Re: If hatton had an easier return to boxing
The only issue I have with Ricky Hatton as a boxing fan is the biggest compliment you could pay to a prize fighter....
I wanted to see him fight more.
Not that I wanted his career to continue to where he was mush mouthed and stuttering and senile, but I wanted to see him get the big all action bouts he could have had when he was still a contender/champion.
Fights like: Freitas, Corrales, Morales, MAB, JMM, Cotto, Gatti, Judah, Witter, Bradley, Khan, etc. I just think the guy had a good style to fight anyone, he had great fans who followed his every move, and every fight he had was an event. Now I am not saying he's the best of the best but he was a good blue collar fighter who gave 100% in the ring regardless of who was in the opposite corner.
Re: If hatton had an easier return to boxing
Hatton could have and should have taken an easier opponent (as should have Winky Wright when he did his come back) but only as a last farewell fight to the fans. Hatton was never a good welterweight when he was at his peak and he certainly would not have been after the Pac defeat.
Re: If hatton had an easier return to boxing
Hatton had been out the gym for years when he came back, coupled that with the drugs and booze he'd put into his body in that time and the previous punishment he'd taken there was no way he could get to a good level again. Even if he'd beaten Shechenko, I don't think he could of stayed in shape long term.
Re: If hatton had an easier return to boxing
So basically it was a good thing he lost, at least he knew he did not have it any more before he really got seriously hurt.
Re: If hatton had an easier return to boxing
Quote:
Originally Posted by
El Kabong
The only issue I have with Ricky Hatton as a boxing fan is the biggest compliment you could pay to a prize fighter....
I wanted to see him fight more.
Not that I wanted his career to continue to where he was mush mouthed and stuttering and senile, but I wanted to see him get the big all action bouts he could have had when he was still a contender/champion.
Fights like: Freitas, Corrales, Morales, MAB, JMM, Cotto, Gatti, Judah, Witter, Bradley, Khan, etc. I just think the guy had a good style to fight anyone, he had great fans who followed his every move, and every fight he had was an event. Now I am not saying he's the best of the best but he was a good blue collar fighter who gave 100% in the ring regardless of who was in the opposite corner.
Kick ass post El. I have to look away at times in Ricky threads as he's one of my faves all time. He transcends eras for me. I cant help but read them. I remember driving into Whitehorse to a bar from my cabin to watch the Zu fight. I was the only guy in the entire bar cheering for the pale faced warrior. I'll never forget it.
The straw that broke the camels back for me was leaving Graham and for an instant forgetting where he came from.I say that because he was always on the edge of the cliff with his lifestyle and yoyo weight. Once hubris entered the equation it was over. Taking Sr on was the nail.
I don't think an easier route would have been palatable for Ricky or made a difference.
Again great post EL.
Re: If hatton had an easier return to boxing
You have to know when it is the end, and so many fighters never know when to quit. Hatton had taken some fearful beatings even when he won! Look at his face after the Tszyu fight! Hatton was never going to have a long lasting career well into his 30's and with weight fluctuating like it did then his body was always going to be susceptible. He was winning the fight until that body shot and he just couldn't absorb it. An easier opponent is just bollocks, if he had won then he would've been hailed as the comeback kid. It would've only delayed the inevitable next KO loss. Hatton did the right thing by retiring, he was a very good fighter, top class, no doubt about it.
Re: If hatton had an easier return to boxing
Hatton-Katsidis would have been a good one to close out his career
Re: If hatton had an easier return to boxing
How good would Hatton vs Pryor at 140 have been?
Re: If hatton had an easier return to boxing
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Beanflicker
How good would Hatton vs Pryor at 140 have been?
Hatton was inspired when he beat Kostya and a fight against Pryor would have been a great action packed fight. Pryor was inspired by the water bottle.
Re: If hatton had an easier return to boxing
Remember whilst Hatton was winning the fight he was taking heavy punches from Sevencko (spelling) because Ricky had stopped moving his head.
Re: If hatton had an easier return to boxing
I would have liked to see Hatton go out with a win in England and it could have happened had his management gotten the right opponent. My choices for his farewell fight were mainly other old pressure fighters because it would have been an all action bout and that's how everyone wants to remember Ricky fighting.
Michael Katsidis was the PERFECT candidate for that. Pressure fighter, all heart, had good pop but not big time power. He tended to fade late and he was less durable than Ricky. I think that could have been a Gatti-Ward kind of fight and it's a shame we never saw it.
Juan Diaz
Nate Campbell
Jose Miguel Cotto
David Diaz
Jesus Chavez
Other fighters with different styles would have also been welcome crowd pleasing fights
Joel Casamayor
Joan Guzman
Erik Morales
Marco Antonio Barrera
Humberto Soto
Randall Bailey
And of course the local showdowns
Amir Khan
Junior Witter
Whoever else was around at the time
Etc...of course a lot of the guys I listed are/were smaller than 140 and well that's kind of the point to why he should have had a fight vs one of those dudes because he couldn't carry on at his best because he was just past it and no longer with the same trainer.
Re: If hatton had an easier return to boxing
Let me ask the forum this....
The year is 2008, Diego Corrales doesn't die in a motorcycle crash but rededicates himself to boxing and tries out 140 where Ricky Hatton is just coming off a defeat to Mayweather. Or 2005 when Corrals has beaten JLC and Hatton has just beaten Mausa ...Ricky Hatton vs Diego Corrales - who wins and how 2008 & 2005?
Re: If hatton had an easier return to boxing
