Ricky Hattons Legacy

[B@rr3r@]

Hello Again....

Must be about a year since I last posted here....

Anywhooo,

Regarding Ricky Hattons legacy, although I am a massive fan, and full credit to going after Floyd Mayweather, in which I think Ricky thought he had a genuine chance of winning, however Floyd bought his A-Game, and proved just how good he is, I really DONT think Ricky Hatton will go down as one of the "All-Time Greats"

He will forever be an All-Time Great British Boxer, but truly looking on his career, I can see it being anything other, unless he again Unifies the Light Welterweight division.

It hurt to see Ricky lose, but he didnt deserve to win, and I have to say my respect for Mayweather went through the roof, the guy sells fights.

Ricky will also be remember for this fight, his Tszyu fight and his general persona. But since Tszyu, what really else has stood out.

A knockout of a second rate opponent of Carlos Muassa.

A close fight, in which if the judges gave it to Luis Collazo, I wouldnt have argued.

A dreadful performance from another second rate fighter in Juan Urango.

A great body shot and knockdown to a SHOT Luis Castillo

And in my opinion, a mauling at the hands of Floyd Mayweather.

Since Tszyu, most of Rickys fights have been boring. Hit Grab Hit Grab Walk into Punch. When you seriously look at it, how on earth was Ricky going to beat Floyd. Floyd told us all along, many just chose to ignore it.

I dont think Billy Graham has done much for Ricky Hatton after Tszyu fight. Ricky fought a few good people before this fight, but all of which you would expect a good fighter to beat. Ricky is a World Class fighter, so these people he should and did beat.

After Tszyu, thought he employed the same tactics, yes he won, but marginally in one fight, 2 good knockouts against 1 poor opponent and one against a shot opponent, and then 1 unanimous decision (UGLY FIGHT), and a marginal fight against Collazo, which if had gone another round Hatton wouldnt have been knocked out. Its only because the he has so much heart, that when he was more or less out on his feet in the fight he survived.

Against Mayweather, although Mayweather makes people look distinctly average, whoever told him to fight like that, which was most likely Billy Graham, really got it wrong BIG TIME.



Is Ricky really the Undisputed Light Welterweight King? I only think so because he never met Cotto here, and Floyd would beat him here aswell.

Hatton I dont think really is in there level, is he as good as we thought?

He will beat Rees, Torres and Witter, they are not in Hattons level, yet Hatton I dont think is in the elite level.

So, Legacy wise, and to really cement it, he needs to lose Graham, unify the Light Welterweight Division, and maybe then he will get his name back up in lights....

Thanks

[SEANIE]

HATTON beat Tyzsu who was the UNDISPUTED Light Welterweight champ. you dont need 50 belts to be the champ. he beat the number 1 in the division therefore hes number 1.

[donnydarkoIRL]

As a massive Ricky fan, I begrudgungly agrre.

As of this moment Ricky hasn't demonstrated any signs which will grant him ATG status. Although he did strip the ranks at 140 and defeated an ATG in Kostya Tszyu he never really reinforced the case he presented against Kostya Tszyu. Sitting ringside at the Maussa fight I saw him throw away his gameplan and although he won every round he let an inferior boxer and fighter cut him severly and took a good deal of punishment. Subsequently, he scraped a win against Collazo and lostto Floyd.

However, it is not these results which I feel will affect his legacy. It is the performances which he invested in each fight that will be remebered. Against Collazo he tired easily and grappled to a messy and some say lucky win. When faced with Juan Urango he put on a masterful show until he tired and was forced to hang on for dear life. Not because of the efforts of Urango but because his body let him down. Against Mayweather although he fought bravely his body again tired and he looked poor and non-competitive from round 5 on.

Although it pains me to say this I think Ricky's legacy has been tarnished by his lifestyle. Having watched each of his fights I find it undeniable that recently his conditioning has waned and he has faltered at each obstacle. I feel this is largely due to his lifestyle and the time he takes off.

An attempt at being optimistic appears futile yet I will support him in every fight regardless of the competition. I feel he may indeed go down in history as an ATG if he can once more clear Light Welter defeating the likes of Witter, Malignaggi, Torres, Holt and Hopkins. Supplementary fights with the likes of Juan Diaz and Lazcano would be a nice bonnus for a fan like me. However, with talks of an impending fight with smaller man Manny Pacquaio I can't help but fear that Ricky will waste the remainder of his career as he has some of his talent, potential and physical ability.

