Guzman Willing To Settle Differences With Hatton In The Ring

Upon hearing the news that trainer Lee Beard was in the United States looking into a possible gig with undefeated Joan Guzman, former lineal super lightweight king Ricky Hatton was swift and to the point with his reply: “F*** Guzman!”

The two-word statement was enough to get Guzman’s attention, and enough to offer a two-word response of his own, one that doesn’t require censorship.

Fight Hatton.

It’s a fight that wasn’t previously on the mind of Guzman (29-0-1, 17KO) when he brought in Beard for an audition while seeking new head trainers.

In fact, there wasn’t any fight on Guzman’s mind at the time, merely ways to improve on his most recent performance, one widely believed to be the worst of his lengthy career as he was lucky to escape with a draw in his vacant title fight with Ali Funeka last November.

The Dominican has long been regarded as one of the best technicians in the game, and looked like it for much of the earlier rounds against Funeka. But things quickly unraveled and never got any better for Guzman, who came dangerously close to being stopped late in the fight before finding a way to cross the finish line.

Consistency and in-ring activity have long served as the Achilles heels in a career that has seen title reigns in two separate weight classes but never that one breakthrough fight that has allowed his marketability to catch up to his skill set. He and his team had the sense to embrace this reality and act upon it before mapping out their plans for 2010 and beyond.

Insert Beard, who is rapidly gaining a reputation as one of the best cornermen in the game today. The greatest endorsement for what he brings to the corner for any given fight came from none other than Freddie Roach, who refers to Beard as “one of the best trainers out there and doesn't get the proper recognition for his talents.”

Guzman recognized not only his talents but what he’s been able to do in the past three years for Ricky Hatton, a fighter whom the Dominican has always held in high regard.

The respect still remains, although it’s hard to overlook the fact that the feeling clearly isn’t mutual from the Hatton side.

“I’ve always respected Ricky Hatton,” says Guzman, who first became familiar with his career while temporarily living in the UK earlier in the decade. “But I take great offense to what he said about me.

“There’s a time and place for everything, though.”

To translate – Guzman isn’t looking for a war of words, but simply a war in the ring.

Apparently, Hatton is already having second thoughts about what was previously said, both his take on Beard “abandoning” both his brother (Matthew) and him. A previous report had Hatton expressing grave disappointment over Beard trekking off to the states to join Guzman’s camp, allegedly leaving Matthew in limbo with just two weeks to go before his next fight.

Hatton, who now serves as a full-time promoter in the UK, has since released a statement wishing Beard well and claiming to understand why Beard left when he did.

The truth is, he doesn’t understand.

According to Beard, Matthew Hatton was well aware of the trainer’s plans to head to New York City to see if he would be a good fit for Guzman, and that nothing was set in stone other than going stateside for a tryout. Matthew didn’t want to stand in his way since his next fight is a tune-up not requiring special preparation.

There was obviously no conflict with Ricky’s schedule, since he’s currently vacationing in Australia and not scheduled to return to the ring until June, at the earliest.

Nor did it seem to be of much concern to Hatton when it came to training for one of the biggest fights of his career.

“If Hatton thought Lee Beard was being disloyal to him, why did he appoint Mayweather Sr. as his head trainer for one of the biggest fights of his career?” wonders Jose Nuñez, Guzman’s longtime manager and close friend. “Lee wasn't complaining about the fact that Mayweather got paid $1,000,000 to do close to nothing for his career while he’s faithfully been with Ricky for the past three years.”

It was Nuñez who opted to bring in Beard for an audition, to see how well the trainer would blend with his fighter. The early returns were off the charts.

“As a head trainer, all of his fighters remain undefeated. He’s even quicker than Mayweather on the pads. He’s young, ambitious, and determined. He picks up on the mistakes of the fighter immediately and corrects them. Those are some of the many things that caught my eye about him.”

What also caught Nuñez’ eye was the fact that Beard had time on his hands since none of clients had any big fights in the hopper.

Guzman, on the other hand, has a potential fight lined up with former lightweight king Joel Casamayor and would like to have all of his ducks in a row prior to opening training camp. The fight isn’t yet official, with certain stipulations to be agreed upon before any signatures can be applied to the final contract.

If the two sides come to terms, the fight will most likely land on the televised undercard of the April 3 pay-per-view rematch between Bernard Hopkins and Roy Jones Jr.

