"We got out there early and me, my dad, Billy and our cutsman Mick Williamson went to the famous Kronk Gym. It is well known that it is always hot in there, a real sweatbox, and it is where the great Emmanuel Steward groomed so many champions over the years. It was boiling, a hundred and twenty degrees with the heaters firing and the walls sweating, and me, Billy and Mick were probably the only white people in there, maybe even in the neighborhood. I put my gloves on, with Mick helping me, but by the time he'd finished the sweat was absolutely dripping out of him. 'Facking hell, I've got to get out of here,' he said in his broad Cokney accent." "It was absolutely sweltering so I took my shirt off to hit the bag and warm up. I always grunted when I punched and, looking dead young and pale, I think some of the fighters there were quietly taking the **** out of me. Then Billy and I got in the ring on the bodybelt and it was bang, bang, bang, bang, step around, bang, bang, bang, bang. It changed their perceptions because afterwards all of the other fighters came up to me, asking me my name and what my record was. It had gone from 'Who's this little, pale-faced white kid grunting like an idiot?' to all of a sudden thinking '****ing hell. That's not bad, is it?' That was quite pleasing."
There is mixed feelings about him and I understand both sides. He didn't blow people away when he came here, but he did accomplish more than most expected. Beating Tszyu is indicative of that. He did have the affection of his people though. He wasn't smug and hung out with the crowd all the time. He was just another bloke. One of the finer body punchers I've seen.
he was a really great body puncher and used his feet well to get the angles.a couple of the kids from our club boxed on a Hatton promoted show which was well ran
Yeah, Hatton didn't rely on a single left hook to the body, like many others. He could open you up with all sorts of setup shots and footwork, driving his hips, ****, and arm through a guy. The ending to the Tommy Pea**** fight is a great example of that. Hatton said he learned a lot about promoting from Frank VVarren. He's got a solid stable and is doing pretty well for himself.
I used to work not far from Hyde and a lot of the blokes knew him and had nothing bad to say about him. His fight with Eamonn McGee was a test of his toughness which he passed.
