Article I knocked up on the Hatton-Collazo fight

[ClydeB]

Ricky Hatton: Living the Dream?

Ricky Hatton’s much vaunted American invasion almost descended into the worst moment of his entire career last night, as he was forced onto the back foot and punished by the deceptively heavy-handed Luis Collazo in the 12th round of their war of attrition for the WBA world welterweight title. Had you tried to envision, prior to last night’s eye-opening main event, a battered and exhausted Ricky Hatton in the 12th round of a world title fight, you would have quickly shaken it off as a fan’s nervous paranoia in anticipation of ‘The Hitman’s’ most important fight to date. Did Ricky win the fight? Most certainly, if you had bothered to actually score the fight on a round per round basis; however, never did a fight more aptly illustrate the phrase “won the battle but lost the war”.

It all started off so well for Manchester’s favourite son, catching Collazo with a leaping left hook not 20 seconds after the initial bell, sending the New Yorker sprawling to the canvas. The knockdown unfortunately disguised the fact that the champion was simply caught cold and off balance, which led to Hatton expending unnecessary energy early on in an attempt to blow Collazo away. Of course, you could forgive Ricky for being lulled into a false sense of security; not a single soul could have anticipated what would follow in the subsequent 11 rounds. Collazo quickly regained his composure and the contest unravelled into a see-saw type affair, momentum shifting countless times throughout. Collazo would land the cleaner, more eye-catching shots, routinely snapping Hatton’s head back, but one round later would wilt under the intense pressure from ‘The Hitman’. Hell, M. Night Shyamalan would have lost count of the twists in this bout.

I believe the judges should be commended for their scoring of the bout. It would have been so easy to be swayed by Collazo’s classy combinations, as each round he won was far more obvious than any round Hatton won, barring the first. Rounds scored for Hatton did not consist of slick, hurtful, aesthetically pleasing salvos of power punches, but rather were marked by periods of sustained pressure and energy-sapping shots on the inside. Those rounds were easy to score if viewed closely and, in an event all too rare in boxing, the judges got it spot on.

I am constantly reminded of the fickle nature of boxing fans. While it is true that last night’s display was no way to introduce yourself to the notoriously hypercritical American market, the reactions of some of the fans last night left me in a suspended state of bemusement. One fan, no doubt destined to take a seat next to Larry Merchant and Jim Lampley on the HBO broadcast team, somehow managed to conclude that the entirely orthodox Antonio Margarito would flatten ‘The Hitman’ based on last night’s performance, to which I sarcastically quipped, “Yes, Margarito and Collazo are eerily similar in style”. Did it ever occur to anyone that Collazo is simply underrated? Let us not forget that this was Ricky’s first fight at welterweight, first time as the main event in the US. There was a lot of pressure on Hatton to justify not only the hype but the fight deal with HBO. Add to that an awkward southpaw and you have all the makings of a hard night’s work.

Parallels can be drawn between last night’s fight and the first Mayweather-Castillo fight. Mayweather was outgunned in that fight, however. Hatton was simply matched by Collazo every step of the way. The comparisons lie in the aftermath of the contests. Both fights provided the naysayers with the excuse they needed to wail, “We told you so”. Looking at Mayweather now and how he handled Castillo in the rematch, is it not fair to suggest that the knee-jerk reactions following last night’s performance are premature?

Hatton has already said that he will happily give Collazo a rematch, living up to his gentleman tag. If and when that fight comes to fruition, however, you can bet that Hatton will be anything but gentlemanly and will lay any doubt to rest.



James MacDonald

[B@rr3r@]

He lost the war after one foght?

What are you on about?


Seriously are you a dope?

[ClydeB]

He lost the war after one foght?

What are you on about?


Seriously are you a dope?

By that I mean Hatton won the fight, but Collazo came out of the fight with far more credit than Hatton.

Try not to take things so literally, mate

[MRMANICK]

I agree with you somewhat but I think a draw would have been the fairest thing or a 1 victory on either side wouldn't have bothered me but I totally disagree with 115-112.Collazo is under rated and I think ricky is overated.After last nights fight I think thats a fair conclusion.I think hes good but over rated.

