To be fair, it was PBF using the spoiling tactic in that fight. he was trying to head butt Hatton in the torso all night and Cortez did nothing about it. But when Hatton missed the back of PBF 's head he got a point taken off with no warning.
Elite P4P. Undefeated in his division, beaten to HOF's in Tszyu and Castillo and his only loss coming to perhaps the most gifted fighter of our generation.
I don't have a "P4P Elite". Elite is elite. And Hatton just isn't elite. He gets hit far far too much, and his skillset is too limited, which was exposed at 147 lbs. A good fighter, clearly world level. I think he probably would have been seen as a world class, nothing like elite fighter, had Cotto and Judah stuck around, or had he fought them before they left. He's been fortunate with the division he took over when he defeated Tszyu.
Bollocks ,Cotto at 140 would have been a good match up. It was nothing to do with skillset at 147 he had no room to grow into the weight keeping the same power he has at 140.He's JWW no more it doesn't mean Judah ffs is a better fighter than Hatton. Judah's like a lullaby to me zzzzzzzzz
I pick Cotto and Judah over Hatton at 140. Cotto because I believe him to be the superior fighter, period, at any weight. There is a fallacy that Cotto always looked poor at 140, but its just not the case. And Judah due to stylistic reasons. That would still make Hatton a world class fighter in my eyes since he held belts, just not elite at all. I feel he was lucky to be fighting guys like Maussa, Urango, washed up Castillo and Malignaggi. Yes it does have a lot to do with skillset. If fighters are skilled boxers, they can often use their speed advantages against bigger men. Hatton just never had the skill, and always had to resort to trying to physically outmatch people. That does not transfer well to higher weights.
so what amazing fighters did cotto fight at 140? he's only ever for vacant titles at both weights but at 140 he was rocked and hattons looked less like losing and has a win in koysta that is better than anything on cotto's resume.
Cotto fought far more consistent competiton than Hatton did at 140 during the same period. Hatton has the stand out win in Tszyu, but Cotto's consistent level of opponents impress me more. He fought Torres, a world champ, Malignaggi before Hatton got to him, the excellent Quintana who went on to beat Williams, DeMarcus Corley who is always awkward, and then even N'dou and Urkal are not bums. Hatton at this point had Urango, Maussa, Tszyu..and then where do we go? Ben Tackie? The competition is about even at this point, if we give Hatton huge kudos for the win over Tszyu. Nothing here that suggests a mismatch in Hatton's favour if the fight had of taken place as it should.
Have tyou seen Judah recently? He is terrible Hecouldnt last more than 4 rounds with Hatton, he was good in his prime but he is nothing these days
DeMarcus Corley awkward yes not a classy oponent,Maussa ho hum awkward again but Hatton did him better,Quintana I've never seen fight but wasn't Williams asleep the first match and just blew him out like a candle the second?Paulie? Hatton just outclassed him.At Welterweight do you think Cotto has carried his KO power?He really had to go at Judah,Shane went toe to toe,Marge will always win IMO,then we have Gomez who's about in Manfredo's league and now he's about to fight Michael Jennings who has to be better than Gomez but he should be no test for Cotto really I like Cotto but at 140 Ricky and Cotto would have been an even fight
Even now it would interesting, but I was really talking about the time they were at 140 together, but Hatton was taking a really slow WBU route at this time. Cotto was more realistic.