Six and out for Hatton

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05-13-2006, 11:33 AM
NorthSideX4

Six and out for Hatton

By PAT SHEEHAN

RICKY HATTON is planning on going six mad before he pulls out of the ring once and for all.

Hatton intends to have half-a-dozen super-fights before he hangs up his gloves in three years.

His hit-list reads like a boxing who’s who — Floyd Mayweather, Jose Luis Castillo, Diego Corrales, Arturo Gatti, Miguel Cotto and Antonio Margarito.

Hitman Hatton has been accused of committing the cardinal sin in boxing — of looking past his next opponent, WBA welterweight champion Luis Collazo.

But Hatton, 27, insists his wish-list will turn into a reality show if he blasts away Collazo at Boston’s Garden Arena tomorrow.

Hatton revealed: “Six and out. Then that will be it for me. I’ll call it a day and you will never see me in the ring again unless it is as a trainer.

“Provided I can steer clear of injuries and cuts, I’d like to fight twice a year for the next three years and retire when I’m 30.

“It is no longer about money for me although I’d be lying if I didn’t admit I like the security it gives me and my family.

“I could retire now and live on what I have earned but I could not live happily on what I have achieved because there is so much more I want to do.

“I’ve reached some of my goals by becoming world light-welterweight champion, the best in my division and hopefully I’ll become a two-weight world champion when I take Collazo’s welterweight title.

“But that won’t be enough for me as my targets have been set higher and I won’t leave any stone unturned in achieving them.

“One is to top the bill at New York’s Madison Square Garden. My second pro fight was there and I can remember sitting in the crowd afterwards watching Naseem Hamed and thinking ‘This is what I want’.

“Then there is topping the bill at the fight capital of the world, Las Vegas. I want to walk down the Strip and see giant posters of me screaming at everyone that Hatton is in town and he fights this week.

“I’ve got to get Collazo out of the way first, but if I’d my choice I’d like to fight the winner of Corrales and Castillo at light-

welter. Gatti is another one I’d like. Then there’s Oscar de la Hoya, and he mentioned me in his press conference after his last fight.

“There’s Mayweather of course, possibly Margarito and then Cotto would be the last one.

“Cotto is a work in progress. By the time I reach 30, he would be coming into his prime. It would be a nice one to go out on.”

But first there is the Collazo fight and the small matter of Hatton winning his third world title in less than a year.

He insists he will not make the classic boxing mistake of hanging up his gloves and then being tempted back for a mega pay-day.

Instead his aim is to walk away like Lennox Lewis did, as world champion and never to be seen lacing up gloves again unless it is as a trainer. He said: “When I go, I’ll go and I won’t come back. That will be it — you won’t see me in the ring again.

“I should have enough money by then for me and my son, Campbell, and I want to get out with all my faculties intact.

“I’ll have been in boxing for nearly 20 years by then and I’ve already had 40 fights.

“That’s a lot of bouts in the modern-day era and my heroes Nigel Benn and Barry McGuigan didn’t have that many.

“When I finish boxing, I’d like to get my own gym, train some fighters, do a bit of work on TV as a pundit and carry on with the after-dinner speaking circuit.

“The last thing I will do is sit around at home with time on my hands thinking I should make a comeback.

“If my days are as full as I plan them to be then I won’t be thinking like that.

“Instead I want to retire with my legacy secure. What drives me right now though is that I want to rubber- stamp my own mark on British boxing history.”

Despite setting his sights high, Hatton believes he will never become Billy Big Time but will always remain a working-class lad with his feet on the ground who just happened to be a boxer.

He said: “In 30 years or so time, I want the blokes down the pub to be saying ‘Do you remember that Ricky Hatton?’

“But more than that, I want those same blokes to say that I was also a champion outside the ring, that I was always honest and never hid anything.

“What’s the point of being the greatest fighter in the world if you are a total toss-pot?” doghouseboxing.com maxboxing.com

His hit-list reads like a boxing who’s who — Floyd Mayweather, Jose Luis Castillo, Diego Corrales, Arturo Gatti, Miguel Cotto and Antonio Margarito.

I give Mayweather an easy UD & Margarito a chance, but where's Oscar's name at in Hatton's hit list? HMMMMMMM, I wounder why it's not there>
05-13-2006, 12:38 PM
Gandalf

Re: Six and out for Hatton

CC, for the article Northside. Hatton will blow Collazo away with plenty to spare and so he should. I read somewhere that just 3 fights ago Collazo fought someone with a 1-1 record and then before that fought someone who was coming in off 12 straight defeats....not the stuff to inspire confidence...

a tricky start but Hatton will destroy him eventually....