The key part of that statement is “if,” as in, nothing is yet officially in the books. Whatever is decided, Guzman has decided that he wants Lee Beard along for the ride – and if Hatton still has a problem with it, there’s a simple enough solution.

“If Hatton has such a problem with Lee training Guzman things can be settled in the ring,” insists Nuñez. “We have no problem with fighting in Manchester on Sky TV at any catchweight. Guzman and Hatton both have the same promoter (Golden Boy Promotions); if necessary Team Guzman will bypass the Casamayor fight and train to fight Hatton.”

Not only does Guzman embrace the idea of a Hatton fight, but also returning to a place he continues to hold near and dear to his heart. It would also give his team – including Beard – to clear the air on what took place, and not to allow it to be interpreted as disrespecting a nation.

“I don’t want anyone in the UK upset at Lee or me,” requests Guzman. “I’ve learned first-hand that the British boxing fans are true fans that go above and beyond to show support to their fighters. I lived there for two years and won my first championship title there. I will never forget the support the people of the UK gave me. I hope they continue to support Lee, no matter whose corner he’s in.”

Given where Hatton and Guzman stand in their careers and on this present situation, it’s clear that Beard will land in the corner of the one who’d rather fight his rivals then f*** ‘em.

*mayweather718 you should post a link with stories/articles*

Great match-up.

Guzman has the tools to make Hatton look like a complete mug but.. being the naturally smaller guy, a lack of power and stamina issues make it a competitive fight.

Hatton-Guzman in England :cool:

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Originally Posted by Fenster

*mayweather718 you should post a link with stories/articles*

Great match-up.

Guzman has the tools to make Hatton look like a complete mug but.. being the naturally smaller guy, a lack of power and stamina issues make it a competitive fight.

Hatton-Guzman in England :cool:

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Yeah it should be a good fight, but where's the link?

At any rate I'd take Guzman in this one, Hatton doesn't have the range of Funeka so it should fall into his favor.

They should fight at 154 to make sure neither one of them comes in over weight.

Here's the link that he got the story from

Joan Guzman Wants To Fight Ricky Hatton Over Beard Rift - Boxing News

This would be a good fight, I think Guzman pulls out a decision, but not without Hatton making him think a bit.

I disagree. I think Guzman has no business at 140 and Hatton stops him nastily. Guzman does not have the punch to keep Hatton at bay and Hatton closes space with ease against almost anyone. Guzman has few options and simply wants the Hatton payday. Nobody gives a shit about Guzman right now.

Guzman runs rings around him on his day. Maybe even a K.O, that's how far gone I think Ricky's punch resistance is rather than Guzman having any sort of power. Guzman is far too skilful for Ricky

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Originally Posted by miles

I disagree. I think Guzman has no business at 140 and Hatton stops him nastily. Guzman does not have the punch to keep Hatton at bay and Hatton closes space with ease against almost anyone. Guzman has few options and simply wants the Hatton payday. Nobody gives a shit about Guzman right now.

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It's not Guzman's power, it's the amazing defensive skill he has. He has slowed a little with age, but not more so than Hatton. Hatton won't have an easy time closing the gap against Guzman, that's Guzman's specialty. The Funeka fight was the only time Guzman looked bad and that's because Funeka didn't have to close the gap he had the reach to not worry about it. Still before the headbutt, Guzman was looking pretty sound. If you want to see how Guzman does against a swarmer watch his fight with Soto.

Hatton should eat Guzman at 140lb but he is a bit worse for wear but I think he has enough to stop Guzman. However I do not think he would appreciate Beard link.

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Originally Posted by miles

I disagree. I think Guzman has no business at 140 and Hatton stops him nastily. Guzman does not have the punch to keep Hatton at bay and Hatton closes space with ease against almost anyone. Guzman has few options and simply wants the Hatton payday. Nobody gives a shit about Guzman right now.

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Nah. Hatton's technical game is pretty fucking terrible so he won't be closing the gap against Guzman easily and have his way on the inside. Add to the fact that Hatton just plain sucks.

Guzman wins a close decision imo.

How is it that Malignaggi is so highly thought of these days but Hatton isn't? It really was not all that long ago that he beat Paulie Malignaggi, stopped him even?

I've been a Guzman fan and defender as long as I've been a member here. With that said, he's not exactly a spring chicken and his legs seemed wary in his last fight. Hatton, when he's on, can be an excellent pressure fighter. Guzman wasn't a big 130 pounder. Despite the weight issues, he was never a big 135 pounder, and he would be at a serious deficit against Hatton. Not to mention, he's really not a straight puncher either to counter Hatton. I don't think he would be able to pull this off.

