HBO and Ricky Hatton

HBO VOW TO MAKE RICKY A 'HUGE STAR'
Wednesday 12th April 2006


Ricky Hatton has received a massive boost with the backing of American TV giants HBO.

The cable network have vowed to make the Hitman as "as big a star in the US as he is in Britain" ahead of his WBA welterweight showdown with Luis Collazo.

Hatton has been in Boston to promote the May 13 date and met up with HBO officials, who have promised to put him on the map and deliver fights with Floyd Mayweather and Arturo Gatti after Collazo.

"Ricky Hatton is a huge star in the making," vice president for programming Kery Davis Davis told the Boston Globe.

"We've had our eyes on him for a long time. If there was anybody in the sport we wanted to get our hands on, it was Ricky.

"This is a tough challenge for Ricky, facing a slick southpaw like Collazo, who everyone seems to underestimate.

"But if he wins, we foresee matching him against Arturo Gatti and then Floyd Mayweather Jr. By the end of those three fights, he'll be as big a star in the US as he is in Britain."

Hatton, who broke off from his training to nip over the Atlantic, will start as favourite when he takes on the 25-year-old WBA champ from Brooklyn.

But he insists that by trying to make his name in the States, he is removing himself from the so-called comfort zone British boxers are often accused of fighting in.

"I had to come to the United States to prove myself," he said. "I fought for a long time in England and a lot of people thought I was a protected fighter."

I don't know anything about this Collazo chap. Does he stand a good chance of beating RH?

please advise

I haven't seen too too much of him.
But if my memory serves me correctly, he's quick, he's a southpaw,but he doesn't hit very hard.
I think the movement will give him a bit of trouble at first until Collazo's will breaks and Ricky will then steamroll through him in the middle rounds.

I have seen three of his fights, he aint nothing special, just quite technically sound, but doesnt do anything spectacular, he is the bigger man but i dont think he has anything to worry Hatton who will be to much for Collazo around 7/8 he will fall.

Another version of the story!


HBO targets US glory for Hatton
American cable network HBO is vowing to help make Ricky Hatton "as big a star in the US as he is in Britain".
The unbeaten 27-year-old's next fight is against WBA welterweight champion Luis Collazo in Boston on 13 May.

Speaking to the Boston Globe newspaper, HBO Sports programming vice president Kery Davis said: "Ricky Hatton is a huge star in the making.

"We've had our eyes on him for a long time. If there was any boxer we wanted to get our hands on, it was Ricky."

Davis said: "Collazo is a tough challenge for Ricky. He's a slick southpaw who everyone seems to underestimate.

"But if Ricky wins, we foresee matching him against Arturo Gatti and then Floyd Mayweather Jr.

"By the end of those three fights, he'll be as big a star in the US as he is in Britain."

Hatton is stepping up a division after claiming the IBF and WBA light-welterweight titles with wins over Kostya Tszyu and Carlos Maussa.

"I had to come to the United States to prove myself," said Hatton. "I fought for a long time in England and a lot of people thought I was a protected fighter."

Collazo, meanwhile, has won 26 of his 27 bouts and will be making the second defence of a title he took with a split decision win over Jose Antonio Rivera.

The New Yorker told www.fightnews.com: "His team are underestimating me.

"They're talking about a Floyd Mayweather fight that will give him recognition as the pound-for-pound best fighter. But he'll find out that at 147lb is a whole different ballgame."



Story from BBC SPORT:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/spo...ng/4901930.stm

Published: 2006/04/12 05:52:05 GMT

© BBC MMVI
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