Don't all jump on me now, but i miss Ricky Hatton. He gave us some great nights. I also think he's becoming more and more underrated as time goes on.
People hark back to Benn Eubank glory days etc etc but mark my words in 10-15 years we will be going Hatton do you remember 20 000 travelled to Vegas ! He is getting underrated but its more just backlash off his current tabloid persona i think
I don't think hanging back with that WBU title for so long did him favours with some of the so-called (self proclaimed?) "hardcore boxing fans" but if you look at what he achieved over the course of his career then he's had a very good one by British standards.
Hatton gets very unfairly treated online, he was a big fans favourite, yeah he was limited but an awesome little fighter on his best nights and can say he was beaten only by the two best fighters of this generation. Now that's pretty ****ing decent.
Ricky achieved what his talent would allow him to, he reached his level and got the best out of himself, even with all the guinness carousing and bad living inbetween fights. I really respect him for that. Hatton also had really good feet and his pace was insane, i love pressure fighters who get "it". I do think he made Floyd slightly uncomfortable in the first 6 rounds. Ricky though also benefitted from the times. The landscape and the talent level in boxing is so watered down with all these BS belts, weight divisions and agendas, a very flawed fighter can be the man in a division and the Ring 140lbs ruler for 4 years.
Who would you have backed to take that title off Ricky during that period? And lets not have he ducked Witter eh? Guy fought Pac, Mayweather and Kostya but was scarred of Junior, fact is Witter wouldn't have been a sell (to us yeah to the general public no). On the night Ricky had his fight in vegas against Urango the previous night Witter had headlined a quarter empty Alexander Palace defending the WBC Belt against the mighty Aturo Morua who has since lost 6 out of 7 and had lost 7 fights going into the Witter match But it was Ricky fighting unworthy opponents right?
Witter and hatton would've been massive over here mate FACT, it was a mouth watering domestic clash if ever there was one. The reason he did'nt fight him was because he was an awkward type(witter) who could punch. If he lost to witter it would've all been over. Half the fights that hatton was in when witter was calling him out were absolute mis match shite.Hatton was the draw in 99% of his fights, people come to see him regardless of who he fought, and some of them were shamefull. The m.e.n was packed to the rafters whoever he fought. Would'nt of been a sell :rofl:rofl:rofl:rofl. Theres no shame losing to mayweather pac or any elite fighter , there is if its someone down the road from you and your looking to conquer the world if you get me ! No doubt in my mind he ducked him
You're missing the point, i'm not denigrating Hatton or saying he was protected and should've been knocked off. I was just using him as an example of how the talent level has been watered down to the point where a flawed fighter like Ricky can be a number one in a division. And no he didn't "duck" Witter, you've got the wrong guy because i don't take that line of thinking and i'm not a Ricky Hatton hater. My point was if Hatton were fighting in the 80's and 90's he would be just a good fighter, Am i right? Pryor, Cervantes and Chavez would destroy him and so would McGirt and Taylor too (no shame in that btw). I was just saying that the times are very different to the point where a B level fighter can be the man at a weight for years. No knocking Ricky Hatton because as i've said, i'm a fan and have respect for him. I also said he's being underrated these days, but you didn't wanna seem to read that part.
He is no way 5'8! Hatton is 5'6.5 at the most! Coto is only 5'7/5'8 & Ricky isn't taller than him! Hatton was marginally taller than Pacman! And if he is 14stones that's sad. He lost a fair bit of weight when he went back into the priory, a substantial amount of weight. If he's put the weight back on, that could mean he's back on the drink & eating **** most of the time! And people talk about him perhaps boxing again! No chance!
HAng on, a whole HAtton thread and n one has said ... New low, i have been away a while, what have I missed?