Ricky Hatton: The WBU Years

But it's not just Hatton though. It doesn't help matters when a journalist as prominent and influential as Steve Bunce claims that Hatton and Calzaghe had had 45 world title fights between them (prior to Calzaghe's fight with Jones Jr..)

 

[quote="TKO";3495510]Warren is a bigger hindrance than a help, I'm sure he has helped Hatton make money, but he also held back his career. Joe Calzaghe was saying a few weeks ago that before the Lacy fight Warren discussed getting 7 more weak fighters to get him to 50-0 and retiring a manufactured legend[/quote]

You'll have to forgive me here as I couldn't see your location and don't know if you are based in the UK.

If you are not based in the UK it might have escaped you that a lot of the boxing journalists can't agree on Calzaghe's legacy. Some say he is the best British boxer of all time whilst others suggest that he only fought "has-beens", "wanna-bes" and "Never-will bes". Both schools of thoughts are, in my opinion wrong.

In my opinion Calzaghe doesn't trouble the top 10 British ATG (I did work it out but can't remember excatly who I had in front of him) and therefore doesn't come nowhere near the all-time ATG.

Warren made him a rich man but, like Ricky Hatton, he realised that he wouldn't be around forever and he had to salvage a legacy.

Everyone is always right after the event but Jeff Lacy was a strong favourite going into that fight and Calzaghe and Hopkins might have been past his best but he certainly wasn't a washed-up has been. The fight was poor because both fighters employed the wrong tactics that were based on their oppoent rather than their strenghs. But what about Kessler? It amazes me that he gets mentioned whenever anyone mentions him as if it proves anything we didn't know about Joe Calzaghe. Kessler might turn out to be something special but at the moment he is just someone decent who gave Calzaghe a tough night.

Calzaghe was right to leave Frank Warren but he left it too late. There will always be serious doubts about his record as a fighter. However, he did end up on the top.

Hatton, however, may just have left Warren at the right time. He wouldn't have beaten Mayweather at 140 or if the fight was in England. Though, in all fairness to Hatton, how many people were capable of beating Mayweather? Hatton defintly needs a few more big names on the W part of his record. A win against Pac Man will go a long way to help...

 

Thats just Bunce towing the company line so he gets paid. I mean for gods sake 45 defences between them?!?! FFS :roll:

 

anyone that doesnt have calzaghe in there british all time top 10 is a moron

 

Guess that makes me a moron then..Oh well...

 

Obviously that is aimed at me... :huh

Why am I a moron?

Calzaghe's record was padded out and his legacy is based on two fights. Yes, there is no doubt that he finished at the top and that should always be remembered but his record doesn't have the same effect on me.

There have been better fighters from our shores who didn't win titles and, it must be remembered, Calzaghe only had 6 World title fights (Ring magazine) and 3 of those were against Sakio Bika, Peter Manfredo Jr and a washed-up and shot Roy Jones. (Please don't mention Jones's "knockdown" have a look at it and look at Calzaghe's subtle "chat" to Roy slightly before...really only noticable on replays from a particular angle)

 

Yeah I am UK based mate. The above is mostly fair enough and I don't have any serious quibble with it, though I am not totally sure how it relates (in the most part) to the post you quoted. My point was that both Hatton and Calzaghe's careers were held back by Warren who would rather keep making surefire money than put his top guys into the fights their talents deserve and which could establish their legacies. Had Calzaghe fought seven stiffs to get to 50-0 he would be a legend in his own living room only. As it is, he will at least be remembered 10-15 years down the line. He had to be firm with Warren, and Hatton had to leave to get the fights they wanted.

 

Held back.. BWA HA HA HA .. **** nearly choked again. Remind me WHO was lacing them up? Held back my ass. Both men were making 500k a fight in paltry defenses and they were held back!!

 

If you're still eating that sandwich at this time then it might be time to think about throwing it away. When I refer to both having been "held back", I am talking about their career and legacy, not their earning potential which was secure for both some years ago. But if you honestly think fighters can just choose whoever they want to fight and the promoter has no say in it then you are very naive. And surely this post completely contradicts what you said earlier ([post #9) about Junior Witter, which made every excuse under the sun for his terrible opposition. He is the one lacing em up, right?

Say the promoter has a six fight deal. The first two fights aren't what the fighter wanted? Sorry Ricky, can't get you that fight he's priced himself out. Sorry Joe, XXXX's management team aren't interested. There's not a lot the fighter can do except wait out the contract and continue with the fights the promoter gets for him. Okay some people will say they shouldn't have signed long-term contracts in the first place but when you're a young fighter starting out in the game and you see an amount of money on the table which is going to make you secure for a long time, maybe you wouldn't think twice (even if it is, with hindsight, peanuts compared to what you made later in your career). Boxers were never noted for their intelligence in any case.

Having signed a contract with the promoter, you then have to go along with it. You can't simply break it. So this ties you to the promoter for at least another year or two. The alternative is to end up like Mads Larsen and on the sidelines for 3 years while you dispute with the promoter. The key thing is the promoter is not arsed if you end up on the sidelines indefinitely pending a legal dispute. He can get on with his life, promote other fighters. A boxer only gets one shot at his career, it's a short one and having to take a couple of years out of what is supposed to be your prime can cost you a hell of a lot.

Warren knows he can continue to pull in big money putting Hatton in with fighters who are decent but not top world level and selling out the MEN Arena. If it was up to him, he would have kept doing that forever IMHO. The only reason he couldn't is because Hatton demanded the Tszyu fighter or he would leave when his contract was up (and then did it anyway). But when I say held them back, I am referring to their career development and legacy in the sport, NOT to how much cash they earned.

 

He was no.1 for the wbo when Corley held it and that was ages before he fought Tszyu, they never pushed for the fight. Urkal and Hatton were clearly the top two guys in Europe, that fight never happened either. The best two young up and comers in the division were Hatton and Cotto, oh, that one never happened either and it's got nothing to do with Tszyu, it's got to do with the likes of Stephen Smith.
those are all fights that could and would have been made because Warren and Hatton could generate the money to make sure they did, just like how they got Tszyu.

 

What was Castillo's p4p rating in Ring before the Hatton fight?

 

#8 in The Ring P4P.

 

It was only post Hatton people realised Castillo was gone. The betting going into the fight was fairly even.

Hatton ruined Castillo...

Just jokin on the last bit by the way.