"The 'REAL' Ricky Hatton does not exist anymore..He should retire" Billy Graham.

Graham had been hoping to use the Lazcano fight to find out exactly what Ricky had left in the tank after been knocked out by Mayweather, this plan went out of the window when Hatton picked up a virus during his training camp, Graham took up the story: “I felt that we should take the Lazcano fight, then take Paulie, as Paulie would not beat Hatton in a million years, and I do like Paulie, he is a tough kid. I felt comfortable with those fights.

“My thinking was that I could monitor him in those fights, that I would be able to tell, in the fight and in the gym, if deterioration had set in. There was the problem with Ricky having a bug in the run-up to the Lazcano fight, so I was not sure if the wobbles he had were down to that, it was in my mind that I would watch him closely, but the Lazcano fight was hard to judge.

“The training was terrible for that Lazcano fight. I would have pulled him out if I had that kind of power anymore. Ricky knows that. I told people that I would monitor him and see that he was all right, check that it wasn't just the infection. If I had seen signs of deterioration in training I would have told him to call it a day.

“I didn't get the chance to judge him on the Malignaggi fight, because it was over by then, after I was sacked I wasn't privy to the things that were around him. By Ricky's own admission (when we had our final meeting) there were times when he wasn't sure if he could get through the Lazcano fight.

“I told him that it was probably the virus. I told him that last day that I would have pulled him out of the Lazcano fight, had I still had the power to do so, I would also have done the same with the Urango fight, and Ricky said, ‘I know you would (have).'

“With hindsight I realise that Ricky should not have carried on boxing after the Malignaggi fight. Getting knocked out twice, and nearly knocked out, in three of your past four fights is not great form. Even though he won clearly against Lazcano he nearly got done.

“Lazcano hurt him a few times, honestly, the break caused by Ricky's laces coming undone [in round ten] helped, his eyes were in orbit after taking a left hook, the ref separated them and Ricky nearly fell into the ropes. The virus did not help, so I wanted to monitor him properly for the next fight after the Lazcano one. I never got that chance

“Then I saw him in the Malignaggi fight, and there were faults there, and I felt that, ideally, that is when he should have retired, but the Manny fight came along, and you felt that Ricky would have what it takes to beat Manny.

“Malignaggi cannot hit, but the signs were there that Ricky's punch resistance was going. I never thought it had gone to the extent we saw on Saturday. I would have noticed things in the sessions for that fight had I been around. Ricky's sparring partners for the Lazcano fight were lighter than him, and he didn't make a dent in them, you saw that, so I put a stop to the sparring.

“What I would have done for the Paulie fight is look out for signs that he was slipping, and I would have said, ‘That is it.' In a way you cannot blame Ricky for taking the Manny fight, as it gave him the chance to make some good money, and, more importantly, become the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world. I expected him to have more to offer, but on the night he didn't.

“The reason why I had no problem with the Paulie fight was that Ricky had told me that he would have two more fights. It was put out that he could have had five more fights, or whatever, but he told me that he wanted two, and to then get out (of boxing).

“When I went into the gym for the Lazcano fight I said, ‘Ricky is this the last one?', and he said, ‘No, two more, I want to headline at Madison Square Garden for the Malignaggi fight.' When he told me that I thought ‘good lad', and we went to work for the Lazcano fight. He told me that same day that he was fuming over the statement from his father about having five more fights [a claim Ray Hatton made in December 2007].

“For me the Manny fight was a hard lesson, but you cannot blame Ricky for not turning that fight down. A peak Ricky Hatton beats Manny, too big, too skilled and too strong, but the real Ricky Hatton does not exist anymore, I did say that before the fight, I just thought there would be enough left to win this one.”

Many people overplayed the Malignaggi performance, claiming that this was Hatton reborn, in reality it was a reversion to the kind of boxing that he had shown on his way up the ladder. Graham believes that claims Hatton was restyled that night are absurd: “Although Ricky won the Malignaggi fight he did not look the same fighter, he should have got Paulie out of there quicker, knocking him about in the process. Ricky did use his jab better, he kept his poise, and did the job, but I cannot believe some of the stuff that was said about that fight.

“Anybody, or any sports writer, who thought that was a huge return to form and a stellar performance is talking nonsense, they do not know what they are looking at if they think that was Ricky Hatton rolling back the years.

“There was a return to some of the boxing artistry he has, Ricky has always been a fantastic boxer. Look at the Olivera fight and tell me that Ricky has never turned on the skills before the Malignaggi performance.

 

“Against Kostya Tszyu, when we had a plan to take away Tszyu's right hand, Ricky slipped into doing it on strength alone, that was his biggest win, but there have been bigger performances, by that I mean better boxing performances.

