The Big Debate: Kostya “The Thunder from Down Under Tszyu” vs. Ricky “The Hitman” Hatton.

We British know our boxing, we love our boxing and so it is no surprise that IBF light welterweight champion Kostya Tszyu received an enthusiastic welcome from the British fight community. After all, Tszyu’s reputation stretches far

beyond that of a world champion, the man is a boxing legend and his gracing of a British ring is no less than a true honor. Manchester’s favorite son Ricky Hatton deserves applause for withstanding the cruel taunts of the media that questioned his credibility over the last few years. It is true enough that Hatton’s career stands as a monument to the promotional mindset that seeks to protect an investment, guiding it away from real danger to maintain a lucrative situation both the fighter and promoter. But Hatton is a historian, a boxing enthusiast who claims Roberto Duran as his hero and claims the “Hitman” moniker once adopted by Detroit’s own Tommy Hearns, symbols of Hatton’s nurturing from those elder days of greatness. Against Tszyu, the time has come to see if Hatton has a performance in him worthy of the great fighters that inspired him to lace up the gloves.

In life, we must be careful what we wish for, because we may just get it, and Tszyu stood as the ruination of many a prizefighter’s dreams. What follows is why I believe he will be so against Hatton.

Not wishing to question referee Dave Parris’ professionalism or Star Class credentials, I must admit to a curiosity at his appointment as the official for this fight. As demonstrated in a Puerto Rican referee’s premature stoppage of DeMarcus Corley against Miguel Cotto earlier this year, the pressure upon an official not participating in such heady assignments week in, week out can produce a dissatisfying result. It is not inconceivable that Hatton might hurt Tszyu, surprise him with superior hand-speed and have him reeling in a precocious early rounds assault. However, a premature intervention by an over-zealous official in this instance would be no less than disastrous for all concerned. A debatable stoppage would besmirch the great legacy Tszyu has spent decades building, and it would deny Hatton the decisive victory that is paramount to validating his dubious career path to date.

Doomsayers may dwell on such notions, but it is a sign of utmost confidence that Tszyu, a dogged negotiator of immovable ethics, goes to fight Hatton in England, conceding home advantage as well as foregoing the appointment of a neutral referee. Tszyu must also defend his title at the inappropriate time of two in the morning amid, from what I can attest to from personal experience, will be an absolute cauldron in the MEN arena, brought to boil by the feverish support of Hatton’s twenty-thousand strong crowd. And why does Tszyu suddenly acquiesce to exposure to all of these elements? Because he is going to win, big, and he knows it.

By virtue of what he is as a professional fighter, Tszyu will render all of the above disadvantages utterly mute. There is perhaps no fighter in the past ten years that has worked so consistently, with such single-mindedness and ruthless efficiency than Tszyu. It is quite humorous to see him discounted by supposed authorities claiming his lack of agility, or hilariously alluding to him as a one-trick wonder with a powerful right hand being his only saving grace. Tszyu is as versatile a fighter as you could want. He is versatile in attack, showing adaptability and precision in adjusting to measure his opponent for the kill. Out-boxing Tszyu is no option either; he was one of amateur boxing’s most decorated participants. And then there is his power. Neither Hatton nor any fighter weighing 140-pounds on this planet can stand in front of Tszyu and hope for victory. There is always a lingering doubt upon an aging fighter that their resolve could desert them in a moment, but the wars necessary to speed that process do not exist on the Tszyu resume.

In Tszyu’s return fight last year, he met Sharmba Mitchell who, in all truth, aside from age, has every conceivable advantage over Hatton himself; Tszyu annihilated Mitchell in no time. This fight can go one of two ways. Hatton has proven unable to resist the lure of the crowd on the big occasions, and there is none bigger than this. If nerves and adrenalin combine in the right intensity, Hatton will walk into the most powerful 140-pound force of the last decade and may not recover. My theory is that Hatton, knowing the importance of the fight and his own boxing ability, will elect to box from the very beginning, using his tidy footwork and hand-speed advantage to dazzle Tszyu in the early rounds. Hatton will be successful, but without the firepower to keep Tszyu at bay, the champion will merely wait for his moment, sizing up the weaknesses as a bull to a matador. When the moment arrives, Tszyu will do sufficient damage to force a stoppage on cut damage to Hatton in no more than five rounds.

