Will Hatton and PBF ever duel it out?

[Gandalf]

www.eastsideboxing.com

27.05.06 - Photo © Jane Warburton - WBA Welterweight Champion Ricky Hatton will sit ringside in Las Vegas next Saturday for the third bout between Jose Luis Castillo and Diego Corrales, intending to challenge the victor of this epic trilogy. "Ricky has flown out to Vegas for the Corrales and Castillo fight," said Ray Hatton, manager and father of "The Hitman". "He'd like to fight the winner, although we have heard rumours that Castillo will jump right up to welter afterwards and possibly fight Miguel Cotto."

The Hatton camp is also reacting to the recent WBA ruling that Ricky must face his mandatory challenger Oktay Urkal if he is to keep that organization's welterweight crown. "We'd definitely have to consider fighting Oktay Urkal," said Ray. "He's well respected as no one has ever really done a proper job on him yet; I think it all depends what happens in the next three or four of weeks. But we don't want to leave who Ricky fights until the last minute again."

With Hatton not due back in action until October, there's still time before the Englishman must strike out on a definite course of action. "Don't forget that I don't make the decisions of who Ricky fights, that's between Ricky and [trainer] Billy Graham," cautioned Ray. "But for me personally, if we can't fight the winner of Castillo - Corrales, then an ideal way to go may be for Ricky to fight Urkal and then fight Gatti, if he beats Baldomir, at Madison Square Garden in February of next year. I think it would be a good scenario for the fight fans with the box office selling out in a few hours; it would be brilliant."

Adding to the array of choices already being considered, the Hattons are still hoping to get pound for pound king and fellow welterweight champion Floyd Mayweather into the ring. "I think the Mayweather fight is going to happen at some point," said Ray. "But Ricky and Billy are going to have to decide when the time is right or when the money is right, looking at it realistically. If someone comes up with obscene money to make it sooner rather than later, then it will be sooner."

[Gandalf]

maybe its just my frame of mind, but ive been thinking....maybe PBF: hatton is destined never to happen. they are moving in very different trajectories at this moment in time and who's to say whether their time of actually being ready to get it on has actually passed....

PBF is chasing BIG money fights and Hatton has had a setback in having so many problems with Collazo....

maybe its just a morbid thought that has passed my mind....what do you guys think about this?

will they eventually get it on? or just move in different directions some more?

[ono]

I personally feel they will move in different directions. I think it would be a cracking fight but i think both fighters want to remain undefeated. I think floyd would win but Hatton would have his moments. I wouldn't read 2 much into Hatton's last performance. Every boxer has a bad night or has trouble with a certain style and thats pretty much what happened with Collazo. To be honest the writing was on the wall before the fight. The only other bigger southpaw he has fought was eamon magee and he was in trouble in that fight too. So Ricky....keep away from bigger southpaws!!!!

[Gandalf]

I personally feel they will move in different directions. I think it would be a cracking fight but i think both fighters want to remain undefeated. I think floyd would win but Hatton would have his moments. I wouldn't read 2 much into Hatton's last performance. Every boxer has a bad night or has trouble with a certain style and thats pretty much what happened with Collazo. To be honest the writing was on the wall before the fight. The only other bigger southpaw he has fought was eamon magee and he was in trouble in that fight too. So Ricky....keep away from bigger southpaws!!!!

thats a similar outlook to mine at the moment....hatton's camp has been full of contradictions recenly as well...

im a big hatton fan, but at the end of the day if that 0 at the end of the L remains intact there is still money to be made....whence talk of gatti and baldomir....but those fighters are not of the same calibre as PBF...

its a shame but the super fight we all want is in the doubt....

[smashcrusher]

A couple of nights ago, 'Outside the Lines' on ESPN did a piece about how the UFC will likely overtake boxing in the near future since it's fanbase and PPV sales are quickly growing and boxing's are dwindling by the minute. One of the main reasons they pointed out for this to happen is that UFC PPVs will always make the two best fighters meet up, whereas in boxing everyone is scared to face each other. Imagine if Chuck Liddell never fought Tito Ortiz or Randy Couture, or if Matt Hughs always fought bums, and so on. If Mayweather and Hatton never fight it would be a disgrace and I would probably be on the verge of not watching boxing anymore at all.

