only one man in the history of this sport...

[killersheep]

Haugen / Chavez 1993
Chavez brought in over 132k people to a fight..............PAYING fans

[/thread]

Didnt travel thousands of miles and pay thousands upon thousands of pounds to watch it though did they?

That would kind of be like saying hull citys 28,000 fans that attend when they play at home every week are as passionate as the 30,000 that swap continents every time hatton fights!!

I do understand what dizaster is saying in that economic changes over the years makes it much more viable for middle/working class familys to fly thousands of miles.

But seriously, would america have brought over 30,000 when ali fought cooper? would panamanians of completely taken over vegas in there tens of thousands when he fought hagler? and how many fans exactly did lennox lewis take over to vegas with him when he fought for the undisputed heavyweight championship (6500)

You can hate the man, you can hate his fans, you can hate his lifestyle and whatever he represents. But stats dont lie do they!!

Yes many people paid ridiculous amounts of money to pay for the seats there especially good seats. And yes people travelled from all over Mexico to see the fight. To maybe put it into better perspective, there has never been a fight with a higher attendance than Haugen / Chavez ever.

If you want to bang on about Hatton being the Grateful Dead of boxing that's fine.

[AdamGB]

Sure Hatton may have a large crowd... but those are just numbers... You can't say that no fighter ever invoked so much passion or emotion though.

Fighters like Ali's words and actions moved and inspired people on a level beyond boxing. I don't know what about Hatton exactly creates unrivaled passion or emotion? Being a decent boxer and being vocal about your love of darts and cheese pasties?

Ali, Tyson, Leanard etc had massiv global followings, for being boxers.

Hatton has a massive national and arguably some what regional following of football supporters who mostly support him because he lays the beer and chips shit on a bit too thick.

Not to discredit him too much, I'm sure lots of those fans are legitimate boxing fans but in my opinion the mass following he has is mostly football supporters.

This. Having been at the Hatton-Pacquiao weigh in & fight, I can safely say the vast majority knew fuck all about boxing. Mosley got booed because they couldn't place him immediately, Hopkins got booed by virtue of Calzaghe (who was for some reason re-nicknamed 'Jumpin Joe Calzaghe') & the shrugs & confusion when Juan Manuel Marquez said it all about the number of 'boxing fans' among them.

Plus the amount of them trying to shadowbox having clearly never been near a boxing club in their life was laughable. Truly some of the most obnoxious fans I've ever met, it's lucky for them the Pacquiao fans were almost as unlikeable.

Hatton's fans are basically the same tools who go to England matches abroad & start throwing cafe tables at local waiters for 'being foreign' (witnessed that particular gem in Frankfurt in 2006).

Mate i think that is the most ridiculous statement on this thread !!

I was was in Vegas for Rickys 1st, 3rd and 4th Vegas fights and did not see one incident when Brits, sorry Hatton fans throwing tables or chairs or any other item around.

Granted you have your opinion, but i can catagorically say no incidents occured that I witnessed, so tarring us with that brush is simply small minded !

He was talking about the type of people, not their specific actions.

For example I'd never heard such a large boxing crowd boo another country's national anthem before.... certainatly not that audable.

[OumaFan]

I was going to avoid this thread but this Ali-Cooper argument is a bit odd considering Ali was nowhere near the peak of his popularity at that point, he hadn't even fought Liston.

I do think there's an argument to be made for Hatton supporters being more willing to go to a foreign country for a fight and it probably does have something to do with the World Cup. American sports fans just aren't used to going to a foreign country for a sporting event, there's nothing comparable to the World Cup or even the Euro Championships or World Cup qualifying, all the biggest sporting events are held here for us, the Super Bowl, NBA Playoffs, MLB playoffs, soccer's not big, there are no international tournaments for the biggest sport here which is NFL football (hell teams playing in London like last week is the closest example), there is no real international baseball tournaments and nobody really cares about the basketball team until the Olympics and nobody is really going to travel to China for just that. So the Brits and other countries are just more used to getting on a plane and going to a foreign country and seeing a sporting event than we are.

