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Ricky Hatton’s promoter Dennis Hobson has launched a furious verbal assault on former world featherweight champion Barry McGuigan.
The Clones Cyclone has repeatedly criticised Hatton over the past few months, claiming the “Hitman” only had two more fights left in him. McGuigan followed that up by saying his clash last weekend against Jose Luis Castillo attracted just a few Hollywood “A” list celebrities.
Hobson is seething over McGuigan’s comments, which he says are staggering, bearing in mind the boxing hero commentated on Hatton’s fight for Setanta television.
“I’m totally and completely bemused,” said Sheffield-based Hobson. “Barry McGuigan sounds more and more to me like an embittered ex-fighter who is simply jealous of what Ricky has achieved.
“Firstly he says Ricky Hatton is washed up and now he criticises the fact that there weren’t enough so-called “celebrities’ in the audience when he fought Castillo. If by that he means almost the entire England team including Wayne Rooney, Rio Ferdinand, Joe Cole and Kieron Dyer then I suppose he has a point. But since when has the amount of celebrities at ringside had anything to do with boxing?
“McGuigan needs to take a long and careful look at himself because he just sounds jealous. He went over to Las Vegas and lost the first time he defended his featherweight title, whereas Ricky has gone there and won twice. It is pathetic and I know Ricky is equally stunned by it all from a person who he had a lot of respect for.
“Barry McGuigan should remember that he pestered me for free tickets for his son for weeks before the fight and now he just goes around slagging off Ricky Hatton. It is quite unbelievable. He is lucky I am not Frank Warren, otherwise he would have been sued. Frank has made a habit of that in recent years, then mysteriously dropping the case as it gets near to court. Well Barry can rest easy, we are not going down that avenue. We just think he is sad, which is a tremendous shame for someone who brought so much pleasure to boxing fans.”
Hobson has also been astonished by Warren’s comments this week in which his fellow promoter has claimed to be negotiating Hatton’s future two years after the pair split acrimoniously.
Hatton is now a free agent, but Hobson is convinced he will remain with his Fight Academy organisation.
He said: “I think we have delivered for Ricky and his brother Matthew, who was second on the bill in Las Vegas last weekend.
“Frank Warren’s gall never ceases to amaze me. He spends months telling everyone Ricky is a pale shadow of the fighter he used to be, then threatens to sue his father and manager Ray. Then he pulls out of the court case at the last minute and then, you can barely believe it, he claims to be negotiating his future. I don’t know which planet he is living on, but it isn’t the same as mine.
“I think I have done a terrific job for Ricky in getting him three headline fights in America for lucrative sums of money and my personal relationship with the “Hitman’ is as strong as ever. We are friends and that makes a big difference to Ricky and his father.”
Hobson added: “Ricky and I have been together for two years, during which time his career has continued to flourish and I hope we will be together until the day he hangs up his gloves. He knows I will always act for him in his best interests and hopefully his brother can start to win titles very soon under the Fight Academy organisation.”
