Not only who, but more importantly... WHERE is Hatton's next fight going to be?

[Galaxy]

Well this is the letter he sent to the IBF :-

Dear Marian Muhammad & The IBF Team,

It is with the greatest regret that I must surrender my IBF Light Welterweight Title. Winning the IBF Championship was without doubt the greatest night of my life and to have to give it up outside of the ring is truly a painful experience. Much worse than the punches I had to take to wrestle the title from Kostya!

It has NEVER been my or my team's intention not to defend my title against the IBF's appointed challenger but sadly due to outside influences, legal problems and problems meeting TV schedules, it seems that this is the situation I find myself in.

I have worn my championship with pride and I hope that in winning the unification bout with Carlos Maussa, I have also made the IBF proud of their champion.

I hope that in the near future I will get the opportunity to become an IBF World Champion again and that I will have the chance to defend my title. Like all fighters, we take great risks in the pursuit of our dreams of becoming World Champions and I hope that in the future I will only win and lose titles in the ring.

Once again I would like to thank you all for the time I spent as your champion and look forward to becoming one again soon, although in my heart I will remain your champion!

Ricky "HITMAN" Hatton

But did he give up the title he won from Maussa as well?

The WBA championship is vacant!!

I can see what you mean.

In your and my eyes Hatton is still the WBA Light welterweight champ but the record books will say otherwise.

And therefore no one would enter the ring as "Champion" and no one would enter the ring as "Challenger"

People, people, people... forget the alphabet soup, it will be the best thing you've ever done. Hattons still Jr. Welterweight champion. If you don't believe me take a look at the current ring rankings. Cotto's #1 & Castillo is #2. So if Hatton fights on @ Jr. W. it's a defense.

[RHHatton]

but OFFICIALLY it wont be a defence because as it stands at this very moment in time, Ricky hatton is WBA welterweight champion. He holds no other belts except the lightwelterweight ring belt which isnt actually fought for.

In reply to the topic of this thread ill tell you all now that hatton will be fighting in america in early december. Opponent is still TBA but im 99% certain it wont be Urkal and im 95% certain it will be at light welter.

[Kev]

Well this is the letter he sent to the IBF :-

Dear Marian Muhammad & The IBF Team,

It is with the greatest regret that I must surrender my IBF Light Welterweight Title. Winning the IBF Championship was without doubt the greatest night of my life and to have to give it up outside of the ring is truly a painful experience. Much worse than the punches I had to take to wrestle the title from Kostya!

It has NEVER been my or my team's intention not to defend my title against the IBF's appointed challenger but sadly due to outside influences, legal problems and problems meeting TV schedules, it seems that this is the situation I find myself in.

I have worn my championship with pride and I hope that in winning the unification bout with Carlos Maussa, I have also made the IBF proud of their champion.

I hope that in the near future I will get the opportunity to become an IBF World Champion again and that I will have the chance to defend my title. Like all fighters, we take great risks in the pursuit of our dreams of becoming World Champions and I hope that in the future I will only win and lose titles in the ring.

Once again I would like to thank you all for the time I spent as your champion and look forward to becoming one again soon, although in my heart I will remain your champion!

Ricky "HITMAN" Hatton

But did he give up the title he won from Maussa as well?

The WBA championship is vacant!!

I can see what you mean.

In your and my eyes Hatton is still the WBA Light welterweight champ but the record books will say otherwise.

And therefore no one would enter the ring as "Champion" and no one would enter the ring as "Challenger"

People, people, people... forget the alphabet soup, it will be the best thing you've ever done. Hattons still Jr. Welterweight champion. If you don't believe me take a look at the current ring rankings. Cotto's #1 & Castillo is #2. So if Hatton fights on @ Jr. W. it's a defense.

Mate give it up, you got owned. You asked for proof that he had relinquished the title, leve lad showed you the proof, and now you saying that the belts don't matter?

Give it up, you were wrong, let it go, it's over

[Memphis]

OK the when and where information is readily available if you look. The problem is the list of likely suspects. At light welter only Cotto or Castillo are good enough and Cotto already has a Dec date. Anyone other than them two will be a backward step.