Of course most importanty boxing is a relatively unpopular niche sport here and American fight fans don't travel anywhere for fights but to Las Vegas, etc.

This was a bit rambling. Ali was clearly the most famous and popular boxer ever but not sure if that was the point.

[Mattyhitman]

Sure Hatton may have a large crowd... but those are just numbers... You can't say that no fighter ever invoked so much passion or emotion though.

Fighters like Ali's words and actions moved and inspired people on a level beyond boxing. I don't know what about Hatton exactly creates unrivaled passion or emotion? Being a decent boxer and being vocal about your love of darts and cheese pasties?

This. Having been at the Hatton-Pacquiao weigh in & fight, I can safely say the vast majority knew fuck all about boxing. Mosley got booed because they couldn't place him immediately, Hopkins got booed by virtue of Calzaghe (who was for some reason re-nicknamed 'Jumpin Joe Calzaghe') & the shrugs & confusion when Juan Manuel Marquez said it all about the number of 'boxing fans' among them.

Plus the amount of them trying to shadowbox having clearly never been near a boxing club in their life was laughable. Truly some of the most obnoxious fans I've ever met, it's lucky for them the Pacquiao fans were almost as unlikeable.

Hatton's fans are basically the same tools who go to England matches abroad & start throwing cafe tables at local waiters for 'being foreign' (witnessed that particular gem in Frankfurt in 2006).

Mate i think that is the most ridiculous statement on this thread !!

I was was in Vegas for Rickys 1st, 3rd and 4th Vegas fights and did not see one incident when Brits, sorry Hatton fans throwing tables or chairs or any other item around.

Granted you have your opinion, but i can catagorically say no incidents occured that I witnessed, so tarring us with that brush is simply small minded !

He was talking about the type of people, not their specific actions.

For example I'd never heard such a large boxing crowd boo another country's national anthem before.... certainatly not that audable.

As I was one of the english men in the arena that night, I personally was booing Mayweather's image on the Big screen, not the anthem, the is a huge difference bud

[Mattyhitman]

Sure Hatton may have a large crowd... but those are just numbers... You can't say that no fighter ever invoked so much passion or emotion though.

Fighters like Ali's words and actions moved and inspired people on a level beyond boxing. I don't know what about Hatton exactly creates unrivaled passion or emotion? Being a decent boxer and being vocal about your love of darts and cheese pasties?

This. Having been at the Hatton-Pacquiao weigh in & fight, I can safely say the vast majority knew fuck all about boxing. Mosley got booed because they couldn't place him immediately, Hopkins got booed by virtue of Calzaghe (who was for some reason re-nicknamed 'Jumpin Joe Calzaghe') & the shrugs & confusion when Juan Manuel Marquez said it all about the number of 'boxing fans' among them.

Plus the amount of them trying to shadowbox having clearly never been near a boxing club in their life was laughable. Truly some of the most obnoxious fans I've ever met, it's lucky for them the Pacquiao fans were almost as unlikeable.

Hatton's fans are basically the same tools who go to England matches abroad & start throwing cafe tables at local waiters for 'being foreign' (witnessed that particular gem in Frankfurt in 2006).

Mate i think that is the most ridiculous statement on this thread !!

I was was in Vegas for Rickys 1st, 3rd and 4th Vegas fights and did not see one incident when Brits, sorry Hatton fans throwing tables or chairs or any other item around.

Granted you have your opinion, but i can catagorically say no incidents occured that I witnessed, so tarring us with that brush is simply small minded !

He was talking about the type of people, not their specific actions.

For example I'd never heard such a large boxing crowd boo another country's national anthem before.... certainatly not that audable.

As I was one of the english men in the arena that night, I personally was booing Mayweather's image on the Big screen, not the anthem, the is a huge difference bud

[ElTerribleMorales]

Sure Hatton may have a large crowd... but those are just numbers... You can't say that no fighter ever invoked so much passion or emotion though.

Fighters like Ali's words and actions moved and inspired people on a level beyond boxing. I don't know what about Hatton exactly creates unrivaled passion or emotion? Being a decent boxer and being vocal about your love of darts and cheese pasties?