[SimonH]

Nice article [click], I am sure the vast majority of our American cousins will put this fight in context. Hatton showed glimpses of the form that beat Tszyu, but Collazo was inspired, and Hatton had an torrid battle just to deny him, which he did.... just.

You fight top opposition you are not always going to get it all your own way, as Ricky and his fans found out last night. But he did what was needed and won in my opinion, and a lot importantly; in the judges opinion.

[ClydeB]

Nice article [click], I am sure the vast majority of our American cousins will put this fight in context. Hatton showed glimpses of the form that beat Tszyu, but Collazo was inspired, and Hatton had an torrid battle just to deny him, which he did.... just.

You fight top opposition you are not always going to get it all your own way, as Ricky and his fans found out last night. But he did what was needed and won in my opinion, and a lot importantly; in the judges opinion.

What worried me most was Hatton'stamina at 147. He was arm-punching for the majority of the last half of the fight. The good thing if he takes the rematch is that Collazo is no longer an unknown quantity and Hatton will know exactly what to do next time out. He'll need a knockout or a dominant performance next time out to convince the American pundits.

Was Manny Steward commentating on HBO last night? If so, could anyone sum up his thoughts on the fight? Really curious as to what he had to say, since he's been one of Hatton's biggest backers.

[MRMANICK]

Nice article [click], I am sure the vast majority of our American cousins will put this fight in context. Hatton showed glimpses of the form that beat Tszyu, but Collazo was inspired, and Hatton had an torrid battle just to deny him, which he did.... just.

You fight top opposition you are not always going to get it all your own way, as Ricky and his fans found out last night. But he did what was needed and won in my opinion, and a lot importantly; in the judges opinion.

Are you honestly gonna sit there and act like you thought collazo was top opposition before this fight? I love when a stepping stone makes a star look bad and then suddenly he isn't a steepping stone anymore hes overrated.In his last 4 fights hes fought a guy who was 1-1 and another who was 7-41. Does that sound like the resume of top opposition.But i do agree that he is underrated but i also think hatton is a little over rated.Almost all his fans just knew he was gonna blow this kid out and he should if hes as good as you think.Collazo is no world beater and neither is hatton.

[SimonH]

Are you honestly gonna sit there and act like you thought collazo was top opposition before this fight?

Yep

It is not a walk over, Hatton is going to have be very near his best to win this easy-ish.... if not, he was in for a very tough nights work.

I take Hatton to be near his best and win a TKO10, but you never know for sure, this is after all boxing, there are very, very few gimmes at the top level of the sport

[MRMANICK]

Are you honestly gonna sit there and act like you thought collazo was top opposition before this fight?

Yep

It is not a walk over, Hatton is going to have be very near his best to win this easy-ish.... if not, he was in for a very tough nights work.

I take Hatton to be near his best and win a TKO10, but you never know for sure, this is after all boxing, there are very, very few gimmes at the top level of the sport

Well I guess we have different standards on what makes a fighter top opposition. Even though i thought collazo was good and think he is better now I just do see how you can look at his record and call him TOP opposition. I think kostya tszyu was top opposition and at the end of the day I don't rate collazo anywhere near him.

[SimonH]

Are you honestly gonna sit there and act like you thought collazo was top opposition before this fight?

Yep

It is not a walk over, Hatton is going to have be very near his best to win this easy-ish.... if not, he was in for a very tough nights work.

I take Hatton to be near his best and win a TKO10, but you never know for sure, this is after all boxing, there are very, very few gimmes at the top level of the sport

Well I guess we have different standards on what makes a fighter top opposition. Even though i thought collazo was good and think he is better now I just do see how you can look at his record and call him TOP opposition. I think kostya tszyu was top opposition and at the end of the day I don't rate collazo anywhere near him.

Tszyu is borderline Great opposition IMO

[bigragu]

Ricky Hatton: Living the Dream?

Ricky Hatton’s much vaunted American invasion almost descended into the worst moment of his entire career last night, as he was forced onto the back foot and punished by the deceptively heavy-handed Luis Collazo in the 12th round of their war of attrition for the WBA world welterweight title. Had you tried to envision, prior to last night’s eye-opening main event, a battered and exhausted Ricky Hatton in the 12th round of a world title fight, you would have quickly shaken it off as a fan’s nervous paranoia in anticipation of ‘The Hitman’s’ most important fight to date. Did Ricky win the fight? Most certainly, if you had bothered to actually score the fight on a round per round basis; however, never did a fight more aptly illustrate the phrase “won the battle but lost the war”.