[OumaFan]

Im lazy and didn't look through all six pages so this might have been posted but Dan Rafael usually seems to know what he's talking about

www.espn.go.com




Hatton


• Although many expect welterweight titlist Ricky Hatton to face mandatory challenger Oktay Urkal on Dec. 9 (HBO), don't bank on it. Hatton is poised to give up his 147-pound belt to drop back to junior welterweight and face titlist Juan Urango, who recently claimed one of the 140-pound belts that Hatton vacated earlier in the year. Hatton, who struggled in his welterweight debut in May when he won a belt from Luis Collazo, has agreements with both Urkal and Urango in place, either of which he can move forward with. However, Urango is the more likely opponent. Whomever Hatton faces, the bout appears headed for Atlanta.

[Kev]

Im lazy and didn't look through all six pages so this might have been posted but Dan Rafael usually seems to know what he's talking about

www.espn.go.com




Hatton


• Although many expect welterweight titlist Ricky Hatton to face mandatory challenger Oktay Urkal on Dec. 9 (HBO), don't bank on it. Hatton is poised to give up his 147-pound belt to drop back to junior welterweight and face titlist Juan Urango, who recently claimed one of the 140-pound belts that Hatton vacated earlier in the year. Hatton, who struggled in his welterweight debut in May when he won a belt from Luis Collazo, has agreements with both Urkal and Urango in place, either of which he can move forward with. However, Urango is the more likely opponent. Whomever Hatton faces, the bout appears headed for Atlanta.

Thanks for the link, I suggested this earlier on, kind of seems like what Ricky and his team like to do, chase the easy belts.

Although personally I think this fight would be a bit humbling for Ricky. Kind of like leaving your plain Jane, bespectacled girlfriend to date some sexy party girl only for the party girl to be a lot more flirtatious and outgoing than you can handle and so you leave her and go back to your dowdy stay at home frumpy ex-girlfriend. Only now, SHE'S the one in control and you have to beg and plead just for her to take you back!

By the way I love what Raphael had to say about Winky Wright:

2. Winky Wright (50-3-1)

The way he cried and whined about the draw against Taylor was pathetic. You would have thought he was a first-grader who had just been forced to hand over his lunch money to the school-yard bully. Wright needs to watch the tape and realize it was just a close fight, not the robbery he made it out to be.


Right on Danny Boy! :P

[Leve Lad]

Although personally I think this fight would be a bit humbling for Ricky. Kind of like leaving your plain Jane, bespectacled girlfriend to date some sexy party girl only for the party girl to be a lot more flirtatious and outgoing than you can handle and so you leave her and go back to your dowdy stay at home frumpy ex-girlfriend. Only now, SHE'S the one in control and you have to beg and plead just for her to take you back!


I like it!! If i could cool click you i would!!

[Galaxy]

Well this is the letter he sent to the IBF :-

Dear Marian Muhammad & The IBF Team,

It is with the greatest regret that I must surrender my IBF Light Welterweight Title. Winning the IBF Championship was without doubt the greatest night of my life and to have to give it up outside of the ring is truly a painful experience. Much worse than the punches I had to take to wrestle the title from Kostya!

It has NEVER been my or my team's intention not to defend my title against the IBF's appointed challenger but sadly due to outside influences, legal problems and problems meeting TV schedules, it seems that this is the situation I find myself in.

I have worn my championship with pride and I hope that in winning the unification bout with Carlos Maussa, I have also made the IBF proud of their champion.

I hope that in the near future I will get the opportunity to become an IBF World Champion again and that I will have the chance to defend my title. Like all fighters, we take great risks in the pursuit of our dreams of becoming World Champions and I hope that in the future I will only win and lose titles in the ring.

Once again I would like to thank you all for the time I spent as your champion and look forward to becoming one again soon, although in my heart I will remain your champion!

Ricky "HITMAN" Hatton

But did he give up the title he won from Maussa as well?

The WBA championship is vacant!!

I can see what you mean.

In your and my eyes Hatton is still the WBA Light welterweight champ but the record books will say otherwise.

And therefore no one would enter the ring as "Champion" and no one would enter the ring as "Challenger"

People, people, people... forget the alphabet soup, it will be the best thing you've ever done. Hattons still Jr. Welterweight champion. If you don't believe me take a look at the current ring rankings. Cotto's #1 & Castillo is #2. So if Hatton fights on @ Jr. W. it's a defense.

Mate give it up, you got owned. You asked for proof that he had relinquished the title, leve lad showed you the proof, and now you saying that the belts don't matter?