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Originally Posted by miles

I disagree. I think Guzman has no business at 140 and Hatton stops him nastily. Guzman does not have the punch to keep Hatton at bay and Hatton closes space with ease against almost anyone. Guzman has few options and simply wants the Hatton payday. Nobody gives a shit about Guzman right now.

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EXACTLY.

There are very few guys left in boxing today that bring a big payday like Hatton does.

Thats all Guzman is after.

He looked like shit in his last fight, and he's just a real underachiever with all the talent he has.

Guzman looked great, almost like Mayweather great when he beat Humberto Soto a few years ago.

Since that he's pissed it all away.

Hatton is way too big for him and would catch up to him pretty early and smash him. Guzman can't even keep lightweights off of him with his punches.

Guzman embarrasses Hatton

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Originally Posted by sumkalambay

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Originally Posted by miles

I disagree. I think Guzman has no business at 140 and Hatton stops him nastily. Guzman does not have the punch to keep Hatton at bay and Hatton closes space with ease against almost anyone. Guzman has few options and simply wants the Hatton payday. Nobody gives a shit about Guzman right now.

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Nah. Hatton's technical game is pretty fucking terrible so he won't be closing the gap against Guzman easily and have his way on the inside. Add to the fact that Hatton just plain sucks.

Guzman wins a close decision imo.

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Seems ya also dont think much of Guzman then with that quote bud

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Originally Posted by sumkalambay

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Originally Posted by miles

I disagree. I think Guzman has no business at 140 and Hatton stops him nastily. Guzman does not have the punch to keep Hatton at bay and Hatton closes space with ease against almost anyone. Guzman has few options and simply wants the Hatton payday. Nobody gives a shit about Guzman right now.

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Nah. Hatton's technical game is pretty fucking terrible so he won't be closing the gap against Guzman easily and have his way on the inside. Add to the fact that Hatton just plain sucks.

Guzman wins a close decision imo.

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Hatton is not terrible, sloppy at times but far from terrible. Hatton closes the gap against everyone he has ever faced. There is just no way for Guzman at 140 to keep Hatton honest. Hatton will get close and smother him like he does to most of his opponents. Hatton gets a bad rep too easily these days, though he deserves some of it after the Pac debacle.

Guzman has no business at 140, much like Marquez, Casamayor, Campbell etc. They just are just a little too old and arent big enough to be as effective as at the lower weights

I'm quite a fan of guzman. I'd like to see him face valero at 135 to be honest.

Anyway

It would be a good fight and would really show what, if anything, Ricky has left. The out come of this fight would purely be down to Ricky Hatton.

Im a big fan of Joan Guzman, but at the higher weightclasses. He hasn't got the presence nor the power, to really beat the elite fighters. I know Joan Guzman is a speedy slickster and he's never really been a power hitter.

But you still need the power and presence, to keep your opponent respectful. I mean he couldn't even do no damage to Ali Funeka really, who hasn't got a granite chin by any means. Nate Campbell had Ali Funeka on queer street more than once.

And even though P4P Joan Guzman beats Ricky Hatton in most area's. Im really worried about Ricky Hatton just walking right through Joan Guzman, but then again Ricky Hatton has certainly seen better days. And it wouldn't suprise me if Joan Guzman totally embarrased Ricky Hatton over 12 rounds.

Its a close match up and i can't really call it, but im going with Joan Guzman because im a fan of his. And he deserves a big win over a big name opponent.

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Originally Posted by ICB

Im a big fan of Joan Guzman, but at the higher weightclasses. He hasn't got the presence nor the power, to really beat the elite fighters. I know Joan Guzman is a speedy slickster and he's never really been a power hitter.

But you still need the power and presence, to keep your opponent respectful. I mean he couldn't even do no damage to Ali Funeka really, who hasn't got a granite chin by any means. Nate Campbell had Ali Funeka on queer street more than once.

And even though P4P Joan Guzman beats Ricky Hatton in most area's. Im really worried about Ricky Hatton just walking right through Joan Guzman, but then again Ricky Hatton has certainly seen better days. And it wouldn't suprise me if Joan Guzman totally embarrased Ricky Hatton over 12 rounds.

Its a close match up and i can't really call it, but im going with Joan Guzman because im a fan of his. And he deserves a big win over a big name opponent.