Mate i think that is the most ridiculous statement on this thread !!

I was was in Vegas for Rickys 1st, 3rd and 4th Vegas fights and did not see one incident when Brits, sorry Hatton fans throwing tables or chairs or any other item around.

Granted you have your opinion, but i can catagorically say no incidents occured that I witnessed, so tarring us with that brush is simply small minded !

He was talking about the type of people, not their specific actions.

For example I'd never heard such a large boxing crowd boo another country's national anthem before.... certainatly not that audable.

As I was one of the english men in the arena that night, I personally was booing Mayweather's image on the Big screen, not the anthem, the is a huge difference bud

ohh, well i was one of the millions that laughed their ass off when Hatton went head first into the ring post

[AdamGB]

Sure Hatton may have a large crowd... but those are just numbers... You can't say that no fighter ever invoked so much passion or emotion though.

Fighters like Ali's words and actions moved and inspired people on a level beyond boxing. I don't know what about Hatton exactly creates unrivaled passion or emotion? Being a decent boxer and being vocal about your love of darts and cheese pasties?

Mate i think that is the most ridiculous statement on this thread !!

I was was in Vegas for Rickys 1st, 3rd and 4th Vegas fights and did not see one incident when Brits, sorry Hatton fans throwing tables or chairs or any other item around.

Granted you have your opinion, but i can catagorically say no incidents occured that I witnessed, so tarring us with that brush is simply small minded !

He was talking about the type of people, not their specific actions.

For example I'd never heard such a large boxing crowd boo another country's national anthem before.... certainatly not that audable.

As I was one of the english men in the arena that night, I personally was booing Mayweather's image on the Big screen, not the anthem, the is a huge difference bud

that's hardly any better.

It's equally as ignorant not being aware of how your actions will be percieved based on your situation.

Sort of the equivalent of thinking of something funny during a funeral and then laughing out loud about it.

"Oh no... I wasn't laughing at the deceased guv, I read something funny this morning... and... um... I was just... um..."

But basically the long and short of it is, as one of the Englishmen there, you were one of the Englishmen there, so speak for yourself... bud.

[JazMerkin]

Ali, Tyson, Leanard etc had massiv global followings, for being boxers.

Hatton has a massive national and arguably some what regional following of football supporters who mostly support him because he lays the beer and chips shit on a bit too thick.

Not to discredit him too much, I'm sure lots of those fans are legitimate boxing fans but in my opinion the mass following he has is mostly football supporters.

This. Having been at the Hatton-Pacquiao weigh in & fight, I can safely say the vast majority knew fuck all about boxing. Mosley got booed because they couldn't place him immediately, Hopkins got booed by virtue of Calzaghe (who was for some reason re-nicknamed 'Jumpin Joe Calzaghe') & the shrugs & confusion when Juan Manuel Marquez said it all about the number of 'boxing fans' among them.

Plus the amount of them trying to shadowbox having clearly never been near a boxing club in their life was laughable. Truly some of the most obnoxious fans I've ever met, it's lucky for them the Pacquiao fans were almost as unlikeable.

Hatton's fans are basically the same tools who go to England matches abroad & start throwing cafe tables at local waiters for 'being foreign' (witnessed that particular gem in Frankfurt in 2006).

Mate i think that is the most ridiculous statement on this thread !!

I was was in Vegas for Rickys 1st, 3rd and 4th Vegas fights and did not see one incident when Brits, sorry Hatton fans throwing tables or chairs or any other item around.

Granted you have your opinion, but i can catagorically say no incidents occured that I witnessed, so tarring us with that brush is simply small minded !

Learn to read genius, I said I saw that when England went to the 2006 World Cup (hint: Frankfurt isn't a bar in Las Vegas). My implication was that most of the Hatton fans are boorish tools of a similar breed, which considering their lack of boxing knowledge I fully stand by.

Still the majority of Hatton fans at the weigh in were an embarassment as a Brit, their behaviour was loutish, particularly the racial shit I heard hurled at Khan & Pacquiao from some dicks in the crowd made me feel ashamed to be among them.