6 fights and out sounds good to me....he needs 4 super fights amongst those though....

i dont envision a DLH fight though because Hatton hasnt even fought at 147 yet and i cant imagine DLH going down to 147 at this stage in his career...
05-13-2006, 01:18 PM
Violent Demise

Re: Six and out for Hatton

Fighters always say they'll retire after a certain time or number of fights. But they never do.
05-13-2006, 02:03 PM
beds

Re: Six and out for Hatton

i think hatton will leave the game at 30, seems a sensible lad and why fight if financially you dont have 2 if you reach the goals you set ???
05-13-2006, 02:07 PM
Gandalf

Re: Six and out for Hatton

Quote:

Originally Posted by beds

i think hatton will leave the game at 30, seems a sensible lad and why fight if financially you dont have 2 if you reach the goals you set ???

:coolclick:, beds...spot on...

no way ricky does a holyfield on us all....he's got his head screwed on right...

make his impact and his money and then get out of there, not staying as a sitting duck...
05-13-2006, 02:13 PM
beds

Re: Six and out for Hatton

and also the fact his eyes look like they would fall out if he fought past 30 all them cuts ;D
05-13-2006, 02:36 PM
Phil

Re: Six and out for Hatton

Quote:

Originally Posted by NorthSideX4

I give Mayweather an easy UD & Margarito a chance, but where's Oscar's name at in Hatton's hit list? HMMMMMMM, I wounder why it's not there>

Oscar said he wants one more fight and didn't mention Hatton, ODLH will probably fight Mayweather or Wright then retire, even if Hatton spent all his time calling him out I don't think it would happen
05-13-2006, 05:10 PM
Wacko3205

Re: Six and out for Hatton

Quote:

Originally Posted by FightingPhil

Quote:

Originally Posted by NorthSideX4

I give Mayweather an easy UD & Margarito a chance, but where's Oscar's name at in Hatton's hit list? HMMMMMMM, I wounder why it's not there>

Oscar said he wants one more fight and didn't mention Hatton, ODLH will probably fight Mayweather or Wright then retire, even if Hatton spent all his time calling him out I don't think it would happen

I'm actually starting to think that Hatton could be more of a reality than Mayweather jr.

Mayweather Sr stated that he does not want Oscar fighting Floyd jr & that he'd rather see him fight Hatton if Hatton shows out against Collazo.

It sounds improbable & probable at the same time.

Who knows.

I'd rather see Oscar vs Mayweather than Hatton.
05-13-2006, 05:17 PM
SimonH

Re: Six and out for Hatton

Quote:

Originally Posted by beds

i think hatton will leave the game at 30, seems a sensible lad and why fight if financially you dont have 2 if you reach the goals you set ???

Famous last words...

We all hope our heroes get out of this game at the right time but rarely does it happen.

Lets hope Hatton proves the rule, by being the exception. ;)
05-13-2006, 09:21 PM
El Gamo

Re: Six and out for Hatton

CC,wicked article and Hatton,if he lives up to his promise and only fights the best,will be going out with a BIG BIG BANG! I love this guy,wants all the dangerous fights,knows when to call it quits and fighting Cotto last gives my boy more time because EVERYONE knows Cotto will get better with age!! If he's being serious about Margarito,be prepared to witness world war 3 with neither fighter taking a backwards step,for 10 blood filled rounds,no way it goes the distance!
05-13-2006, 11:08 PM
cockey cockney

Re: Six and out for Hatton

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Game

CC,wicked article and Hatton,if he lives up to his promise and only fights the best,will be going out with a BIG BIG BANG! I love this guy,wants all the dangerous fights,knows when to call it quits and fighting Cotto last goves my boy more time because EVERYONE knows Cotto will get better with age!! If he's being serious about Margarito,be prepared to wintess world war 3 with neither fighter taking a backwards step,for 10 blood filled rounds,no way it goes the distance!

Who gets stopped or knocked out in the 10th?
05-13-2006, 11:24 PM
El Gamo

Re: Six and out for Hatton

Being a massive fan of both,I'd have to say if I was a betting fan, I would go with Margarito but then again,I don't bet and it would be close but no way it goes the distance.