Ricky Hatton; Good Call.

[ono]

I hope Hatton fights Mayweather again because I'd love to see him get knocked out again.

Thanks for your fantastic contribution to the forum.

[HattonTheHammer]

And what exactly was Hatton doing on the inside when they were allowed to? he certainly wasn't throwing any punches, and that goes for the later rounds against the inexperienced Urango as well.

Whatever he did, it saw him win 11/12 rounds.

I'm not disputing that Hatton is a very good inside fighter, I'm disputing the claim that he could best every fighter at 147 on the inside.

Hammer: I think we have different perspectives on good inside work, I'm talking about fighting within range in general (e.g.Frazier) than just the hook and hold style, by your reckoning Ruiz is the finest exponent of inside fighting in history.

I remember the old Hatton fights pre Tzyu where he used good footwork to get inside, unload his shots and get out safely, without excessive holding. I can understand the strategy for Tzyu to completely smother him since his most powerful punches were delivered from a distance, but he's stayed with pretty much the same strategy since, either through choice or he's let himself go so much betwwen fights he no longer has the legs in the later rounds.

The level of competition he was fighting back in the days where he actually seemed a sound technician werent nowhere the sort of oppo he is facing now.

For a time ricky was excellent at slipping in and out - being able to hit his guy without having to take anything back, but the core of his work involved bullying his guy onto the ropes and forcing the fight which everybody at the time realised would be his best attribute come the prime level of fighters he would inevitably take on.

As said many a time at 140 hatton can bully an opponent and dictate a fight how he likes, but at 147 he got found out for being a tad one dimensional and of course against the A* opposition like cotto, mayweather youve got to be able to provide a B plan which ricky unfortunately didnt have.

What i still stand firm on though is that floyd/cotto even marg wouldnt neccesitate the idea of fighting hattons "phonebox fight" that ricky loves to do and when all is said and done hatton even at 147 is still in my eyes the best exporter of trading on the inside!!

[Bomp]

Whatever he did, it saw him win 11/12 rounds.

I'm not disputing that Hatton is a very good inside fighter, I'm disputing the claim that he could best every fighter at 147 on the inside.

Hammer: I think we have different perspectives on good inside work, I'm talking about fighting within range in general (e.g.Frazier) than just the hook and hold style, by your reckoning Ruiz is the finest exponent of inside fighting in history.

I remember the old Hatton fights pre Tzyu where he used good footwork to get inside, unload his shots and get out safely, without excessive holding. I can understand the strategy for Tzyu to completely smother him since his most powerful punches were delivered from a distance, but he's stayed with pretty much the same strategy since, either through choice or he's let himself go so much betwwen fights he no longer has the legs in the later rounds.

The level of competition he was fighting back in the days where he actually seemed a sound technician werent nowhere the sort of oppo he is facing now.

For a time ricky was excellent at slipping in and out - being able to hit his guy without having to take anything back, but the core of his work involved bullying his guy onto the ropes and forcing the fight which everybody at the time realised would be his best attribute come the prime level of fighters he would inevitably take on.

As said many a time at 140 hatton can bully an opponent and dictate a fight how he likes, but at 147 he got found out for being a tad one dimensional and of course against the A* opposition like cotto, mayweather youve got to be able to provide a B plan which ricky unfortunately didnt have.

What i still stand firm on though is that floyd/cotto even marg wouldnt neccesitate the idea of fighting hattons "phonebox fight" that ricky loves to do and when all is said and done hatton even at 147 is still in my eyes the best exporter of trading on the inside!!

Watch the Uragno fight again and tell me he didn't have his best work early when he still had the legs to move back out, and that the precarious moments in the mid rounds occured because he got tired and couldn't move out effectively anymore. He was still getting in unscathed but staying to admire his work before getting cracked with body shots, granted he pulled it round again with the tactic you're referring to, but IMO he was far less effective than in the first rounds and he only marginally took the later rounds.