Hatton: "Pressure is off!", Graham: "Ricky's still the best!"

[WWatt]

Just found this. He told the MEN paper last week that his welterweight adventure might of been a "blessing in disguise".

Quotes

Hatton

"That wasn't the real Ricky Hatton (against Collazo), watch any fight of mine and then watch that and you'll see no snap by comparison."

"But maybe it was a blessing in disguise because people on both sides of the Atlantic now have wrote me off and it has taken a lot of pressure off me to be honest. I can just knuckle down and do my thing and because the expectancy has dropped I'll be praised whatever I do, and I plan on doing some destruction jobs and really looking the part."

"What people don't realise is that it usually takes two or three fights to grow into a new weight division, not six or seven weeks. I was basically a blown-up light-welterweight, it's as simple as that!"

"I feel hungry again like I did after the Vilches fight - needing to prove doubters wrong - and look what I went on to achieve after that: a couple of blockbuster performances and then the big win against Kostya. More of the same is in order: a couple of fights to make people sit up and take notice again and then try to knock Mayweather off the top of the tree like I did Tszyu."

"I don't think Carlos Baldomir has anything to trouble Floyd to be honest, other than sheer size and strength to be honest. I think Mayweather will be far too fast for him and make him look pedestrian."


Graham

"You won't find a fighter on the entire bloody planet who could win a world title in their first fight in a new weight division while still able to make the weight below without a problem. I don't recall anybody ever doing that. Floyd Mayweather was forced to move up because his body outgrew light-welterweight, but TV forced Ricky Hatton to move up."

"Don't worry, Ricky is still the business! He's the king of his division. He hasn't lost anything, you don't lose tools overnight. I've still got the best fighter in the business and we're still chasing the big one, the one we've been preparing for for three or four years, Mayweather."

[Memphis]

Ive never seen Urango fight but man that muther fucker is huge.

[smashup]

Urangotang

[AdamGB]

I've still got the best fighter in the business

Could be true... how about bring his diminished hand speed and boxing abilities back to the front of his mind?

"Ricky?..."

"yeah..."

"See that man who is naturally a lot bigger than you"

"yeah"

"Go and bully him"

"great plan billy"

[WWatt]

Nobody seems interested in the Hitman anymore?

[Memphis]

He has been out of the ring for a long time and the move back down to 140 is a backward step whichever way you slice it. Its no wonder people have cooled off.

[smashup]

Yeah he needs to bash the guy silly in his next outing.
Also i honestly don't think his promotional team cut the mustard at all.

[Memphis]

I don't think we have had the chance to find out yet. Maussa was a smart move at the time, there have been one or two disappointments since then and Collazo was apparently done purely to please HBO. Where he goes from Urango will be the acid test.

[smashup]

Certainly will and he need Big names ala Cotto/PBF/Castillo after Urango imo.

[Scrap]

If they are chasing Mayweather they are going the wrong way hes a welter

[Gandalf]

It will be hard to see a Floyd fight coming off if Floyd does decide to move up even further and fight ODLH....

Hatton needs to get back in that ring and be more active...1 fight in a year is poor and is not the way forwards....needs to be more busy...

[jbirdy]

he's got a point. he had few shite fights and after the vilches fight ricky came back to look awesome against olivera and stewart. i know those boys arn't world class compared to the bog players today but ricky was shit hot both nights against them and would have beaten any 140 pounder put in front of him (especially on the night he beat ray olivera). and he does need to look the buisness against urango (i dont think thats goin to be easy to do) to put himself up there in expectations again.

[Kev]

"You won't find a fighter on the entire bloody planet who could win a world title in their first fight in a new weight division while still able to make the weight below without a problem. I don't recall anybody ever doing that. Floyd Mayweather was forced to move up because his body outgrew light-welterweight, but TV forced Ricky Hatton to move up."

Hmm guess he's never heard of Bernard Hopkins and Roy Jones then :P

[WWatt]

"You won't find a fighter on the entire bloody planet who could win a world title in their first fight in a new weight division while still able to make the weight below without a problem. I don't recall anybody ever doing that. Floyd Mayweather was forced to move up because his body outgrew light-welterweight, but TV forced Ricky Hatton to move up."

Hmm guess he's never heard of Bernard Hopkins and Roy Jones then :P

That's what I was thinking. But could Hopkins still make 160 without a problem?? And Jones Didn't make 175 again without a problem (ie first Tarver fight)..

[yoitsdan]

"You won't find a fighter on the entire bloody planet who could win a world title in their first fight in a new weight division while still able to make the weight below without a problem. I don't recall anybody ever doing that. Floyd Mayweather was forced to move up because his body outgrew light-welterweight, but TV forced Ricky Hatton to move up."

Hmm guess he's never heard of Bernard Hopkins and Roy Jones then :P

Jones was a natural 160lber, not 175lb and I doubt Hopkins could make 160 again.