“You know what, thinking about it, I think that what he did in the Tszyu fight worked too well, the plan was to take away certain things from Kostya, Ricky did that but took a few shots, and felt that he could march through the shots. Once you have marched through Kostya's shots you are going to think you can do that against anyone. There was something to like about the fact that Ricky was so brave and tough in that fight, but it put him in line to take some shots from a massive puncher, I was never sure if I liked or disliked that, but it got him that great win.

“Anyway, Ricky had been a boxing artist before the Paulie fight, and if you thought that was a return to peak form then you don't have a ****ing clue what you are looking at. Malignaggi was not a good yardstick.

“If I had been in the training camp for that fight, looking at the sparring, taking him on the pads, and the body belt, then I'd have known he was on the wane, no matter what he did on the night.”

Graham's confidence in Hatton's ability to beat Manny had taken many by surprise, an outsider since the split, having had no contact with his former fighter, Graham's perspective may have been tinged by nostalgia and desire, remembering what Hatton once was, and hoping that Ricky could still produce the form needed to beat Manny: “I was confident looking at the (Manny) fight, but being on the outside gives you that confidence, you remember the best work he ever did.

“Someone asked me if Ricky would have won the Manny fight if I had been in his corner, I honestly have to say that had I been with Ricky there would not have been a Pacquiao fight.

“I thought that win, lose or draw, and I thought he would win, he should look at retiring after the Mayweather fight, but, like Ricky, I wanted to come home from our American adventures and give the fans a night to remember, so the Lazcano fight was a necessity, it also gave Ricky a chance to brush away the Floyd loss.

“Then you hear that he is going to get in with Malignaggi and you think, ‘Ok, Paulie on his best night cannot trouble Ricky Hatton', but if I had been with him for that fight, and seen the flaws in training, I would have told him that no matter what they offer for Manny the fight is not worth taking. I would have said, ‘No'.”

Although many experts expected Manny to win the manner of the victory was eye opening, and should make Ricky cognisant of the need to bow out gracefully. Rumour has it that a ‘comeback' fight had already been lined up prior to the Manny tussle, with Michael Katsidis the name in the frame. Graham, however, thinks that enough is enough: “Ricky should retire. Ricky is a fighter and will sit down and think, ‘I can come back from this', but why should he do that? Why have a farewell fight?

“He can do what Sugar Ray Robinson did, when Ray eventually went, and have a symbolic farewell to the fans, come out as a promoter, take the centre of the ring, has Ricky so often did, and tell the fans that the ride is over. His fans will love and respect him for that. Get in the ring and take your bow, then make a success out of the rest of your life. Ricky does not owe anyone a thing.

“I know Ricky's fans, they are the best boxing fans in the world, they love Ricky, and he loves them, not a single one of those fans will begrudge him his retirement. If Ricky retires the fans can salute him, and then thank him for the days, and nights, they have had with Ricky. Give him a platform to say farewell, give him his ovation, and then move on, rather than see him take some overmatched guy out, or take on some dangerous fighter down the line. Ricky is a big fight performer…he needs to be inspired. Can he get through another 12-week camp? You cannot cut corners, and you need guidance from those around you.”

I asked Graham if Ricky will one-day want to recapture the thrill of boxing, possibly moving into training to accomplish this, Graham thought for a moment: “Ricky as a trainer? He knows the sport well enough.

“One thing he will need to be aware of is that a great fighter will spot things that lesser fighters will not spot. Ricky will have to be careful not to ask his fighters to do things that he could do, but are beyond them, similar to when they said that Hagler would not cut it as a trainer because he was so perfect as a fighter, he would want his fighters to be Marvin Haglers, and there was only the one Hagler.

“As long as Ricky can see what his kids can do, and more importantly what they can't do, then he will make a great trainer, **** me, he could train himself for a fight if he had to, he would definitely come into the fight in great condition.”

Finally, Graham reiterated the call for retirement, imploring those around Hatton to convince the boxer to walk away from the sport: “Ricky has been knocked out twice in his last four fights, at the very highest level for sure, but that Pacquiao loss was really bad. What is there left for him to achieve, a few more quid? Forget that, he has had some great achievements. No British boxer went to the States and did what he did, taking thousands over there for consecutive top-level fights.

“Ricky is one of the best boxers to come out of this country, maybe the best, not only did he have the talent, as the likes of John Conteh did, but he also had the achievements to match that talent. What else does he need to prove?

“Anybody who loves Ricky Hatton should not want him to fight again. He has got a beautiful girlfriend, and a wonderful son, a great kid, why put them through all of this again? Even if Ricky wants to carry on, because fighters do, someone should tell him to call it a day…and we will see how long it takes for another one like him to come along.”


A great interview by Terry Dooley, thanks man.

 

A long read but interesting :good