It all started off so well for Manchester’s favourite son, catching Collazo with a leaping left hook not 20 seconds after the initial bell, sending the New Yorker sprawling to the canvas. The knockdown unfortunately disguised the fact that the champion was simply caught cold and off balance, which led to Hatton expending unnecessary energy early on in an attempt to blow Collazo away. Of course, you could forgive Ricky for being lulled into a false sense of security; not a single soul could have anticipated what would follow in the subsequent 11 rounds. Collazo quickly regained his composure and the contest unravelled into a see-saw type affair, momentum shifting countless times throughout. Collazo would land the cleaner, more eye-catching shots, routinely snapping Hatton’s head back, but one round later would wilt under the intense pressure from ‘The Hitman’. Hell, M. Night Shyamalan would have lost count of the twists in this bout.

I believe the judges should be commended for their scoring of the bout. It would have been so easy to be swayed by Collazo’s classy combinations, as each round he won was far more obvious than any round Hatton won, barring the first. Rounds scored for Hatton did not consist of slick, hurtful, aesthetically pleasing salvos of power punches, but rather were marked by periods of sustained pressure and energy-sapping shots on the inside. Those rounds were easy to score if viewed closely and, in an event all too rare in boxing, the judges got it spot on.

I am constantly reminded of the fickle nature of boxing fans. While it is true that last night’s display was no way to introduce yourself to the notoriously hypercritical American market, the reactions of some of the fans last night left me in a suspended state of bemusement. One fan, no doubt destined to take a seat next to Larry Merchant and Jim Lampley on the HBO broadcast team, somehow managed to conclude that the entirely orthodox Antonio Margarito would flatten ‘The Hitman’ based on last night’s performance, to which I sarcastically quipped, “Yes, Margarito and Collazo are eerily similar in style”. Did it ever occur to anyone that Collazo is simply underrated? Let us not forget that this was Ricky’s first fight at welterweight, first time as the main event in the US. There was a lot of pressure on Hatton to justify not only the hype but the fight deal with HBO. Add to that an awkward southpaw and you have all the makings of a hard night’s work.

Parallels can be drawn between last night’s fight and the first Mayweather-Castillo fight. Mayweather was outgunned in that fight, however. Hatton was simply matched by Collazo every step of the way. The comparisons lie in the aftermath of the contests. Both fights provided the naysayers with the excuse they needed to wail, “We told you so”. Looking at Mayweather now and how he handled Castillo in the rematch, is it not fair to suggest that the knee-jerk reactions following last night’s performance are premature?

Hatton has already said that he will happily give Collazo a rematch, living up to his gentleman tag. If and when that fight comes to fruition, however, you can bet that Hatton will be anything but gentlemanly and will lay any doubt to rest.



James MacDonald

The man has had over 40 professional bouts!!!!!!!!!!!! You cannot use the awkward leftie stuff at all......Floyd fought Castillo in his 28th...and beat him twice!!! now if Hatton is a man and gives Collazo a rematch as did Mayweather and wins (I don't think he will) then you can talk.....Also didn't Mayweather also beat an excellent left handed fighter in Judah? In his 36th bout no less....Face facts...Hatton was unable to adapt to Collazo's style like PBF adapted to Judahs'. I don't know how you score fights but leading with your face and holding are not what boxing is about...unfortunately Hatton is severely lacking in the boxing department.......Hatton was given a gift!!! Collazo won that fight....

[B@rr3r@]

He lost the war after one foght?

What are you on about?


Seriously are you a dope?

By that I mean Hatton won the fight, but Collazo came out of the fight with far more credit than Hatton.

Try not to take things so literally, mate

Right I get you.


Yes your correct Collazo came out with alot of positives

Still i think we should judge Hatton on his next fight

[MRMANICK]

He lost the war after one foght?

What are you on about?


Seriously are you a dope?

By that I mean Hatton won the fight, but Collazo came out of the fight with far more credit than Hatton.

