Hatton tells Calzaghe to go to America
Dont know if this has already been posted, but very interesting comments by Hatton urging Joe to fight in America:
“Joe doesn’t know what he’s missing by not fighting in Las Vegas. It isn’t just the boxing capital but the capital of entertainment.
“New York’s Madison Square Gardens is steeped in boxing history, but Vegas is the only place in the world where just going to the supermarket for a pint of milk can be exciting.
“One of my best moments in boxing is seeing my name up in lights on the huge TV screens above the Vegas Strip.
“There were adverts to watch Celine Dion and David Copperfield, then my ugly mug flashed up on the screen. That was a priceless feeling.
“Joe would love that feeling, it’s what boxing is all about. That’s showbiz.”
Hatton hopes unbeaten Calzaghe, the longest-reigning world champ, joins him on British boxing’s assault on the States.
And he admitted: “Joe wants to go to America but things aren’t happening for him.
“He needs to have a word with his promoter Frank Warren and say, ‘let’s get over there’, because that’s where every great boxer must be.
“Joe has said he only wants the big fights, like top American pound-for-pound guys Winky Wright, Jermain Taylor or Bernard Hopkins but he’ll have to go to them.
“They’re never going to come over here to Joe’s fortress as they saw what he did to Jeff Lacy last year.
“Joe might continue to get the mediocre fighters in Britain, like Peter Manfredo jnr, who want big paydays but the elite won’t come here because Joe is too good for his own good.
“He gave Lacy an almighty beating and scared the Yanks to death.
“If they came over here, it’d be them writing a career suicide note.
“History shows top Americans don’t like it here.
“Gerald McClellan lost to Nigel Benn and Frank Bruno beat Oliver McCall, so Joe will have to make the first move and go over there.
“Either that, or retire wondering what might have been.
“I’ve not got many big fights left in boxing and time is more of the essence for Joe as he’s 35 and he says himself he probably has only a few big fights left in him.”
Hatton controversially dumped promoter Warren, also Calzaghe’s fix-it man, in 2005 after his career-defining victory over Kostya Tszyu.
He subsequently suffered a long acrimonious legal battle just to realise his American dream.
Hatton’s career has hit new heights in the States, where he is promoted by Brit Dennis Hobson, as the win over Castillo has set him up for a potential bank-busting showdown with Floyd Mayweather, possibly at the new Wembley in London.
In contrast, Calzaghe’s career has stuttered since his career-defining fight – a one-sided systematic destruction of the so-called ‘next Mike Tyson’ Lacy in March last year.
Since then there have been meaningless beatings of nobody Sakio Bika and reality TV joker Manfredo jnr.
“I wanted to go to America for years,” said unified light welterweight champ Hatton.
“But I spent years fighting in Manchester at The MEN Arena until I reached a point in my career when I said, ‘no, I have to go to America now’.
“It was always something I wanted to do. I put myself and family through trauma and financial cost to get there as I fell out with Frank Warren.
“I’ve not looked back and my decision has paid dividends.
“Joe is at that point in his career now. It just depends on Joe’s ambitions and whether his promoter will back him.
“Joe has done his time here and when he retires, he doesn’t want any, ‘what ifs’.
“He has been No 1 super-middleweight for almost ten years and is one of Britain’s best-ever fighters. So he doesn’t want critics questioning his record, saying, ‘Yeah, he was great but he never fought in the States’. Joe is far too good for that.
“I had to put up with people saying I wouldn’t come out of my comfort zone and fight outside of Manchester.
“I knew that wasn’t the case, but now I’ve fought and won in their back yard I’ve shut a few people up.
“If I’d have beaten Castillo in Manchester it would have been a great win, but the achievement is greater because I’ve gone halfway round the world to do it.
“I recovered from an 11-hour flight, adapted to a different time-zone, climate, humidity and way of life and still won well.
“I didn’t have to leave Manchester because I was No 1 in my division, like Joe is, but I wanted to prove I was a true champion and bust the myth that all British fighters are wrapped in cotton wool.
“Many British boxers don’t want to risk their titles against the Americans in America, but the great fighters do.
“For everything he has done in this sport, to hang up his gloves without topping a bill in America would be a shame for Joe.”
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