Give it up, you were wrong, let it go, it's over

Bro, if you look back through all my posts, every single one of them, & you'll find I never name an alphabet belt as a championship, I'll always call it a belt or title. That's a fact. So yes to me the belts don't mean sh*t. The Ring belt is the only belt that matters to me, & the Ring champions are the only champions I recognise in boxing today. Before you say someone is wrong check you facts & have some idea of what your talking about. Have a look for youself @ thering-online.com Ricky Hatton is still world Jr. Welterweight Champion, & you'll find no reference to the alphabet fools in their rankings.

[LBSCFC]

Well this is the letter he sent to the IBF :-

Dear Marian Muhammad & The IBF Team,

It is with the greatest regret that I must surrender my IBF Light Welterweight Title. Winning the IBF Championship was without doubt the greatest night of my life and to have to give it up outside of the ring is truly a painful experience. Much worse than the punches I had to take to wrestle the title from Kostya!

It has NEVER been my or my team's intention not to defend my title against the IBF's appointed challenger but sadly due to outside influences, legal problems and problems meeting TV schedules, it seems that this is the situation I find myself in.

I have worn my championship with pride and I hope that in winning the unification bout with Carlos Maussa, I have also made the IBF proud of their champion.

I hope that in the near future I will get the opportunity to become an IBF World Champion again and that I will have the chance to defend my title. Like all fighters, we take great risks in the pursuit of our dreams of becoming World Champions and I hope that in the future I will only win and lose titles in the ring.

Once again I would like to thank you all for the time I spent as your champion and look forward to becoming one again soon, although in my heart I will remain your champion!

Ricky "HITMAN" Hatton

But did he give up the title he won from Maussa as well?

The WBA championship is vacant!!

I can see what you mean.

In your and my eyes Hatton is still the WBA Light welterweight champ but the record books will say otherwise.

And therefore no one would enter the ring as "Champion" and no one would enter the ring as "Challenger"

People, people, people... forget the alphabet soup, it will be the best thing you've ever done. Hattons still Jr. Welterweight champion. If you don't believe me take a look at the current ring rankings. Cotto's #1 & Castillo is #2. So if Hatton fights on @ Jr. W. it's a defense.

Mate give it up, you got owned. You asked for proof that he had relinquished the title, leve lad showed you the proof, and now you saying that the belts don't matter?

Give it up, you were wrong, let it go, it's over

Bro, if you look back through all my posts, every single one of them, & you'll find I never name an alphabet belt as a championship, I'll always call it a belt or title. That's a fact. So yes to me the belts don't mean sh*t. The Ring belt is the only belt that matters to me, & the Ring champions are the only champions I recognise in boxing today. Before you say someone is wrong check you facts & have some idea of what your talking about. Have a look for youself @ thering-online.com Ricky Hatton is still world Jr. Welterweight Champion, & you'll find no reference to the alphabet fools in their rankings.

i agree. alphabet belts mean shat. all it means is more sanctioning fees for the suits in the office.

hatton v tszyu could of been for the KGB belt for all i cared. people knew who ever won that bout would be recognised as number 1.

[Puya]

US ref won't let him do the quiet man style fight. The damn Holding.
If the Kostya fight where in the states Hatton would probably got a point deduction. Don't get me wrong I like Ricky but he likes to hold alot.

[ClydeB]

So I'm reading Vivian Harris' open invitation to Ricky Hatton when I come across this paragraph:

"We can fight at 147, where you hold the WBA title, or at 140 or even in-between. The weight doesn't matter. I just hope you don't make me wait, lol."

Did anyone else read this and start laughing at the "lol" tacked on at the end? I don't know why I found that so amusing. You just don't normally read a formal letter from a boxer challenging a world champion and see a big "lol" in it

[Steelie]

The speculation continues...half the fun aint it?

I don't think people are taking into account probably the single biggest factor in making any of these fights happen:




HBO


they're the paymasters here. They could force any of the fights we want to see but they don't seem to be.

They're perfectly happy to give Floyd, Ricky and Cotto seperate dates.

Why?

[Memphis]

Cotto is now a showtime fighter is he not?

[ricsan]

hahahahaha "white Mexican" i knew there was something about hatton i liked......

http://www.saddoboxing.com/3601-boxi...html#more-3601


and i think a fight w/ castillo or cotto would be great......or even Juan Lazcano......

[Steelie]

Cotto is now a showtime fighter is he not?

That's a bit of a coup for Showtime if he is. Can't see it though. Got a link?