Ricky Hatton

I know there's been lots of threads about him recently so I thought i'd have me 'two-pennies-worth'.

If he fought DeLaHoya would you pay to go and see it ? I'd be torn on this one personally. I really like DeLaHoya and he was a big part of me growing up with the sport so I would really LOVE to go and watch him fight once even though he is past his best now. The problem that arises you see is that it'd most certainly be a gimmick fight and fight in which neither fighter had anything else on there minds barring one last crumb of credibility and the $$$$$$. It doesn't bother me giving DeLaHoya another paycheck but it does the Hattons.

I used to have a lot of respect for Hatton when I was younger. Being a Manchester boy it was always brilliant watching the likes of him, Farnell, Gomez, Moore and the like coming through on the Manchester scene and I had many a good night at the MEN and the Veledrome watching these lads.

More recently though i've become quite dispondent with him and the circus that surrounds him. He was a great fighter who has done a hell of a lot for the sport in this country. Most of this however was done (once again) by Warren and his excellent promoting. Forcing the Hatton brand onto the back of a popular football team in the area created a crossover superstar in the area. It wasn't that Hatton wasn't a good fighter just that a come forward exciting fighter who has had the 'local down to earth guy who supports his team' persona made him an instant hit.

He was better than British Class by some margin, better than Euro Class by some margin too. He was a very solid World Class level fighter who was no embarassment as a world champ. He never really took on everyone at world class in my opinion. Having Warren behind him and the money they created enabled him a great shot against a Kosta Tszyu who'd fought 3 times in nearly 4 years. Hatton performed great that night doing 'what he had to do' and was a deserved winner. There was other fighters though he could have faced around that time like DeCorley, Sharmba Mitchell, Mayweather, Judah, Gatti, Ward, Leija and a couple more. One has to wonder whether or not if Hatton had have faced a couple of these on his way to Tszyu or after the Tszyu victory a. he'd have got the Tszyu fight or b. he'd have kept his belt and ended up the superstar he became.

Regardless of what could have happened, what DID happen happened and Hatton went on to have some good succes post Tszyu against some VERY mediocre opponents continuing with his Loyal fanbase with some good wins in Vegas. The Castillio fight was a gimmick in my eyes and one which was purely served up for a Hatton stoppage win so he could show everyone how exciting he was (he'd been shite previous to that against Collazo and Urango) and call Mayweather out on the fact that he was boring.

Well Mayweather responded, and Hatton was well and truly made to look like a prized tit. You remember the 24/7 show where he mimicked the way Floyd did the pads, saying "Anyone can do that for 20 minutes, see what he's like when he gets one of these....WHACK. I sure hope Floyd hits like that in the ring" --- Well Ricky, did he hit as hard or was it maybe a little harder ???? All the fan boys saying Hatton would "win on the inside", "he'll get him with a body shot....." How many opponents with any credibility have you seen Hatton hurt properly with a body shot ? Anyone who doesn't get bullied/mauled by him can move out of his way.

He then went on to stumble past Lazcano and then pull out a very good win against Paulie M. Now I genuinely thought he'd get beat by Paulie and was very impressed with the way he went about things. I know Paulie isn't a puncher and Hatton could try his new way of 'boxing' without the fear of getting banjo'd but never the less he still impressed me then.

In the preparation for the Pacquiao fight i'd heard of a few people that Hatton was on the 'beak'. I couldn't believe it but the people telling me were very sure about it and people who i'd know for years and were big Hatton fans themselves. I'd heard he'd had a problem with it for some time and was seriously into the stuff, so far as to say he was still on it at the start of 'Camp Pacquiao'. This was a shock at first but then the more I thought about it and the more I thought of the people he knocked about with and how rife it is in Manchester it didn't surise me. Hatton went on to shock us all again by landing 2 punches ( Both of which had Pacquiao in serious trouble ) before getting spanked across the canvas 3 times, the 3rd leaving him there for some time. I was shocked at how quickly it happened but then that little rumour i'd heard came back buzzing in my head, "It maybe true".

Anyways that rumour was confirmed by one of my very best friends a couple of weeks ago when on a Monday morning he text me (He was genuinely oblivious to the rumours beforehand) saying "Mate I was in the *** last night and Hatton was in there. I went to the toilet and he was in there doing a line of beak bold as brass". Now I know for a fact that this lad wasn't lying as he is a huge Hatton fan and dabbles in the old 'beak' himself.

Hatton may well have been an elite fighter. I doubt it very much however for a man who had the chance to be so very very good, the way he treated himslef over the years is nothing short of a joke. We all now that your best and biggest fights come toward the end of your career, when you've slaved for years and years to get to the very top and start mixing it in the elite you're normally a lot older. Hatton abused his body to the extreme and when he needed it to be at his best it wasn't and he wasn't skillfull enough to compete. Even after the Mayweather beating he still refused to listen to all advice, even after the Lazcano scare would he listen ??? NO. So not only does he fill his body with Cakes, Pies, Kebabs, Guiness and anything else he can find, he also fills it with the beak and god knows what else.

That is why I dont think i'll bother paying to watch him fight again. Oh yeah and Hatton is very very reluctant to fight again however the carpet man and his imbosile lawyer are persuading him to do so ($$$$$:yikes$$$$$) hence why he is already back in training :-(

If i'm banned for this then so be it.

 

You obviously missed Hatton's interview before Pac-Cotto :good

 

And for the record. The only other time it was mentioned on here it was me who told Rob Palmer