Ricky Hatton: The WBU Years

Yes and no. I would have prefered he took the traditional route but the WBU title allowed him to mix at a fairly decent international level.

 

No it didnt. Hatton avoided everyone that was worth there weight domestically. He was Urkals mandatory he avoided him. He did the same with Corley and had the opportunity to fight for the WBO twice. Both times the fights never came off. He avoided Junior Witter and fought Magee instead in what was a scare for him in the early rounds. We never knew if Hatton was the best in Britain or Europe let alone the world. FW steered him along a very cautious route to stardom and he beat tons of club fighters in the process in his assention to the top. His WBU years from a financial perspective were great for him. I mean 500k a time to pack out the M.E.N vs some can? Priceless absolutely priceless.

 

EXCELLENT POST! Im starting to like you!!! :thumbsup

 

The WBU is **** but Hatton ducking Urkal? Corley? Do behave fellas.

The European title is very nice but beating Kostya Tszyu for the linear world title is much better. Witter will look back on his career see his domestic titles next to his WBC belt and will be very happy, but Ricky will be happier.

People forget Witter knocked over an awful lot of bums as well.

 

JC your not a rookie. This is ALL about opportunity. If it doesn't present itself its extremely difficult to create it from thin air. Hatton had the silver spoon and cotton wool treatment. Witter had **** all and still annexed all domestic titles and world honors. Hatton had ample opportunity to do as he pleased because of the economic clout FW created for him. Witter NEVER had that luxury. And the fact of the matter is Corley WOULD have beaten Hatton back then and so would Urkal. FW knew this and hence why he steered him the club fighter route. I know good and well your memory isnt that bad...

 

well said.
That WBU reign of terror was made up of fights against no-name lightweights and the likes of ****** Smith's boy.
He ducked the clutch of strong guys at 140 (Tszyu, PBF, Judah, Witter, Cotto....even the likes of Gatti, Harris and Urkal) and fought nobodies until the night he got everything in his favour against Tszyu....that fight was JOKE and Tszyu was semi-reitred anyway. Since then it's hardly impressive is it? Outclassed and knocked out embarrasingly by PBF, who had not even rocked anyone in years never mind knock them out. He's happy sitting at 140 as it's weak as **** now and can't handle anyone half decent at 147.

 

Hatton calls himself a 7 time world champion, so he counts the WBU and IBO as world titles. in his eyes he was world champion since 2000. infact Mallignaggi was his 20th defence (infact he has only defended a world title once againt Mausa)

if he had kept the british or gone for the european he would of eventually fought witter, a fight he clearly still doesnt fancy.

 

Precisely.An organization that was run from a cottage in Norwich that had no credibility to speak of. And this man counts that as a "World" title. Wow:roll: And all his joyboys lap it up.

 

witter fought for a world title 6 years before hatton

 

Witter did that in under 20 fights as Warren couldnt make make any money of him so he fed him to the wolves. Meanwhile Ricky made a record 15 defenses of a belt no one had ever heard of.