of all the punchers he faced Magee was the first!! And he wasnt really a puncher in the truest sense as he was box counter puncher.

[Olu G. Rotimi]

I think he was over protected in his career and that actually hindered his development. When the true moment came against PBF he had never fought anyone with an iota of what PBF has. Fight against Junior Witter or Ajose Olusegun would have been good preparation. The danger is that they would have knocked him out as well. I don't blame Hatton though I think Sports Network were to blame. Calzaghe is ab great fighter not because of Sports Network I would say rather inspite of Sports Network.

[scurlaruntings]

Originally Posted by Olu G. Rotimi

I think he was over protected in his career and that actually hindered his development. When the true moment came against PBF he had never fought anyone with an iota of what PBF has. Fight against Junior Witter or Ajose Olusegun would have been good preparation. The danger is that they would have knocked him out as well. I don't blame Hatton though I think Sports Network were to blame. Calzaghe is ab great fighter not because of Sports Network I would say rather inspite of Sports Network.

It wouldnt have mattered if Hatton was KO`ed. He had a crowd pleasing style and the loss would have taught him something.

I was a tad embarresed during the build up to the PBF fight. The fight being billed as undefeated and Hattons nearly 40 fight winning streak being portrayed in the same sense of Mayweathers. He wasted alot of his time but whether to blame him or Sports Network entirely I do not know because I do not know of the real behind the workings of what went off back then.

If he had made the step up earlier in his career he may well have become a true modern great but as of yet he is still trying hard to establish himself on that platform. His next couple of fights will make many peoples judgements final.

[Boro chris]

Yeah he treaded water for far too long, but I feel the way he's treated his body has had a more profound effect on his career. The lack of discipline has been dissapointing to watch.

[hitman_hatton1]

Originally Posted by scurlaruntings

In my opinion it has come back to bite him in the ass.

why has it?

do u seriously believe he could have beaten floyd mayweather back in 03/04.

yeah sure he was kept at a level too long.

but he's delivered when stepped up in class in terms of results.

mayweather fight aside of course.