Matthew Hatton Searching For IBO Gold In South Africa

Saturday night at Sandton Convention Center in Johannesburg, South Africa, Britain’s Matthew Hatton will contend for the IBO welterweight crown against reigning champion and local man Chris van Heerden.

This should be a good clash between two fighters with contrasting styles, van Heerden the southpaw boxer and Hatton the brawler.

Van Heerden, 18-1-1 (10), at 25 year of age is taller, younger and quicker but also less experienced than the 31 year old Hatton, 43-6-2 (17), who’s resume carries the more recognizable names.

Hatton took his game to another level in 2008, defeating Ben Tackie before drawing with Lovemore N’dou in a 2009 IBO welterweight title bout. In 2010, the Englishman outpointed Gianluca Branco to win the vacant European strap, retaining the title on two occasions.

While these were significant wins for Hatton, the opponents in question were definitely well past their heydays but the same cannot be said of “Magic” Matthew’s sole world title opportunity to date.

Hatton stepped up weight in 2011 to contend for the vacant WBC light middle trinket against the picture of youth, the then 20 year old Mexican starlet Saul Alvarez.

Despite losing a wide points decision, Hatton was competitive throughout the contest and the bout stands as the high point of his career, especially considering Alvarez’s subsequent ascension.

A year later Hatton faced off against another rising star, Kell Brook, hitting the canvas in the ninth along the way to losing a unanimous decision in a fight to determine the best welter in the UK.

Hatton is coming off a first round body shot stoppage of Michael Lomax five months ago and will definitely be motivated to produce a win inside the distance in Johannesburg, obviously aware that he is unlikely to win a decision on van Heerden’s home ground.

But Hatton isn’t a big puncher, nor is van Heerden for that matter, and that could be a big problem for the visitor.

Van Heerden matriculated quickly on the domestic scene, avenging an early draw against Page Tshesane with a stoppage to capture the vacant South African crown in 2008.

After two successful defenses, van Heerden, much like Hatton, stepped up to light middle, fought an opponent on their turf and was beaten, in this case by split decision, after traveling to Serbia in 2010 to face Nikola Stevanovic for the IBF Intercontinental trophy.

Undaunted, “The Heat” got back on the horse and won a South African title bout against Boitshepo Mandawe in 2011. This was a rematch to an earlier van Heerden win but the shorter, wily Mandawe put the champion through a very difficult fight that van Heerden only won by split decision.

The Meyerton resident won an IBO eliminator in 2011 against Bongani Mwelase and then fought for the IBO title three months later against former world title challenger Kaiser Mabuza, who has stepped up form light welter.

Van Heerden won a very competitive unanimous decision against Mabuza, which stands as a career high point, also winning the IBO belt in the process.

Most recently, van Heerden made a first title defense by turning back Argentine veteran Sebastian Andres Lujan in June of last year.

In the pre-fight buildup, Hatton vowed to back up van Heerden, stating that the champion didn’t fight very well when being put in that position. For his part, van Heerden countered that Hatton would be unable to mount such a feat.

For Hatton to pull off a victory at Sandton Convention Center, he’ll have to follow the Boitshepo Mandawe rematch plan; mount a furious campaign over 12 rounds, using angles to attack van Heerden and use shifty defense to make him miss and then pay with counter shots.

To keep his title, van Heerden needs to avoid getting pulled into the trenches and brawling with Hatton, who will have a very long night if the South African stays on the outside, using his height and southpaw jab to pick off the challenger.

The chief support bout features the previously mentioned Kaiser Mabuza, 24-9-3 (15), going at it with Isaac Hlatshwayo, 30-5-1 (10), in an eight round welter clash.

Hlastshwayo is a former IBF/IBO welter champ and held IBO and South African belts at lightweight but has lost four of his last five and at age 35, looks to be steadily on the downside of a long, accomplished career.

Mabuza has also had a tough time of it recently, losing three of his last four, one a seventh round stoppage loss to Zab Judah, in which Mabuza dropped Judah, for the vacant IBF light welter title.

The 33 year old previously held the South African, WBA Pan African and IBF Intercontinental light welter belts and won an IBF eliminator by stopping former WBO champion Kendall Holt in 2010 before losing to Judah.

Mabuza achieved his greatest result by winning the IBO light welter title a year ago by stopping previously undefeated Steven Wills but was dethroned last June in Russia, getting KO’d in four by Khabib Allakhverdiev.

The winner of this one is likley who has the most left in the tank, but unless he can’t cope with Mabuza’s pressure, Hlatshwayo’s greater boxing skills will probably produce a points victory.