[hitmanhatton]

i think dlh needs to fight pbf and beat him in order for the fight with hatton to happen

[cockey cockney]

Personally i dont find UFC interesting at all and it will never take over boxing for me. I think Hatton Mayweather will happen in time, we just gotta wait.

[Violent Demise]

They will never fight. I don't think Hatton can stay unbeaten much longer

[chrisbird13]

I don't think that this will happen unless it is forced upon PBF. I am a Hatton fan, so PBF fans may not agree.

PBF wants to achieve a lot more in his career and earn more and does not want to risk his undefeated record. I reckon that PBF is a far superior boxer to Hatton (I don't think there is any doubt) but I think Hatton is a better fighter. PBF recognises this and knows that Hatton has more than a punchers chance of knocking him out with one big punch. Unification does not really interest PBF as he is not plannign on staying at WW forever.

Unless he is offered a massive payday or it is one of the last fights of his career I don't think that PBF will risk getting in the ring with Ricky.

[killersheep]

I agree I think at their current weight PBF would annihalate
Hatton, (sure I'll get a rsponse on this) but PBF has no reason to go down
in weight, he is in the money division right now, IF Hatton ever faces
PBF it will be at least 3 fights probably more away.

[Hodge05]

I agree I think at their current weight PBF would annihalate
Hatton, (sure I'll get a rsponse on this) but PBF has no reason to go down
in weight, he is in the money division right now, IF Hatton ever faces
PBF it will be at least 3 fights probably more away.

i agree! theres no incentive for PBF to drop down and to fight hatton, as like you sed he is in the money division. I also agree that hatton and PBF will not happen for a while and it might not happen at all?

[Unknowndonor]

If Oscar doesn't fight Floyd, we might see this fight soon. If Castillo wins, and fights Cotto, and Oscar fights Winky, we might just see Floyd-Hatton at 147. However, If Oscar goes with Winky, Floyd may go with Tony, which would hopefull leave Hatton with the winner of Gatti-Baldomir, and the winners of that chain fighting for the final unification fight. I know, I know I'm reaching a little. Think of it like this though. Castillo has a date with Cotto if he wins. Tony is about to schedule a fight, or is already in one. Floyd being a business man, and wanting a big fight if Oscar backs out, would be left with only Hatton, and Hatton with only Floyd. There is other options, but not as lucrative as them 2. Floyd seeing how Hatton didn't look as good at 147, would be inclined to make it happen. Arum would jump to get Floyd back, and help make it happen. The only kicker is if Hatton wants the winner of Gatti-Baldomir first. I can't see Floyd wanting that fight, unless Baldomir crushes Gatti. Wishful thinking, yes. I hope that Oscar goes for Winky, that way the guys at 140, and 147 can get it on. Oscar vs any of these guys would be great, but he is only fighting 1 more. If he beats a top 147, then retires, that would suck. Not for him, but for the division. Anyway, we'll see.

[The Whirlwind]

I think floyd would win but Hatton would have his moments. I wouldn't read 2 much into Hatton's last performance. Every boxer has a bad night or has trouble with a certain style and thats pretty much what happened with Collazo. To be honest the writing was on the wall before the fight. The only other bigger southpaw he has fought was eamon magee and he was in trouble in that fight too. So Ricky....keep away from bigger southpaws!!!!

Good post, I'm inclined to agree with you.
PBF is also a much better fighter than either of those Southpaws but Hatton is a LOT better against orthodox fighters and that might give him a slim chance but I still see PBF sneaking it.
Bottom line, it would be sad if these two exciting champs didn't get it on in the next two years.

[Preme]

I hope to god they do fight!

If they don't for a long long time we will come to a topic where as the people from the usa will talk abaout how PBF was so great and that he would have beaten hatton...

now im not sayng ricky would beat PBF (imo i think he has a damn good chance) but i would be truly gutted if they don't fight. Not so hatton can win and i can be all 'i told you so' i just don't wont this to be a 'if only' fight. win or lose my level of respect for both fighters would remain the same...

It in some way remindes me of calzaghe and RJJ, most people would say RJJ would win it with ease as people say PBF would beat hatton with ease... i just think it woulod be both their toughest fights by far and both could go either way, i just hope PBF and hatton get it on, and it doesn't become a 'if only' type senairo

[eugepang]

They might face each other in 2008, because eventually they'll be the two biggest names in the welterweight division, but I think Margarito may face Hatton first and the winner will they face PBF.