Which factor contributed the most to Hatton's rapid decline?

It hasn't actually been rapid, it's been a steady progression from the Tszyu fight. That was his physical and mental peak, he put everything into that to win, along with a whole lot of cheating. He will never have the motivation nor the capacity to achieve that level again

What people should remember is Hatton wasted many of his prime years fighting WBU defences before the Tszyu fight, so the decline seems more rapid than it actually has been

Why has it happened? Style. Lifestyle. Combination of both I'd suggest.

 

the level of oppositon!!!!

 

Well I don't see a decline really. But if there is one, maybe age. Kind of like with age both Mosley and Mayweather seem to be reluctant to throwing combinations. Or DLH has become more flat footed. Could be age.

 

He's got one loss, Mayweather. I think the jury is still out on this 'rapid decline' you seem so desperate to find since the Zoo fight (which was 3 years ago now).

 

What decline? He never looks good against welterweights or in his return jr welterweight bouts. He'll be fine if he just stays at 140.

 

I think a lot has to do with the fact that he never was that good to begin with. He's gotten away with a lot fighting in Europe. Now that he has to actually fight instead of grapple and headbutt his way to victory, his shortcomings are glaringly obvious.

 

His all out style ... he aims to please ... I figured his career would be short lived once he reached elite status ... he's a damn good entertaining fighter and gives it his all.

He's a borderline H.O.F'er

 

He will be in the Hall Of Fame if he avoids Mayweather again, he should look for the Pacquaio fight, he has a very good chance of winning where he has zero chance against. I agree with RingKing to an extent, he clearly is world class, but will never go down as elite due to his limited skills, his repuation slightly damaged that he has avoided too many fighters in their prime, the only two he faced one gave hm a scare one beat him easily.

I think there area few younger guys who can upset Hatton, he cant walk into everyone's punches like he has done with Lazcano.

Early in his career he did show to have quite good movement, great stamina, and had a knack of making his opponents miss with his head movement along with his trademark body shots, but he seems to have lost all those attributes bar the body work, and his power seems to be lacking more now.

I see his last fight maybe being against Khan, to pass the buck as it were.

 

Touche.

 

exactly, what is so hard to work out about that?
He simply was never that good to begin with. Either side of fighting a semi-reitred Tszyu in his homwtown where he got away with all kinds of fouling, who has he actually beat?

 

I don't think Hatton has declined that much. It's just his limited style and gaining too much weight between fights that's gonna do him in.

 

Hatton has always been overrated!

 

I don't see that he has declined. He takes punches to give punches, that's his style. His workrate is still fierce. If anything has changed its his knockout. Once someone shows how it can be done others work from that blueprint and so, yes, there are many left hooks to come in Hatton's future. He got knocked out by the #1 P4P linear welterweight champ in an attempt to move up in divisions with a frame quite smaller than the others at welterweight, which is a deep division at the moment.

 

Hatton was the best he was ever gonna be the night he fought Tszyu. Little did we know at the time but it was all downhill from there. Nobody wants to acknowledge the fact that Ricky should have 2 losses or at the very least, 1 loss and 1 draw cuz Collazo did enough to keep his belt against him. That much is true.

I like Hatton but I just couldn't believe it when I saw one of those little tv snippets that documented his lifestyle. A world class fighter at the top of his game drinking that much alcohol and ballooning up in weight between fights? You don't have to be a doctor to know that things like that will eventually catch up with you.