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Hatton wont be fighting Guzman, this has all come from Guzman's manager after what Tim Coleman told him. Basically, Lee Beard has left the Hatton's on bad terms, not so much with Matthew, but certainly everyone else involved. Although Guzman would love to fight Hatton, he has said this to Lee and meant it.

This all stemmed from a text that Ricky sent to Lee by all accounts, that I certainly cannot defend. :( Tim had Lee's I-phone and caught the initial preview part that you get to read. I know what the full text read and as a mate of Rick's I'm very disappointed in him if it's 100% true, and I cant even bring myself to reveal the full text. Allegedly, It basically was Ricky mocking that Lee had left them to train Guzman and now Guzman has no official date set. Hence the Fuck Guzman and (you). I havent spoke to Ricky as he is away, but there is always two sides to a story. I'm just trying to clear up where this has all come from.

Guzman has had his first week training with Lee and quizzed Lee about many techniques and scenarios and was very impressed with Lee's responses. Lee felt like he was kind of on trail with Joan for the first week, I guess until Lee earned his respect. Lee was chuffed when Joan said to him that for a young guy, you certainly know your stuff, a high-five followed. ;D

Argenis Mendez is the other fighter that has been wanting Lee badly to train him, he loves Lee and couldnt get Lee over to the States quick enough.

Argenis Mendez

Check out the You-Tube video of him sparring and owning Jorge Linares.

Also, the rumour is Hatton will be fighting under Bob Shannon in the UK in June against Vyacheslav Senchenko - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia :-X

Paying shitloads for a "star" trainer didn't do him much good.

If he comes back against a no-name like Senchenko I hope it's to set up the Khan fight. Otherwise retiring on a win like that is similar to Naz bowing out with Calvo. Forgotten.

He's a welterweight and he's an unbeaten world champion. OK, he holds one of however many WBA welterweight belts there are. And it looks like he can punch a bit. I don't think Hatton will be doing that for a comeback fight. It's going to be somebody like Juan Lazcano except not as hard hitting.

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Originally Posted by Jimmy G-Force

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Originally Posted by ICB

Im a big fan of Joan Guzman, but at the higher weightclasses. He hasn't got the presence nor the power, to really beat the elite fighters. I know Joan Guzman is a speedy slickster and he's never really been a power hitter.

But you still need the power and presence, to keep your opponent respectful. I mean he couldn't even do no damage to Ali Funeka really, who hasn't got a granite chin by any means. Nate Campbell had Ali Funeka on queer street more than once.

And even though P4P Joan Guzman beats Ricky Hatton in most area's. Im really worried about Ricky Hatton just walking right through Joan Guzman, but then again Ricky Hatton has certainly seen better days. And it wouldn't suprise me if Joan Guzman totally embarrased Ricky Hatton over 12 rounds.

Its a close match up and i can't really call it, but im going with Joan Guzman because im a fan of his. And he deserves a big win over a big name opponent.

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Hatton wont be fighting Guzman, this has all come from Guzman's manager after what Tim Coleman told him. Basically, Lee Beard has left the Hatton's on bad terms, not so much with Matthew, but certainly everyone else involved. Although Guzman would love to fight Hatton, he has said this to Lee and meant it.

This all stemmed from a text that Ricky sent to Lee by all accounts, that I certainly cannot defend. :( Tim had Lee's I-phone and caught the initial preview part that you get to read. I know what the full text read and as a mate of Rick's I'm very disappointed in him if it's 100% true, and I cant even bring myself to reveal the full text. Allegedly, It basically was Ricky mocking that Lee had left them to train Guzman and now Guzman has no official date set. Hence the Fuck Guzman and (you). I havent spoke to Ricky as he is away, but there is always two sides to a story. I'm just trying to clear up where this has all come from.

Guzman has had his first week training with Lee and quizzed Lee about many techniques and scenarios and was very impressed with Lee's responses. Lee felt like he was kind of on trail with Joan for the first week, I guess until Lee earned his respect. Lee was chuffed when Joan said to him that for a young guy, you certainly know your stuff, a high-five followed. ;D

Argenis Mendez is the other fighter that has been wanting Lee badly to train him, he loves Lee and couldnt get Lee over to the States quick enough.

Argenis Mendez

Check out the You-Tube video of him sparring and owning Jorge Linares.

Also, the rumour is Hatton will be fighting under Bob Shannon in the UK in June against Vyacheslav Senchenko - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia :-X

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Would be surprised if thats his opponant after things he's been saying recently