Some thoughts on Hatton.

[donnydarkoIRL]

If Ricky can return, within a renewed focus toward boxing carefully, he could elongate his career as Barrera did.

[ono]

I agree about the first six rounds Ono.

I believe however, they've adopted the new strategy saying "it worked against Tszyu."
However styles make fights and this means the tactic will have varying levels of usefullness in each fight with each unique opponent.

I can't tell you how happy I was during the Urango fight "Yes Rickys back on form!" but then he dredged it out in the trenches

What I'm not sure Graham realises is that with that style, the physical demands are greater as he uses every ounce of muscle he has, and he is also shortening Hatton's career

Yeh i agree with what you're saying. Especially the bit in bold. In the Tszyu fight they primarily looked to close the distance as quickly as possible. He was wary of getting caught in no man's land.*

He hasn't changed his gameplan really in any fight since then (other than the 1st 6 against Urango). This was especially evident against Mayweather. Hatton's speed actually surprised Mayweather and it allowed him to close the distance and cut off the ring quite easily. Trouble was, it looked like they hadn't devised a plan of what to do once he got inside.

He kept throwing a straight right which was going over Mayweather's head (as he was ducking down below his waist - which is illegal). He kept missing with it, but he still kept throwing it. Everytime he threw it, they would end up clinching, Mayweather would mug him, push him off and then open up. This lead to Hatton being caught in 'no-man's land.'*

Thing is, we are going to see the same thing against Lazcano. Fortunately Lazcano won't be good enough to take advantage of it.



* By 'no-man's land' i actually mean standing in range directly in front of his opponent (but standing too far away to hit and hold)

[donnydarkoIRL]

Completely agree Ono!

It was the perfect blueprint for beating Tszyu, but as with Ali and the rope a dope and it's use against Foreman, its not perfect for every fight; as Ali found out against the much more acute punching Frazier.

Against Maywether, Hatton's aggresive boxing could have been far more effective, if he got inside Mayweather's reach and used his own flurries. Instead he walked straight into the best fighter in the world.

I'm not dissing my favourite fighter, I'm just hoping for his own sake, he uses his own old style against Lazcano, in order to make the job easier on himself and perhaps allow him a few extra fights in the long run.

[Saddo]

The best i have seen Hatton (since the Kostya fight) was the 1st 6 rounds against Urango.

That's how he used to fight. He was very good. Ok Urango is limited but he was the champion and he was dangerous with his strength and power.

yeah i think the same mate Rick won nearly every round with both styles but he did say afterward he nearly had to go down on the knee as that shot ((body shot i think)) hit the mark with him and i guess thats why he done the hit and hold stuff because the only time Urango was catching him was on the way out so he stopped going out.

the Castillo fight was a classic and great win for Ricky but he took some scary shots in that one but with Castillo's weight issues i just wonder how good of a win that was with hinsight.

Bilbo brought up the point of it always coinsides with a step up in class and maybe that is the only way he can do it in the high levels and thats why he lost against Mayweather because of the ref not letting him do it....

but hey its made him a millionaire so its prob not a great idea to change anything that has brought him soo much success in the past

look what Manny Steward did to Naz's style... if it ain broke don't fix it

[ono]

The best i have seen Hatton (since the Kostya fight) was the 1st 6 rounds against Urango.

That's how he used to fight. He was very good. Ok Urango is limited but he was the champion and he was dangerous with his strength and power.

yeah i think the same mate Rick won nearly every round with both styles but he did say afterward he nearly had to go down on the knee as that shot ((body shot i think)) hit the mark with him and i guess thats why he done the hit and hold stuff because the only time Urango was catching him was on the way out so he stopped going out.

the Castillo fight was a classic and great win for Ricky but he took some scary shots in that one but with Castillo's weight issues i just wonder how good of a win that was with hinsight.

Bilbo brought up the point of it always coinsides with a step up in class and maybe that is the only way he can do it in the high levels and thats why he lost against Mayweather because of the ref not letting him do it....

but hey its made him a millionaire so its prob not a great idea to change anything that has brought him soo much success in the past

look what Manny Steward did to Naz's style... if it ain broke don't fix it

Yeh i agree it's too late to try fix it now anyway. It's how he has fought for the last 3 years.

I think fighting welterweights (Collazo and Mayweather) combined with the step up in class has something to do with him using the Tszyu style.

[donnydarkoIRL]

Good point ono, it's an efective technique for hassling bigger men, he's just got stuck in the use of it now!

[RozzySean]

Maybe now that he's done flirting with 147 division he can get back to his old self. It's possible that Ricky was adopted that style to deal with KT, and he kept at it because he knew that he'd be moving up against bigger, more powerful men and that style would give him the best chance. Now that he's done with that experiment, he'll have the chance to get just be the best LWW that he can be. There isn't a LWW out there right now with the power the KT had, and I'm not sure that will be a good style for beating Paulie, who is the guy he needs to fight now.

[donnydarkoIRL]

The style he used against KT, is a poor style when approaching fights with Malignaggi and Witter.

[ono]

The style he used against KT, is a poor style when approaching fights with Malignaggi and Witter.

I think that's the style he'll use against Witter....mainly because it will keep him out of trouble, and his workrate and skills on the inside should be enough to get the W on points. He needs to be more careful coming in against Witter tho, otherwise he'll take some powerful shots.

Against Paulie, i feel his pressure will be more educated. Paulie is quite slick but not very powerfully built or particularly hard to hit, so his old style would be very useful....if he uses it.

[littlebif]

Hatton mite be made to look like a plodding forward fool against PM if he isnt on top of his game.He has the speed to make Hatton miss but lacks power which i think that will be his downfall.I see Hatton getting in close around the 3rd and just out working Malignaggi to take a UD.

[donnydarkoIRL]

In actuality Hatton's footwork is among some of the fastest in Boxing, he can cut off a ring as well as anyone I've ever seen.

[RozzySean]

If Hatton had the footspeed to cut of the ring and bring the fight to Mayweather, he can do it against Paulie and Witter. The problem for Hatton was that when he put Floyd in a position where he had to fight, Floyd and the skill and power to negate Ricky's pressure. Witter has some power, but Paulie has ZERO. Ricky can walk through his shot with little to fear. Ricky will be able to bring the fight to either Witter or Paulie, it's up to him to do the right things once he does.

[Althugz]

The weak link for me is clearly Billy Graham. I mean if Matthew Macklin left him for a MAYWEATHER of all people!!!! Then that to me is saying something. Coupled with the fact that he mentioned he hadn't been progressing with Graham and he learnt so much more from the Mayweathers. Like someone already said, he thinks that he's a genius since he formulated that plan to beat KT but not everybody fights like he does.

[donnydarkoIRL]

Matthew Macklin didn't go to Mayweather, he went to McGirt

[Majesty]

There comes a point in every trainers career where they stop trying to make their fighters improve and just train them at what they are good at and count on their talent to do the rest. But hatton can't switch trainers so.