Ricky Hatton: The WBU Years

Hello Mr kettle I'm pot...

 

This :deal That "episode" is usually brought up by haters who are just looking for a stick to beat Hatton with. If it wasn't him it would be somebody else. Bottom line, when a fighter has stepped into the ring with four p4p top ten fighters including two #1s and a host of top ten contenders, to try and claim he needs to prove himself by fighting someone whose only claim to fame is happening to share a country of birth with him is simply farcical.

 

Tell us about the offer Witter made for the fight then? Must have offered a fair whack to Hatton if you're gettin so steamed up about it. How much, when, where and for whose belt? Or couldd it be that despite all his attempts to gain a bit of publicity off of Hatton's back, there wasn't one. Hatton has been rather busy attempting to fit in a few top 10 p4p fighters or late, it's not his responsibility to go out of his way to make a fight with someone nobody outside the fight hardcore has never heard of. Fighters with faith in their talent fight elite, p4p fighters, not guys whose only claim to fame is a geographical accident.

 

I am Witters biggest and probably only real fan...I do get ****ed off when the only time that he is mentioned is when he is being used as a big stick to beat another fighter with. Some people need to change the record.

 

cheers jeff. :good

 

Must be bloody annoying for him as well. Knowing that , whilst the guy you wish you were, is remembered for his epic Vegas battles with top pound for pound fighters, the only thing you're going to be remembered for is not fighting somebody!

 

Hatton and Witter should have happened 2000 - 2004, but it didn't, lets move on.

 

Alright maybe I was being a bit harsh on him, but I'm talking in comparison to the fights I mentioned. Yeah Witter won the WBC belt (and monumentally goofed up by losing it to a complete unknown just when Ring had moved him up the the #2 ranking after he and Hatton disposed of Harris and Castillo but that's another story). But I'm talking on a worldwide scale here, not just the "domestic view" which is understandable but rather short-sighted in the big picture.

Maybe Witter would have been a better fight than some of the opponents Hatton fought during his WBU day. But we can do this with any fighter. There would have been any number of fighters who would have been better than the complete claptrap Witter was facing in those days. Witter has only fought one decent opponent by choice (Ndou) since 2000 and not since 2000 has he taken a fight in which he was an underdog. Hatton has done so three times to my knowledge plus a number of other "live" underdogs. If anybody should be cut some slack on the issue it is him not Witter.

If Hatton allegedly "ducked" the fight (which in my view is refusing a reasonable offer to face a worthy opponent because you are afraid of them) then where was the offer from Witter. He did a lot of talking to the press and pulling publicity stunts, but bearing in mind the positions of the two fighters it is up to him to be the one to actively seek to make the fight, not Hatton.

Sure Hatton's not above criticism and both myself and GazOC have said there were a couple of years where Hatton seemed to stagnate and where his career went a bit off the rails (02-04). But what he has done since is enough in most reasonable people's eyes to ensure that the fact him and Witter never fought is not going to be remembered by very many outside of a few hardcore enthusiasts and Hatton haters in the UK. Unfortunately, you can't say the same for Witter. As stated, for the avoidance of any doubt I have nothing against him personally. However, every criticism some of his backers (most of whom are nothing more than Hatton haters) seem to want to throw at the Hitman can also be levelled at Witter and then some! All I am looking for is a bit of consistency.

Anyway, just my view and if you don't agree hope you can understand at least where I am coming from on it. Peace :good

 

Most on this board would happily do so, it is just the select few that seem to forever want to use the guy as a stick to beat Hatton with that will not allow it to happen. Witter's talent deserves better than that anyway (even if his personality can be a bit irritating), he can be discussed on his own merits as a fighter without certain people always having to use him to have a go at Hatton with.

 

I couldn't agree more but it seems a few of the fishwives on here like to have a little moan about this every couple of months. I suppose if thats the main thing they "have" against Hatton then he must be having a pretty decent career.

 

Agreed, it should have happend, poor perhaps on Hattons part it didn't - but it's really time to move on.

Had Hatton spent a career never having the balls to get in the ring with someone as good or better than Witter then I think it would be more of an issue. He clearly has - and will be - stepping in the ring with better. The fight should have happend five to ten years or so ago, but it's time to move on.

 

this is the reason i never really liked ricky, he had it fairly easy imo :hey