[Nameless]

Haugen / Chavez 1993
Chavez brought in over 132k people to a fight..............PAYING fans

[/thread]

Didnt travel thousands of miles and pay thousands upon thousands of pounds to watch it though did they?

I think that Killersheep was answering your allegations that nobody did ever carried a larger legion of fans than HAtton, willingness to travel far or noise weren't included into the equations and I must admit that I do agree with him on that.

[Violent Demise]

"Only One Ricky Hatton..."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4chydTS7JHQ

"One Ricky Hatton..."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MhqTpI6AyzM

out of order blood

youve now moved up to 33 in my list of "saddo members id like to kill"

I think Hatton has another classic knocked the fukk out by in him. Yes Hatton come back

[HattonTheHammer]

This. Having been at the Hatton-Pacquiao weigh in & fight, I can safely say the vast majority knew fuck all about boxing. Mosley got booed because they couldn't place him immediately, Hopkins got booed by virtue of Calzaghe (who was for some reason re-nicknamed 'Jumpin Joe Calzaghe') & the shrugs & confusion when Juan Manuel Marquez said it all about the number of 'boxing fans' among them.

Plus the amount of them trying to shadowbox having clearly never been near a boxing club in their life was laughable. Truly some of the most obnoxious fans I've ever met, it's lucky for them the Pacquiao fans were almost as unlikeable.

Hatton's fans are basically the same tools who go to England matches abroad & start throwing cafe tables at local waiters for 'being foreign' (witnessed that particular gem in Frankfurt in 2006).

Mate i think that is the most ridiculous statement on this thread !!

I was was in Vegas for Rickys 1st, 3rd and 4th Vegas fights and did not see one incident when Brits, sorry Hatton fans throwing tables or chairs or any other item around.

Granted you have your opinion, but i can catagorically say no incidents occured that I witnessed, so tarring us with that brush is simply small minded !

Learn to read genius, I said I saw that when England went to the 2006 World Cup (hint: Frankfurt isn't a bar in Las Vegas). My implication was that most of the Hatton fans are boorish tools of a similar breed, which considering their lack of boxing knowledge I fully stand by.

Still the majority of Hatton fans at the weigh in were an embarassment as a Brit, their behaviour was loutish, particularly the racial shit I heard hurled at Khan & Pacquiao from some dicks in the crowd made me feel ashamed to be among them.

No they arent and its completely unfair for you to tarnish everyone with the same brush.

98% of those that travelled to germany didnt end up smashing the place up yet you choose to base your opinions on the handful that did. Being an england football fan is about being passionate about your country and getting behind the team as much as you can. Naturally if 30,000 die hard fans travel out to watch a game of footie/boxing you are going to get the odd bad egg.

Many of those i met, spoke to in vegas were good knowlegable fight fans that were over there with the same intentions they would attend a footie game, for the love of the sport. No they probably cant tell you who kevin johnson or marco huck are. Doesnt mean they arent knowlegable fight fans does it just that there not hardcore nuts like me and you.

Your experience of vegas seems such a shame as mine was completely different. The HANDFUL of fans shouting racial obscenitys are c*nts of the highest order and dont deserve to breath the same breath as you and i that and that only i will agree with you on!

[generalbulldog]

Seems like some of the British travelers sounds a lot like their American counterparts, which would be in traveling to another country and then getting pissed off that the local populace doesn't speak English.

[JazMerkin]

No they arent and its completely unfair for you to tarnish everyone with the same brush.

98% of those that travelled to germany didnt end up smashing the place up yet you choose to base your opinions on the handful that did. Being an england football fan is about being passionate about your country and getting behind the team as much as you can. Naturally if 30,000 die hard fans travel out to watch a game of footie/boxing you are going to get the odd bad egg.

Many of those i met, spoke to in vegas were good knowlegable fight fans that were over there with the same intentions they would attend a footie game, for the love of the sport. No they probably cant tell you who kevin johnson or marco huck are. Doesnt mean they arent knowlegable fight fans does it just that there not hardcore nuts like me and you.