I hope and pray that I'm wrong but with recent reports of four day benders in Tenerife and no fight scheduled any earlier than June I believe we've seen the best of Ricky.

[B@rr3r@]

That was 2 and Half years ago...

I am talking about now, and yes Ricky did beat the number one in the light welterweight, but that was the only top guy he fought, Kostyza fought 5 big fights before, although Ricky beat him, I feel it doesnt work like that. Ricky never had a major fight after that with a big name.

Its like Lewis was the Undisputed champion of the Heavyweight division, Rachman beat him, and then he became the Undisputed Champion, although in everyones eyes, he wasnt because he wasnt in the same level as Lewis.

I am talking about now though.

Everyone still says he is the light welterweight king.

Mayweather would beat him there now, and he would have beat him back then.

Although back then Ricky actually boxed, not just ran into people....

[B@rr3r@]

hitmanandonny

CC

I am also a die hard Hatton fan like yourself

[donnydarkoIRL]

CC returned, I see we have more in common as you're a Barrera fan also.

Ricky's been my favourite for a long time, I vaguely remeber him fighting as an amateur! But I am worried that he has hurt himself with so much alcohol.

[B@rr3r@]

CC returned, I see we have more in common as you're a Barrera fan also.

Ricky's been my favourite for a long time, I vaguely remeber him fighting as an amateur! But I am worried that he has hurt himself with so much alcohol.

I dont blame him, its his choice, and he does earn the right to do what he wants, he has to accept though because of this, he has to take accept he has probably ruined his career...

[donnydarkoIRL]

Absolutley, it his choice and we can never say that he didn't impress and put all the physical and mental effort he could into his preparations.

[ono]

I think legacy wise Hatton has done very well so far.

A win over Tszyu who was p4p #2 when Hatton fought him, almost creates it's own legacy. I remember the Boxing Monthly preview for that fight and 25 so called experts were asked to predict the outcome and all 25 said Tszyu and 23 of them voted Tszyu by KO.

So that win propelled Hatton to unisputed king of 140 at a time when the division was the hottest in boxing.


Ok so Carlos Maussa and Juan Urango are far from world class but they were world champions. You can't be in a superfight every fight. He lost only 1 round out of the 21 he boxed against those 2 'world champions.' He actually ko'd Maussa which is something that Cotto couldn't manage (he stopped him on cuts)


The Luis Collazo fight showed me that Hatton can still when absolutely everything is against him. Collazo was bigger, stronger, faster, technically better and a southpaw.....yet hatton still won. Close decision or not, Hatton showed he had the heart to pull through to defeat a world champion at a weight that blatantly doesn't suit Hatton.

Nobody seems to mention how well Collazo was doing against Mosley until he broke his hand. (they had taken a round each; Shane the 1st, Collazo the 2nd) He was catching Shane at will in the second until the injury......after that he stopped throwing his left hand.


Anyways.....moving onto Castillo (and this is where i severley disagree with B@rr3r@, sorry pal)

People jumped to the conclusion that Castillo was shot basically because he struggled with N'Goudjo. Well based on that theory.......is Malignaggi shot? Is Malignaggi severly over-rated? Or is N'goudjo actually half decent. I think the latter seems much more likely.

From watching the fight there was absolutely no evidence that suggested Castillo was shot. He actually won the 3rd round on two of the cards and he was warming up just nicely. Ignore the HBO broadcast where Emmanuel Steward was talking absolute shit.....watch the fight with no commentary and then form your own opinion.

As for the future i feel if Hatton only has Witter and Paulie left to fight at 140, he might as wel jack it in. They aren't super fights. They aren't likely to capture the publics interest. Witter might in the UK....maybe.

I personally feel he should just stay active, maybe take a belt or 2 at 140 and then he should go for Juan Diaz and the Pacman (providing pac avoids disaster against david diaz). See the Pac thread to get my views on that fight. Bilbo made some very good points which i strongly agreed with.

Victories over Pacman and Diaz do so much more for his legacy than victories over what's left at 140 at the minute.

Only other options is another crack at welter.....and imo that would be a terrible choice.

[B@rr3r@]

CC

I hope Hatton Fights Witter just to shut him up...

How can people sy he is the man at 140 right now...

[leftylee]

First off I get the idea your a little bias and not giving credit to Hatton more. I don't know if you know but Ricky Hatton is my favourite boxer to have ever stepped foot on the planet and feel your statements were harsh in some respects.

Second off "Ricky Hattons Legacy" will be remembered for Fighting the very best, showing heart and determination and will to succeed, A TRUE WARRIOR who had the heart of a winner.