Try not to take things so literally, mate

Right I get you.


Yes your correct Collazo came out with alot of positives

Still i think we should judge Hatton on his next fight

So if he looks bad in his next fight should we just negate that one too and judge him on the next fight. Get real. You fight and you get judged. He looked bad last night and maybe he'll look better later but the fact is he won but looked bad.

[AC-Cobra]

Ricky Hatton: Living the Dream?

Ricky Hatton’s much vaunted American invasion almost descended into the worst moment of his entire career last night, as he was forced onto the back foot and punished by the deceptively heavy-handed Luis Collazo in the 12th round of their war of attrition for the WBA world welterweight title. Had you tried to envision, prior to last night’s eye-opening main event, a battered and exhausted Ricky Hatton in the 12th round of a world title fight, you would have quickly shaken it off as a fan’s nervous paranoia in anticipation of ‘The Hitman’s’ most important fight to date. Did Ricky win the fight? Most certainly, if you had bothered to actually score the fight on a round per round basis; however, never did a fight more aptly illustrate the phrase “won the battle but lost the war”.

It all started off so well for Manchester’s favourite son, catching Collazo with a leaping left hook not 20 seconds after the initial bell, sending the New Yorker sprawling to the canvas. The knockdown unfortunately disguised the fact that the champion was simply caught cold and off balance, which led to Hatton expending unnecessary energy early on in an attempt to blow Collazo away. Of course, you could forgive Ricky for being lulled into a false sense of security; not a single soul could have anticipated what would follow in the subsequent 11 rounds. Collazo quickly regained his composure and the contest unravelled into a see-saw type affair, momentum shifting countless times throughout. Collazo would land the cleaner, more eye-catching shots, routinely snapping Hatton’s head back, but one round later would wilt under the intense pressure from ‘The Hitman’. Hell, M. Night Shyamalan would have lost count of the twists in this bout.

I believe the judges should be commended for their scoring of the bout. It would have been so easy to be swayed by Collazo’s classy combinations, as each round he won was far more obvious than any round Hatton won, barring the first. Rounds scored for Hatton did not consist of slick, hurtful, aesthetically pleasing salvos of power punches, but rather were marked by periods of sustained pressure and energy-sapping shots on the inside. Those rounds were easy to score if viewed closely and, in an event all too rare in boxing, the judges got it spot on.

I am constantly reminded of the fickle nature of boxing fans. While it is true that last night’s display was no way to introduce yourself to the notoriously hypercritical American market, the reactions of some of the fans last night left me in a suspended state of bemusement. One fan, no doubt destined to take a seat next to Larry Merchant and Jim Lampley on the HBO broadcast team, somehow managed to conclude that the entirely orthodox Antonio Margarito would flatten ‘The Hitman’ based on last night’s performance, to which I sarcastically quipped, “Yes, Margarito and Collazo are eerily similar in style”. Did it ever occur to anyone that Collazo is simply underrated? Let us not forget that this was Ricky’s first fight at welterweight, first time as the main event in the US. There was a lot of pressure on Hatton to justify not only the hype but the fight deal with HBO. Add to that an awkward southpaw and you have all the makings of a hard night’s work.

Parallels can be drawn between last night’s fight and the first Mayweather-Castillo fight. Mayweather was outgunned in that fight, however. Hatton was simply matched by Collazo every step of the way. The comparisons lie in the aftermath of the contests. Both fights provided the naysayers with the excuse they needed to wail, “We told you so”. Looking at Mayweather now and how he handled Castillo in the rematch, is it not fair to suggest that the knee-jerk reactions following last night’s performance are premature?

Hatton has already said that he will happily give Collazo a rematch, living up to his gentleman tag. If and when that fight comes to fruition, however, you can bet that Hatton will be anything but gentlemanly and will lay any doubt to rest.



James MacDonald

Great Article . I highlighted the middle because I think something like that should be available somewhere for everyone to read at all times. Knee jerk reactions are now the norm after any fight and people need to look at fights properly in context and give a fair view.

Nice one Clydey

[El Kabong]

It's amazing how many fans Hatton made for Collazo...most of them just dislike Hatton.

Collazo looked decent but he lost the fight, Hatton wasn't spectacular but he did just enough to win.