ricky hatton modern day duran?

Ricky Hatton is a very good fighter, one that I like very much. I am also a fan of his out of the ring personna as well. He cracks me up in that sombrero, and popping up in pictures with just about everybody. I like the guy and was frankly surprised at how he destroyed Castillo with that bodyshot. No one gave him achance in that one, so he gets credit from me, and all those ******* who want to make excuses for Castillo and take away from Ricky's win only earn my contempt, like those who downgraded Jeff Lacy after Joe Calzaghe obliterated him. There's always a feild day for revisionists and excuse makers when a British fighter, particularly a white Britisher wins a big fight. Having said all that however, there is no way you can put Hatton in the same sentence with Roberto Duran. Maybe Hatton will go on winning fights, and astound the world with a victory over Mayweather, but as of yet, there is absolutely no comparison with the great "Hands of Stone" who ruled the lightweights like a cross between Jack Dempsey and (appearance wise) Charles Manson.

 

Hatton, like Duran and all great boxers, is distinguished by beating great boxers and not getting credit for doing so from "experts". How many more times will people pick Hatton's opponents to beat him, before claiming they had no chance and were clearly shot/useless?

 

My point exactly.

 

I wouldnt call him a "historian", anyone who calls himself a world champion whilst holding the WBU baubel has no sense of history

 

He is tenacious, rough, tough, and can maul his opponent like Duran, but everything Hatton does, Duran did better. Duran was one of the most complete fighters I have ever seen and you certainly can't say the same for Hatton. He was perhaps the greatest infighter in boxing history and he was excellent defensively at his best thanks to his great head movement.

 

Hatton is an unfairly criticised fighter who will prove many wrong but like red cobra says he is not yet worthy of a comparison with Duran. Maybe one day he will be, if he beats Mayweather he will be worthy. Very good fighter, not yet a great.

 

Yes, a win over Floyd Mayweather, the winner of Cotto/Mosley, Junior Witter, Ricardo Torres, and Paulie Malignaggi and he will be comparable to Roberto Duran...not as great by any means, but comparable. However, that is a huge stretch.

 

Hatton's a very good pressure fighter. He closes the distance much quicker than someone like Chavez, and lets the punches flow better as well. You could say he's very similar to Duran in that regard. Dont think I'm rating him up there with those two legends, cause I'm not.

Hatton doesn't possess Duran's ability at slipping punches and countering, so defensively he's not up there with him. Duran was a brilliant boxer as well, as he showed against De Jesus in their third fight. Hatton aint as good at long range.

 

Nope, just someone with the business sense that he's going to retire a multi-millionare.

 

Hatton seems like a decent type of bloke, who I have a lot of time for. I wanted him to beat Tszyu but figured he lose (I do like being wrong... sometimes ). I figure now Mayweather will win, again I hope I am wrong.

If he beats Mayweather there is case to be made that he is the finest post war (WWII) British fighter. Duran was the third finest fighter ever IMO, I do not see Hatton fighting long enough to ever warrant a debate on that level, because as has been said, Hatton seems like a smart man and will probably hang up his gloves a fight or two too early, rather than too late.

 

I like Hatton he is an honest all action fighter with his feet still on the ground ,but calling him a modern day Duran is a hat several sizes too big for him.He lacks the subtle head movement and innate ringcraft of Manos,Duran is a very great fighter with few flaws,Hatton is a very good one,who may have peaked at that level,imo.

 

It's unfair to Hatton to compare him to Duran. He'll naver be a Duran, and that's too high a bar to set for him. No matter what he achieves, he'll never make the cut by those judging him by that criteria.

 

It is what he is attempting to be. So far he is doing a very respectable job of it.