By Mark Vester
You can always count on the UK's top promoter, Frank Warren, for some great verbal jabs. This week he blasted his ex-fighter Ricky Hatton for planning a possible return in the 2010 against Juan Manuel Marquez. This time Warren may be right with some of his statements. Warren says Hatton is delusional with some of his recent comments and career choices. He doesn't think the Manchester star is even close to being in proper form and doesn't think Hatton has the fire in his belly to fight with the A-level stars.
"Ricky Hatton claims he was on top in the second round when he fought Manny Pacquiao. In Hatton World he was romping it until he took a three-minute kip on his back. And in that same world he also believes he was winning his fight with Floyd Mayweather until the American got lucky. Now Hatton is in talks with Mayweather victim Juan Manuel Marquez about a fight in June," Warren said in his Sun column.
"In Hatton's world, and that of his lawyer and so-called boxing expert Gareth Williams, it is a good fight for Ricky against an elite fighter. It is a good fight for Williams and Hatton's promotional company - but a terrible one for boxing and the Hitman. It would be nothing more than a money-grabbing exercise by a man with millions in his bank."
"How many pictures have there been recently of him leaving nightclubs and pubs? You have only got to look at him to see it will not be safe for him to fight, and for him to think otherwise is ridiculous and delusional. He must be walking around at 14 stone. If the experts around him cared about his well-being they would stop him from boxing. He needs to be saved from himself, and if he cannot see sense then the respected Boxing Board of Control should stop him."
Warren also took a shot at Hatton's promotional practices. He says Hatton is not the "nice guy promoter" that he makes himself to be.
"Ricky talks about the welfare of boxers and looking after them. So it was surprising last week when Darren McDermott and other boxers appearing on his latest show in Stoke were asked to vacate their hotel rooms by 11am on the day of the fight. That left many of them with nowhere to go until the venue opened," Warren said.
Send News Tips and Comments To Mark Vester @ boxingvester@gmail.com
