if ricky K Os malinaggi

Maligaggi will HAVE to clinch IMHO, he has no other option. He's not as good at long range as some people seem to thing either, he likes it at medium range and as soon as the gap closes from that he'd have to clinch or he'll be ****ed.

 

Well, its not exactly like Hatton gives you a choice whether to clinch. He lunges in and then holds. Then either hits whilst holding, or decides to legitimately work an angle for a body shot. That is pretty much Hatton of recent times.

Malignaggi likes a good clinch too, but he's not one to initiate usually. I could see him doing it in this fight though. I expect a boring one unless Mayweather has really rubbed off on him and taught him a jab.

 

It'll be a poor spectacle IMHO, but Hatton doesn't need a good jab just a basic one to pump out twice on the way in. It doesn't have to hurt or even land just to close that distance so he get get the hooks in.

 

He might not need it, but as a spectacle it will be much more interesting if he's finally been taught how to throw one.

It's a lot easier on the eye to see a guy jab his way in with lateral movement rather than lunge. It would also occupy his opponent and cure some of the need to clinch. He only does that because he's worried about getting hit on the counter. It's a defensive mechanism.

Hence when he was fighting bull**** opponents for his WBU people recognise that as his most exciting period, as he didn't have to worry about what was coming back.

 

You mean he looked better against poor opposition but seemed to have more problems as his opponents improved? My my, fancy that, it's a real education posting on here sometimes....

 

It's not as simple as looking worse performance wise. His style changed for the worse. That is linked to his opponents skill level, but also his inability to throw a jab.

He would have retained his excitement had he ever learnt one, he would also be better able to compete at 147, and I'd probably even cheer him on for those reasons!

 

You'd cheer him on? Now I know you're lying!!!

He was a pretty good boxer at a certain level (see Thaxton after the cut in the first round) but maybe he just can't jab with world class boxers so why try?

 

Maybe he can, maybe he can't. He's barely tried, I know that. I think he did what he did against Tszyu and used that as his blueprint for the future, rather than going back to his skills he just clinches.

It's water under the bridge at this stage, he's already bored me to tears. I'm just saying, if he could have jabbed a bit more it would have had the knock on effect of less clinches and in turn more excitement for the purist.

 

If he'd have jabbed with Zoo he'd have got timed on the way in with a right cross, even I called that one pre-fight. I just think he can't jab with a world class boxer so he doesn't try, "play to strengths" and all that.

 

If he can't, he can't. I don't blame anybody for fighting how they need to in order to get the Win, for sure. But that doesn't mean I need to enjoy the style.

But as I said, I don't buy that completely. He fought the perfect fight against Tszyu, Phillips set out the blueprint for him. You don't need to box at all with that guy, he was an outstanding amateur. Just get on his ass like flies round ****.

I think Hatton could have been more flexible with his approach after that. Even I don't think Hatton is so talentless that the limit of his potential is run in and tie up and then look for hooks. Perhaps you underrate him more than me

 

Perhaps!!!

 

Can't fnd anything for recent fights but Hatton threw 761 versus Collazo.

 

I can't believe I'm agreeing with TFFP on a Hatton discussion.

He doesn't throw as many as people think (but his mauling style drains the opponent anyway). Not got the stats to hand but I was surprised. He's about average for a LWW (from memory).

And he DID adopt the Tszyu blueprint for pretty much every fight since. Which is a big mistake in my book. Maybe with his short arms he can't jab effectively but his impatience, lunging and attacking in straight lines has really limited his scope.

He seems to believe he can and should outmuscle everybody he faces, when sometimes he could simply outwork his opponent instead, grind them down that way, like he did to Philips.

In summary I think he smothers his own work at times, I hope Floyd has got him to tidy it up a bit, he's a better fighter than he has shown post-Tszyu.

 

This is a big question for me. I have no doubt that Hatton beats Paulie but whether he does it in style depends on whether he can get rid of some of those bad habits. A return to a jab would be a good start as well as some head movement. It would also make it alot easier for Hatton to then land with the hooks he wishes to use so often.