[albsur2006]

I think Hatton's legacy should be Britian's most popular brawler ever. Ricky Hatton hasn't done enough to be considered any greater than that. We all know that he beat a washed up Tszyu. I still give him credit for that win because Tszyu was still the king at 140 at the time, but I think that Hatton has always given himself TOO much credit for that win. He's always used that fight as validation that he belongs amongst boxing's elite but I think that win was a little overrated. Ricky's competition @ 140 has been average since Tszyu, Maussa was garbage (Victor Ortiz proved that), Urango was given a horrible gift decision in the fight before Hatton that proved he was one-dimensional, JLC was completely washed up and just looking for a big check to pay off his many debts. Hatton is a good fighter but anyone saying he's an ATG is a fucking idiot.

[leftylee]

I think Hatton's legacy should be Britian's most popular brawler ever. Ricky Hatton hasn't done enough to be considered any greater than that. We all know that he beat a washed up Tszyu. I still give him credit for that win because Tszyu was still the king at 140 at the time, but I think that Hatton has always given himself TOO much credit for that win. He's always used that fight as validation that he belongs amongst boxing's elite but I think that win was a little overrated. Ricky's competition @ 140 has been average since Tszyu, Maussa was garbage (Victor Ortiz proved that), Urango was given a horrible gift decision in the fight before Hatton that proved he was one-dimensional, JLC was completely washed up and just looking for a big check to pay off his many debts. Hatton is a good fighter but anyone saying he's an ATG is a F****** idiot.

Tszyu was not washed up when he fought Hatton, big wow he was 35-36 whatever but if Mikkel Kessler beat JC would you say JC was washed up ?? I don't think so and 7 months earlier destroyed Sharmba Mitchell in 3 rounds, an indication he was not shot.

Maussa only got beat by Cotto on cuts and sensationally KO'd Vivian harris who at that time was a champion and considered a threat. Victor Ortiz beat Maussa in one round but that is totally different scenario, Maussa was coming off 3 losses in 5 fights and had a layoff of over a full year unlike where he fought RH in prime, was the champion, hungry and determined and when he fought Ortiz it was obvious he fought Ortiz for the money however no diesrespect to Victor Ortiz he put on a great fight but that was without doubt not the Carlos Maussa that faced RH. If you think otherwise then I would certainly consider an Eye test mate.

Juan "Iron Twin" Urango was a tough powerful opponent to break through and Ricky won 11/12 rounds on every one of the judges scorecards and showed grit and determination in that fight. Sure it was not his best display but isn't winning ugly better than losing pretty ?? I think so. Who said it was a robbery when he beat Naoufel Ben Rabah, I have only heard you say that and yes that's coming from a Hatton hater clearly.

As for Jose Luis Castillo, he was not completely shot. He was coming off a 3 fight winning streak and beat Herman Ngoudjo in his fight before and yes it could have went either way but so to could Herman's fight with Paulie Malignaggi the current champ so what does that say about Castillo then ?? you tell me. Also he had months to prepare for this fight and if you watch the fight again you will see Castillo dominated the 3rd round so Hatton was not walking through him the whole fight. Another thing is your excuse is not a valid point as Jose Luis Castillo did not get paid one penny for the fight so how could money be influencing him ?? Please tell me.

[leftylee]

I just realised my points were similar to Ono's I produced that on my own as well so if anybody thinks I copied I never but I'm glad somebody else can see my point of view on things.

[ono]

I think Hatton's legacy should be Britian's most popular brawler ever. Ricky Hatton hasn't done enough to be considered any greater than that. We all know that he beat a washed up Tszyu. I still give him credit for that win because Tszyu was still the king at 140 at the time, but I think that Hatton has always given himself TOO much credit for that win. He's always used that fight as validation that he belongs amongst boxing's elite but I think that win was a little overrated. Ricky's competition @ 140 has been average since Tszyu, Maussa was garbage (Victor Ortiz proved that), Urango was given a horrible gift decision in the fight before Hatton that proved he was one-dimensional, JLC was completely washed up and just looking for a big check to pay off his many debts. Hatton is a good fighter but anyone saying he's an ATG is a fucking idiot.

Tszyu was p4p#2 fighter in the world

Castillo was top 10 p4p in most p4p threads i saw on here.

Just because a fighter is old in boxing terms, doesn't mean he is washed up

And your last point makes no sense whatsoever seen as tho he only got 40k for the fight.