Why did Ricky Hatton………

Hatton dropping to his knees after stopping Tony Pep (ahem) to win the WBU title remains a cringe-inducing memory. As Billy Graham once told Hatton of a WBU title challenger, whom Hatton was querying, "Ricky, he can't be any ****in' good, he's fighting you!"

 

Only in the situation of purse bids when a mandatory challenger is stipulated a percentage of the total purse. Why should the sanctioning body dictate what fighters are to be paid? That's a managers job, the governing body is there to control the title. I don't think it should it be public knowledge what fighters are paid, I don't like talking what I make with people I don't even know and don't see why they should have to

 

Actually I got it wrong there, McAllister made 28 grand from the fight, so the purse was probably in the region of 70 thousand (i dont really know how these things work, I'm having a stab in the dark here)

 

Yeh, the WBU is universally acknowleged as a BRITISH world title just as the WBO was back in the 90's:smoke

 

I personally know bugger all about purses. I try not to get to involved in boxing politics these days and just concentrate on the fighting...but i do remember reading a post by some bloke on this site awhile back who said that fighters going down the WBU, IBO, etc route generally made more money than fighters going down the traditional Brit/Euro/CW route.

The guy could have been talking out of his arse but i hope that helps.

 

To be honest at the actual time it happened I never thought of him negatively for taking the WBU route as I thought it was all he was capable of, to be an entertaining local draw with a fake world title. In hindsight it's a shame he wasted so many years with it when he could have acheived more.

And in answer to the question, because Frank Warren told him too.

 

It was just a bauble that effectively took the place of a British, European style campaign

Went on for a few fights and about 18 months too long

But it's just a footnote in the grand scheme of his career

 

I don't recognise the WBU as a legitimate world belt and so I treat the WBU fights as nothing more than normal fights. It's a shame Ricky went that route, but in all fairness he has had a decent career and can call it a day now and never need to work again. He gets a lot of respect for trying his best against Pac & PBF.

 

It's the Frank Warren way. WBU/WBO title until you've had 40 or so fights then take your chances against a champion you think you have a reasonable chance of beating.