The hour will belong to Tszyu, but the nature of Hatton’s performance will buy him even more fans worldwide, and if his confidence is not wholly destroyed, he might gain another chance at a world title, but only when Kostya Tszyu is long out of the picture.

Sergio…

“Jimmy the Gent,” that was a masterful piece detailing what is quiet possibly to transpire this Saturday night. Your words are probably better suited for an editorial of this fight, rather than a debate. “The Gent” almost covered every possible angle of why the British fellow will not be victorious. I must be honest and say that I too believe that “The Hitman” is entering a fight that seems impossible to win. In front of Hatton is one of the most complete fighters of the past fifteen years and, to add insult to what are sure to be Hatton’s injuries, “The Thunder from Down Under” is as lethal as a Texas Rattle Snake’s venom (hey, I’m from Texas, and we have some mean Rattlers here). I decided to view segments of Hatton’s past fights and see if I could find a ray of hope for Britain’s favorite son. In my humble opinion, here is what I think Hatton needs to do in order to shock the world this Saturday night.

“It is not inconceivable that Hatton might hurt Tszyu, surprise him with superior hand-speed and have him reeling in a precocious early rounds assault.” As Jim pointed out, hand-speed is the one true advantage that Hatton has over Tszyu and he is really going to need to exploit those faster hands this Saturday night. Ricky must make sure that he lets his hands go early in the fight, not completely committing to his punches, but scoring and getting out of harm’s way in order to be sure that he is not looking for a knock out late, if the fight is to go on for long. He also needs to use those much younger legs and box effectively.

The reason for the term “squared circle” is because a boxing ring may be square, but fighters should always move in circles when in there. This is something that I really understood when I stepped into a ring, fought rounds and rounds on end, and found out for myself the importance of that nickname. Hatton must make sure that he is always circling, preferably away from that right hand. Whether he is on the attack, or in retreat, coming straight in or pulling straight back against Tszyu will be a deadly mistake as he will be directly in the line of fire of that very lethal right hand. Keep the Russian constantly turning so that he cannot fully sit down on his punches, which will help to stunt some of that amazing power.

Hatton’s jab will also have to be a key weapon as no-one can simply walk in on “The Thunder from Down Under” and expect to last long. By varying the jab between the head and body, “The Hitman” will be able to control the distance, keep the champion thinking, and disrupt Tszyu’s rhythm. Also, Hatton needs to be either all the way inside on Kostya’s chest, or all the way outside of his punching range. Since Ricky will have to get in to be able to work the aging champion’s body, Hatton needs to step from side-to-side when unleashing his combinations and make sure he is in Tsyzu’s chest in order to smother the champion’s incoming arsenal. By constantly moving his head and body, Ricky is less likely to be caught clean with a punch, and may be able to wear Tsyzu down to such a degree in which his power will no longer be a major factor in the later rounds, as a distance fight should favor Hatton’s younger legs. It is truly an uphill climb for “The Hitman,” but he has shown flashes of solid boxing skills and natural talent, and may be able to pull it off.

Well fight fans, I am very excited about this fight and cannot wait for Saturday. Ricky “The Hitman” Hatton is one night away from the biggest fight of his boxing career, and the world will be watching. British fans will either be crying tears of joy, or pain, but one thing is certain, it is going to be an electric atmosphere in the MEN Arena this Saturday night. Enjoy the fight my fellow fanatics.

Jim Cawkwell can be reached at jimcawkwell@yahoo.co.uk

Sergio Martinez can be reached at srg_mrtnz@yahoo.com