... and this may have been posted before but here it is from a recent article: Hatton: problems with the hired help? Still no news from Ricky Hatton on his plans for the future. One whisper I heard recently about his preparation for the Manny Pacquiao fight didn't sound too encouraging. As well as being roughed by the Cuban light-middleweight Erislandy Lara in sparring in Las Vegas in the weeks before the fight, the word is that Hatton also had problems with a couple of sparring partners in Manchester before he went out to America. And I hear they weren't that special themselves. Having problems with a big young prospect trying to make a name for himself is one thing; being bossed in your own gym by the hired help is another. http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/blog/2009/jul/24/david-haye-valuev-amir-khan-hatton Interesting...
It's just a matter of his lifestyle catching up to him. Boxing's a hard sport as it is - Hatton does himself no favours balooning up betwek fights. Can you imaging the stress he puts his body through just to boil down. The guy stays in a calorie deficit for three months.
That was his problem in my opinion. He was going down hill since floyd beat him. Ricky should have destroyed malinaggi but it was his worse win
I still don't buy the excuse that Ricky was in decline after his defeat to Floyd. In reality he operated and ruled a 140 pound division that was quite frankly weak, which ultimately contributed to the myth that Hatton was unbeatable and light welterweight. His career defining win came against an over the hill Kosta, and when it came for him to step his game up against the elite (Mayweather), he was humiliated and exposed for the one dimensional fighter he always was. He then decides to switch trainer and take on the reasonably good Malignaggi, in which after the victory....everyone including himself, his team, his fans and the experts had began hailing him as the fresh and revitalised Ricky Hatton. Back better than ever before. Then came the time for him to lock horns with another P4P material fighter. We all know what happened next. The fact is...plain and simple...it wasn't his diminishing powers that caused him to lose those bouts...it was his limited ability. That's all
hatton's never been the most defensive fighter but in the past he could afford to take one or two to land one. but once your punch resistance has gone, that stratedgy goes out the window and he doesn't have a plan B.
Im not into hatton bashing but his lifestyle did catch up with him. When Hatton was with Warren he used to fight 4 times a year. Warren used to do this becasue he knew that if he let Ricky have a long lay off then he would balloon in weight. Ricky's own lack of discipline are what destroyed him.
you knew sh*t was gonna be f*cked up when Hatton didn't release any sparring video on 24/7. Pac did. Hatton and his people were hiding something. His punch resistance went downhill? that 2nd round shot would have killed most people.
Why is this interesting? Hatton made a career of beating C and B level fighters and as soon as he's put in the ring with an A+ boxer he's shot? Hatton is a good fighter. He's not a GREAT fighter nor one of the best of his generation. He certainly was an opportunist and has paid for this dearly. Class ALWAYS prevails.
