: Tue Mar 18, 2008 8:51 am  

Mugwump wrote:

No way is Hatton vs Witter a forgone conclusion.

Might not be a forgone conclusion but it doesn't have the $$$$$$$$$$$$$ that would make it attractive for Hatton especially when it would draw practically no interest in the US market. Further more, should Hatton loose to Witter it would effectively end Hatton's dream of ever gettin a fight at MSG.

You have to remember that boxing is a professional sport and no matter what the public may want, the $ will always rule.

FWIW I would predict a split decision in Hatton's favour....ie too close to call but I would like to see Hatton win!

: Tue Mar 18, 2008 11:00 am  

Mugwump wrote:

Can he recover mentally from the beating PBF inflicted on him?
Is he in decline? Hatton seems to have gone downhill since the Tszyu fight. Can this be put down solely to fighting out of his weight or not?

Well, he's only fought out of his weight twice (Collazo and Mayweather and one went the distance, the other he lost). He's not gone downhill, he's just been fighting better calibre of opponents. 140 is his weight and I don't see anyone in the division matching Hatton. He has too much speed and power.

: Tue Mar 18, 2008 12:14 pm  

Enzo Calzaghe still doesnt rate David Haye.... http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/boxing/7301849.stm He only threw 4 punches per round did he??...enough to knock your man out though werent they???

Enzo Calzaghe still doesnt rate David Haye.... http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/boxing/7301849.stm He only threw 4 punches per round did he??...enough to knock your man out though werent they???

: Tue Mar 18, 2008 12:44 pm  

Mugwump wrote:

Despite a loss, Witter made Zab Judah (when Zab was on the up-and-up) look silly after being given only 14 days notice of the fight.

Indeed - so silly that Judah won a massive points decision after Witter spent 12 rounds running away refusing to throw a punch in anger.

: Tue Mar 18, 2008 9:40 pm  

Add DHOP to the list of fighters running from Witter, the most feared man at 140 it seems ...

: Wed Mar 19, 2008 12:38 am  

OrdsallRed wrote: Enzo Calzaghe still doesnt rate David Haye.... http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/boxing/7301849.stm He only threw 4 punches per round did he??...enough to knock your man out though werent they??? Oh dear...

OrdsallRed wrote: Enzo Calzaghe still doesnt rate David Haye.... http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/boxing/7301849.stm He only threw 4 punches per round did he??...enough to knock your man out though werent they??? Oh dear...

: Thu Mar 20, 2008 12:34 pm  

Andy Gilder wrote:

Indeed - so silly that Judah won a massive points decision after Witter spent 12 rounds running away refusing to throw a punch in anger.

I was just about to say that I must have been watching a different fight.

: Thu Mar 20, 2008 1:44 pm  

Blobbynator wrote:

Well, he's only fought out of his weight twice (Collazo and Mayweather and one went the distance, the other he lost). He's not gone downhill, he's just been fighting better calibre of opponents. 140 is his weight and I don't see anyone in the division matching Hatton. He has too much speed and power.

Well, he HARDLY looked unbeatable against the awesome might of Juan Urango. He was taking a hell of a battering from those body shots (to the point where Graham sound more than a bit worried "suck it up Ricky").

Stamina is an issue for Ricky. By his own admission he gassed against Urango. He looked knackered against Mayweather - at a weight where he shouldn't be weight drained. He was fortunate to beat Collazo - another fight in which he seemed to fade two-thirds in.

And there's the binge eating, booze etc. Bad enough to have those habits when you AREN'T struggling to make weight. 140 was Hatton's optimum weight. He's grown out of it now (almost all fighters have to go up 1 or 2 weight divisions during their careers).

Trouble is - Hatton's not effective at 147.

: Thu Mar 20, 2008 10:08 pm  

Grown out of the 140 weight? You are aware that his last fight before the Mayweather battle was at 140lbs and he convincingly beat Castillo in the 4th round? That definitely suggests to me that it is STILL his weight.

The Collazo and Mayweather fights were at 147lbs and he looked a little small for that weight. They were the two fights he really struggled in.

He'll be awesome again in the 140 LW division and I've no doubt he'll take the title off Malignaggi and then maybe Torres and Witter.

: Thu Mar 20, 2008 11:31 pm  

Mugwump wrote:

Well, he HARDLY looked unbeatable against the awesome might of Juan Urango. He was taking a hell of a battering from those body shots (to the point where Graham sound more than a bit worried "suck it up Ricky").

A bad cold in the lead up to the fight certainly didn't help things. I've been told by people in the know who I trust on this, and had it not been Ricky's debut headlining Las Vegas he would have pulled out. It was hardly a battering of body shots either, there was one in the 5th round (I think) that really hit the mark and very nearly sunk him to his knees (his own words) and damaged his ribs, any shots around that mark after were always gonna be painful to take, but despite this Ricky still strolled to victory on all 3 judges scorecards.

Mugwump wrote:

He was fortunate to beat Collazo - another fight in which he seemed to fade two-thirds in.

I thought he was fortunate to beat Collazo and at the fight quite a few of us actually thought he'd been beat. The fading two thirds in may have had something to do with the short amount of time he had to prepare for his first ever crack at a Welterweight title, and the mistakes the camp made regarding his weight on fight night.

Mugwump wrote:

And there's the binge eating, booze etc. Bad enough to have those habits when you AREN'T struggling to make weight. 140 was Hatton's optimum weight. He's grown out of it now (almost all fighters have to go up 1 or 2 weight divisions during their careers).

I don't think he has grown out of it at all, he comfortably makes 140 and always will IMO. The eating, boozing thing is a thing that concerns a lot of people inside the team, but on the other hand some feel he almost needs to balloon up to give himself the motivation to live like a monk and train his knackers off in a 12 week camp. Having said that though, I think before Floyd and after that fight there has been a significant change on that score.

Mugwump wrote:

Trouble is - Hatton's not effective at 147.

I totally agree!

He doesn't have the physical presence and ability to bully opponents the same as he does at 140. It's just a shame for Ricky at the moment that there's a lot more quality around in the 147 division than the 140. You certainly can't knock the lad though for stepping out of his 'own' division to have a crack at the very best of the 147's.