Your experience of vegas seems such a shame as mine was completely different. The HANDFUL of fans shouting racial obscenitys are c*nts of the highest order and dont deserve to breath the same breath as you and i that and that only i will agree with you on!

Were you at the weigh-in? Because I seem to remember you saying you travelled out AFTER that? In which case you have nothing to base it on as you weren't there.

As for the England football fans, READ what I wrote. I at no point said that all England fans were like that, just that many of the Hatton fans struck me as similar oafs as the ones who DO do that. I don't think everyone there supporting Hatton was like that (as I've already said), but a substantial number at the weigh-in were.

As for Germany, whilst again I said it was not all of them it was sadly a far higher proportion than 2%. If you'd like another analogy it's the same dicks who go on holiday to Spain or Greece & take a shit in a town square. As a country we seem to churn these morons out by the bucketload.

As for their knowledge, listen, I can accept someone as a boxing fan if they don't know Kevin Johnson or Marco Huck. I find it impossible to do so if they don't know who Juan Manuel Marquez or Shane Mosley are. I did meet some out there who were boxing fans, but all of them identified themselves as that rather than Hatton fans. This was not unique to Hatton, as I've said many of the Pacquiao fans were also dicks of the highest order, some of them also racist knobheads.

On this I will agree with you, Hatton does bring in a massive fanbase, but for them he's popular because he's 'one of them' (likes a drink & eating unhealthy food). However, it's not the most fanatical ever seen, merely the one with the best travelling support. He's not anywhere near the most popular fighter of all time, but he did take masses to the US twice, if we assume of course that they all or mostly went there to support Hatton.

[skel1983]

Lets be honest here, Hatton was fighting Mayweather and Pacquio when these numbers went over two of the best fighters that ever lived, where were these fans against Collazo, Castillo and Malignaggi the arena's were half empty.

I think Hatton has a unique brand of fans but I honestly think if any of our World Class fighters were fighting a unbeaton p4p no.1 star there would be huge intrest. Maybe not 30k going over but possibly close to that.

Before anyone says Calzaghe Hopkins Calzaghe RJJ Hopkins and RJJ were not unbeaton fighters in there prime.

So in truth Mayweather and Pacquio are one of the main reasons these fans went over to watch Hatton fight as the evidence proves with the numbers for the other fights he has had in the USA.

[HattonTheHammer]

Lets be honest here, Hatton was fighting Mayweather and Pacquio when these numbers went over two of the best fighters that ever lived, where were these fans against Collazo, Castillo and Malignaggi the arena's were half empty.

I think Hatton has a unique brand of fans but I honestly think if any of our World Class fighters were fighting a unbeaton p4p no.1 star there would be huge intrest. Maybe not 30k going over but possibly close to that.

Before anyone says Calzaghe Hopkins Calzaghe RJJ Hopkins and RJJ were not unbeaton fighters in there prime.

So in truth Mayweather and Pacquio are one of the main reasons these fans went over to watch Hatton fight as the evidence proves with the numbers for the other fights he has had in the USA.

Lennox Lewis fought for the greatest prize in boxing twice in a far bigger setting and only managed 6500. Calzaghe similar when he fought jones/Hopkins and lets not forgot the endless thousands upon thousands who headed out to see dear frank take on tyson twice.

I do understand what jaz is saying to a certain degree but he clearly has issues seperating raw passion and the odd 2-3 clowns he is refering too. No i wasnt at the weigh in but i think after at least 12hours air time, 36hours in and and around the strip im quite able to assess my own take on the fans that went over and as ive already mentioned you seemed to be in the small minority that didnt have a good time.

The support we give our sportsmen/women is second to none and a joy to behold. Just because a few bad eggs who`ve had one too many tizers decide to take it too far doesnt diminish the accomplishments of the large majority.

I was proud coming home from vegas. Not because of rickys performance or the fact that we outsung the fillipinos. But being able to see and hear those sort of emotions for a sport you love so dearly is something i`ll take to my grave with me!!