Yeah well some are hyped up more then they probably should be but people always forget the context of the time. Like Big H mentioned, Lacy from Calzaghe on isn't entirely representative of who he was. He lost it through injuries, for whatever reason (he said he had a personal matter, IDK) he bottled it and has looked like shit since.

People rag on OumaFan for his name and think wow what a mediocre fighter but there was a time where people picked Ouma to potentially beat everyone else at 154. Before he got upset BIG TIME by Karmazin, he was a guy people thought might be THE MAN at 154. Of course we all know he didn't have that longevity but it just frustrates me that people will read Boxrecs of Ouma and Lacy and just not be able to see the overnight (months) shift into just a different (shot) fighter.

Hattonthehammer, again you just befuddle me with your statements. Can we add a fact checker to the board? Lacy DEFINITELY knew who Calzaghe was. Do you even remember the buildup to that one? The night he beat Reid, he called out Joe Calzaghe immediately afterward. In fact it was after that fight that they signed to fight but Calzaghe insisted on going through with the Evans Ashira (a ridiculous opponent) fight and broke his right hand which forced him out of the fight. Lacy was pissed and said he would never sign to fight in England again and a lot of us (me included) were sure that the fight would never come to fruition due to Calzaghe never fighting outside of his country. He DEFINITELY knew who Calzaghe was and this was a HUGE fight, you just must have missed that.

As for Brits hyping there fighters, yeah they do it but it makes sense. Of course Brits are going to talk about the fighters that they actually see, it's just that the rest of the world has a perpentuancy to write you guys off as irrelevant. Too much, I'm not sure. More then anyone else, definitely. Had Andre Ward or Andre Dirrell turned pro in 2004 in England rather then America then they would have been shoved down our throats from day 1. How much has come up about Khan in the time these guys have been pro?

As it is, they came up in America and are just now getting serious play from the boxing community. I prefer it here, I think a boxer should be able to disappear in his own backyard if he needs to. Being a prized amateur turning pro in England is a very rough assignment, kind of like playing beside Jeter in the Yankee infield. You're kind of in a lose-lose situation because you are going to endure growing pains in the ring no matter who you are as a professional so it's nice that guys like Ward and Dirrell have been able to lay low. In Ward's case, that was a huge deal for his management team who wanted him to only worry about boxing and his family with no outside distractions. In the case of someone like Amir Khan or, more tragically, Darren Sutherland it really is a lose-lose situation.

I personally think it's great that you guys came out in such numbers for Hatton, probably a bit disillusioned if you thought Hatton would take it but whatever.