Exclusive Boxing Interview: Ricky Hatton

Fresh off of his WBA Welterweight winning effort against the hard as nails Luis Collazo this past Saturday in Boston, Ricky Hatton took the time to speak exclusively with SaddoBoxing and you cannot miss what “The Hitman” had to say about the Collazo bout, fighting in America and his future plans!

Click for larger image © Jane Warburton Saddo Boxing

SaddoBoxing: How are you feeling right now after going up in weight and winning the WBA Welter belt?

Ricky Hatton: “I’m over the moon, I mean, when I first started boxing, I just wanted to become a world champion and now I’ve won four titles and am a world champion at two different weights. It really doesn’t get better and topping the bill for the first time in the United States…that was the type of fight…nobody remembers four round bores but you remember fights like that (Hatton – Collazo), so those are the fights that I want to be involved in. He (Collazo) was a lot tougher than people were giving him credit for beforehand, I mean, I think he’s going to come back a better fighter, in fact he might even be an avoided fighter now.

“I’m not saying by me, because I know they were calling out for a rematch, they thought they were hard done by; I don’t know where they were coming from with that statement as I always had my nose in front but he’s a lot better fighter than people give him credit for, definitely.”

SB: Do you know right now whether you’re going to stay at welterweight or are you going to go down back to light welter?

RH: “To be honest, I’m a natural light welterweight and nothing has changed; I knew that going into the fight. I felt stronger than him (Collazo), but I ’cause I can still do junior welterweight, if I fight at welterweight, I’m giving ’em (opponents) half a chance. I was still bullying him and stronger in close, stuff like that, I felt stronger than him but there was a significant difference between junior welter and welter. If the opinion is that there are better fighters at welterweight then I’ll stay there and if the better fighters are at junior welterweight then I’ll move back down. Nothing’s changed, but I did notice a difference (at welterweight) without a doubt.”

SB: How did you find fighting in America at this stage of your career?

RH: “I loved it, it was great. I was surprised how many people actually come over because obviously, it was at Foxwoods and then it moved to Boston and then I should have been fighting this guy (Juan Lazcano) and he pulled out and there was a change of opponents. With the World Cup coming up, a lot of people were saving to go to that, and a lot of people are saving up for their summer holidays. It was probably not the best time to have my debut in America, but that’s nobody’s fault, it’s just unfortunately the way it panned out.

“I have to thank (strength coach and nutritionist) Kerry Kayes because, don’t forget, seven weeks before the fight, I was due to fight Lazcano at light welterweight. And then within a matter of weeks the opponent changed and I was fighting Collazo at welterweight, so I had seven weeks to build into a welterweight. I have no doubt that given more time I could develop into the weight bigger and become even stronger at welterweight. I only had seven weeks to prepare for the welterweight division so a lot of credit to myself but also, a lot of it goes to Kerry for making me into the condition that I was given the short space of time. I think given time…sometimes you need to build into the new weight and I only had seven weeks to do it.”

SB: And now that you have an idea what it’s like getting in with another world champion at welter, you’d be even more prepared for the next welterweight title fight?

RH: “Well, I’ll only get better if I stay at welterweight, I’ll only get better because I’d develop more into the weight the more time that I have. I had seven weeks to get ready for the welterweight division and it needs time to build into it, you know a weight division.”

“But, I showed that I can cut it, that’s the main thing, but nothing has changed; if a big fight is offered at junior welterweight, I’ll come back down but I showed that I can do it at welter as well.”

SB: Does fighting Collazo again make business sense?

RH: “I’m not saying I won’t fight him again, he was crying out for a rematch. I thought it was a little bit…at the press conference he was saying ‘we we’re robbed and let’s have a rematch’ and I think that was a bit stupid. I think I always had my nose in front. I had a good start and then he’d raise his game and then I’d raise it that bit more and I always kept my nose in front; There was no way that he won the fight, even though it was very, very competitive. But I think, I knew that’s what was going to happen and obviously they’re going to cry out for a rematch and another payday and that but I’m not saying I won’t fight him but, to be honest, I fought Collazo and I beat him and I’d much rather fight the winner of Gatti-Baldomir or Mayweather or go back down (to light welter) and fight Cotto or Corrales and Castillo. I’m not saying that I won’t fight him but…you know?”

SB: Anything else you’d like to say in addition?

RH: “No, just a thank you to the people from Boston. They made me and my team feel really fantastic the whole week that we’ve been here. Much credit to all the people that come over here from England to support me. It was just like being at Manchester, really. Even though I come across the water to fight, it was just like being in my hometown; it was brilliant, the support.”