Do Not Overlook “The Hitman.”

When I think about the fights that I have witnessed, a select few jump immediately to mind. The kind of fight where you learn more than just how skilled a man is, it’s the kind of fight that strips a fighter to his core and displays it for all to see. We have all watched these fights with the hairs stood proud at the back of our necks, screamed at the TV or from our arena seat in complete awe of the two combatants

Click for larger image © Paul Speak

as they push all the bullshit to one side and remind us all why we love this sport so much. When Ricky Hatton takes on light welterweight kingpin Kostya Tszyu, I believe we will have another classic in the making, who knows, maybe more than one. Both men are class personified, stating their case when questioned in a lucid and respectful manner, they know their role. They know what the other man brings to the table and they are both certain of victory. Of course, barring a draw, one of them will be wrong, but that kind of unshakable self-belief is an element of that which the classic match-ups are born.

In the build up, Hatton has taken quite a hammering from all directions, mostly regarding his weight, which I will get to, but also the eagerness to point out Hatton’s trip to the canvas and getting shaken up against wily southpaw Eamonn Magee. It appears to matter very little that Magee is as crafty as they come, and when he fancies it, as good as they come too. On the other hand, it would seem that the mere mention of Vince Phillips to a Kostya Tszyu fan is irrelevant: “Kostya made a mistake; he doesn’t fight that way anymore.” That may be the case, but you cannot have it both ways. If Hatton getting it wrong for six minutes against Magee is a reason to rubbish his chances against Tszyu, then the same rule has to apply to Hatton’s chances of victory based on Kostya failing in close to thirty action packed minutes against Phillips.

Regarding Hatton’s weight, the response from across the pond has been very negative, watching Hatton and Tszyu promote the date, they were seeing Hatton as they had never done before, bloated and out of shape. Of course, for British viewers, seeing Ricky carry extra pounds on Sky working his brother’s corner is a common occurrence. Indeed, for Ricky the process of becoming out of shape is an important one as it serves as his motivation to get in the best of shapes, that is how he does things, and thus far, you cannot fault the results it brings. My personal view is that he puts on too much weight between fights. I am not a nutritionist and I am not a sports scientist, but I am a boxing fan and we have all seen fighters find the going tough after years of abusing their bodies as they struggle to do what was once so easy for them. I am not for a minute suggesting that Hatton is going to struggle, but it is a possibility and it is odd that at the most crucial of times, Hatton would have appeared to put on more weight than ever.

Hatton’s punching power has also been called into question as he has progressed, but isn’t that the case with just about everyone? As you move to a higher calibre of opponent, the early stoppages dry up and you have to start working harder for your wins, particularly, as in Hatton’s case, you aren’t a one-punch knockout artist. Hatton is a grinder; he breaks people down with his high volume and vicious body punching. The fact that he didn’t stop the likes of Magee, Tackie and Phillips isn’t a surprise, they are as tough as they come and don’t get stopped by many, if any. Carlos Wilfredo Vilches is a different story, he should have, and on any other occasion would have been halted; Hatton was under-trained and under-motivated, and that was not the real Ricky Hatton in there on that night. In the words of his trainer Billy Graham, “That was shit.”

Another major gripe is Hatton’s level of competition. “Who has he fought to suggest he can compete with Tszyu?” Whilst it is fair comment, who else should he or could he have fought, Mitchell, Harris or Pinto? He tried those and for one reason or another (whatever version suits you best), the fights did not materialize, end of story. Before the Tszyu fight was announced, the most common complaint was, “He needs to step up.” Now that the fight will happen, Hatton is, by some people’s reckoning, stepping too far. Which way do you want it people? I am sure that in an ideal world Ricky and his team would have liked to bridge the gap between his current level and the level that Tszyu operates at, but in a sport as erratic as boxing, you do not always get what you want. Although, in Ricky Hatton’s case, the odd let down can be a blessing in disguise.

Picking Tszyu to win this one is becoming a bit like picking Mike Tyson to beat James Douglas, it would appear that Hatton has little if any chance. He has a tonne of pluses: his body attack is as good if not better than anyone’s in world boxing. His work rate and stamina are second to none, and he will also have the support of his ardent Manchester crowd. All of this will count for nothing as far as many are concerned, they cannot seem to draw their attention from Tszyu’s right hand for long enough to digest Hatton’s attributes, and I think that is wrong, Kostya Tszyu will not be underestimating Ricky Hatton, and a few would do well to follow his lead.

Matt Cotterell can be reached at mattcotterell@blueyonder.co.uk

The fight will be on Showtime (9 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on West Coast).