Is Ricky Hatton a bum? Where do you rate him?

[BoxCleva]

I've talked to a few people and seen a number of posts saying Ricky Hatton was always a bum and only got to the level he reached because of his overwhelming (perhaps uninformed) fan support. He was, and probably still is, a star attraction of our sport but evaluating an individual for his own merits as boxer should not include the amount of revenue that individual can bring to the table as a result of his fan support.

If Hatton wasn't half as popular among fans, would he ever have had the opportunity to even face Mayweather or Pacquiao? Where do you rate Hatton as a boxer, not only since the Pacquiao KO but considering his career as a whole?

Is he a

1. Bum (C class fighter): because he lacks many core boxing skills
2. Average Boxer (B) with average boxing ability
3. Excellent Boxer (A) with above average boxing skills.
4. Elite Boxer (A+ Class), he's the cream of the crop.

[The_Demon]

bums dont win 4 world titles in 2 weightclasses
bums dont have only 2 losses on their record against the no.1 p4p fighters in the world
hes a top fighter,although i know people find it hard too admit due too his style

[shade darkar]

Originally Posted by BoxCleva

I've talked to a few people and seen a number of posts saying Ricky Hatton was always a bum and only got to the level he reached because of his overwhelming (perhaps uninformed) fan support. He was, and probably still is, a star attraction of our sport but evaluating an individual for his own merits as boxer should not include the amount of revenue that individual can bring to the table as a result of his fan support.

If Hatton wasn't half as popular among fans, would he ever have had the opportunity to even face Mayweather or Pacquiao? Where do you rate Hatton as a boxer, not only since the Pacquiao KO but considering his career as a whole?

Is he a

1. Bum (C class fighter): because he lacks many core boxing skills
2. Average Boxer (B) with average boxing ability
3. Excellent Boxer (A) with above average boxing skills.
4. Elite Boxer (A+ Class), he's the cream of the crop.

hatton has done ok. 4 world titles in 2 weight divisions, ring mag champ, beat kostya tszyu who everybody seems to forget was ranked p4p number 2 at the time. id have him as an Excellent boxer (A).

[shade darkar]

Originally Posted by british_fan

bums dont win 4 world titles in 2 weightclasses
bums dont have only 2 losses on their record against the no.1 p4p fighters in the world
hes a top fighter,although i know people find it hard too admit due too his style

i agree. although i liked his style. sure he got hit alot because of it, but his style shouts out, i dont giv a **** what you got, im just gonna bulldoze straight thru you! he was an excellent brawler.

[Mersey]

I can't understand why people call Hatton a bum.

His resume is quite good, not amazing. But nowhere near bum level.

Just because he was outclassed by Mayweather (who isn't?) and made to look rubbish against Pac, doesn't make him a bum. Hatton was a great fighter but seems to have lost it in his last fight.

[Dominicano Soy]

He isn't a bum, pretty good fighter. I do believe the drinking, blowing up 30-40 lbs fucked his career up a little.

[shade darkar]

Originally Posted by Merseysideblood

I can't understand why people call Hatton a bum.

His resume is quite good, not amazing. But nowhere near bum level.

Just because he was outclassed by Mayweather (who isn't?) and made to look rubbish against Pac, doesn't make him a bum. Hatton was a great fighter but seems to have lost it in his last fight.

me neither. iv noticed alot of the cotto fans call hatton a bum, yet hatton has accomplished more than cotto in terms of championships won so far.

[NorvernRob]

All this talk of 'bums' and 'C class' fighters is total ****e, and people need to get a reality check.

Bums are guys who fight just to make up the numbers - the sort that prospects fight in their first dozen or so fights. D and C class are fighters who will never win anything above Amateur/national title level. B class I would put European level fighters at.

Almost all fighters that fight for World titles are A class or Elite level - but then out of those you have the future (and potential future) HOF's, Greats and the ATG's.

By fighting at the very top of the sport you are, by definition Elite level. People on here might point to a fighters resume and say he knocked over 30 tomato cans before winning a World Title - well maybe, but the fact is those 'Tomato cans' make up the vast majority of boxers in the sport (the TRUE B and C class fighters) and it's generally only top level fighters that can knock them all over and then go on to win titles.


Hatton has been Ring magazine fighter of the year, World Champion at 2 weights, Lineal champion at 140 for 4 years - how anyone can call him a bum because he lost to two P4P #1's and probable future ATG's is beyond me.

[BoxCleva]

Originally Posted by british_fan

bums dont win 4 world titles in 2 weightclasses
bums dont have only 2 losses on their record against the no.1 p4p fighters in the world
hes a top fighter,although i know people find it hard too admit due too his style

I know what you mean, that's the thing about Hatton, in his own way he's quite an unorthodox boxer, he's more of a brawler/spoiler with boxing ability in some ways.

[Sin City]

average.. the only thing that made him as big as he was was his fan base.