Ricky Hatton's Greatness?

[QuietOne]

Care to explain that, kid? Or are you just repeating what you hear from grown ups?

You're basically saying that two of the sports most popular, achieved and top 5 P4P fighters should've gone back down two weight classes just to fight an unknown contender, for no reward.

How messed up does that sound to you?

[CarlosG815]

Wow. You not only have no idea what you're talking about, but you're delusional, as well.

Go back to school.

You're basically saying that two of the sports most popular, achieved and top 5 P4P fighters should've gone back down two weight classes just to fight an unknown contender, for no reward.

How messed up does that sound to you?

Hatton would have had to make the weight and he could have gotten his shot.

[QuietOne]

Hatton would have had to make the weight and he could have gotten his shot.

What exactly granted him a world title shot, in a division that's two weight classes higher than his normal fighting weight?

[DeelDough]

A tallented nearly man who was ruined by the following:

1) His lifestyle outside the ring (drinking, ballooning in weight between fights).
2) Moving up to welterweight to Fight Collazzo. Took too many punches. obviously wasn't as strong at the highter weight.
3) Moving back down in weight afterwards, toll on body.
4) Then moving up to welter again to face pound for pound number 1 Mayweather in a division he was obviously not suited too.
5) Then moving back in weight again, more toll on body. Clearly had little punch resistance against Lascano compared to what he used to.
6) Has a chaotic training camp before facing the new pound for pound king Pacqiou and is brutally knocked out.
7) Balloons to 200Lbs according to some reports.
8) Comeback is thwarted when he bunks out of training to go to a stag night gathering in Tenerife.


The ballooning, junk food, alcohol and lack of care for himself outside of training camps has surely cut short his career. Plus moving up and then down in weight divisions a few times in only a few years is never good, very few fighters do this with ease.

The Ricky Hatton, prior to the Collazzo fight would have given many light welterweights in history a good fight, he had good pace, punch variety, speed and a good chin.

He has a greater claim to be IBHOF material than some who are on the list, but I cant see him entering it easily. He is a two weight world champion who has beaten some good fighters.

Agreed!!! well said I admire Ricky , exciting fighter who wasnt scared and came to fight. What more can u ask.

[CarlosG815]

What exactly granted him a world title shot, in a division that's two weight classes higher than his normal fighting weight?

Hatton was a 140lb fighter. Do you know what the next weight class up is? It's 147, where all the big game was. Ricky Hatton should have been fighting where the talent was. Either move down to 135 or move up to 147, that's where the action was. But he chose to stay at 140 his entire career fighting nobody's.

Look at Hatton's career. He had an undefeated record and would have easily gotten a shot against the best 135 guys or 147, depending on where he wanted to go.

He chose to stay in a fake class his entire career. Super lightweight/junior welterweight.

[QuietOne]

Hatton was a 140lb fighter. Do you know what the next weight class up is? It's 147, where all the big game was. Ricky Hatton should have been fighting where the talent was. Either move down to 135 or move up to 147, that's where the action was. But he chose to stay at 140 his entire career fighting nobody's.

Look at Hatton's career. He had an undefeated record and would have easily gotten a shot against the best 135 guys or 147, depending on where he wanted to go.

He chose to stay in a fake class his entire career. Super lightweight/junior welterweight.

There was no big action, in the welterweight division. It was actually considered pretty weak. I mean.. the lineal champion was Cory Spinks.

The light welterweight division was much better. From 2003-2004, it had Tszyu (lineal champion), Judah, Cotto and Mayweather. Pretty good, don't you think?

Fighters can't just move down another weight class that easily. They cut down in weight to the minimum they could. For Hatton, it was 140. And you just expect him to go down another 5 pounds?

[CarlosG815]

There was no big action, in the welterweight division. It was actually considered pretty weak. I mean.. the lineal champion was Cory Spinks.

The light welterweight division was much better. From 2003-2004, it had Tszyu (lineal champion), Judah, Cotto and Mayweather. Pretty good, don't you think?

Fighters can't just move down another weight class that easily. They cut down in weight to the minimum they could. For Hatton, it was 140. And you just expect him to go down another 5 pounds?

You really have no idea what you're talking about. The WW division was pretty poppin' at the time, and the fact that you yourself claim that Hatton couldn't make weight in a real division is another testament to his lack of greatness.

Oscar DLH, Fernando Vargas, Tito Trinidad, Ike Quartey, Oba Carr, JMM, Erik Morales, and many more have all moved up in weight throughout their careers, and that is a testament to their greatness.

You've helped to make my point - Ricky Hatton is just a guy that fought in a phony division and never moved up or down because he truly lacks greatness.

[QuietOne]

You really have no idea what you're talking about. The WW division was pretty poppin' at the time, and the fact that you yourself claim that Hatton couldn't make weight in a real division is another testament to his lack of greatness.

Oscar DLH, Fernando Vargas, Tito Trinidad, Ike Quartey, Oba Carr, JMM, Erik Morales, and many more have all moved up in weight throughout their careers, and that is a testament to their greatness.

You've helped to make my point - Ricky Hatton is just a guy that fought in a phony division and never moved up or down because he truly lacks greatness.

Here's the welterweight rankings from 2003:

2003

Cory Spinks, Champion

1. Ricardo Mayorga
2. Vernon Forrest
3. Antonio Margarito
4. Thomas Damgaard
5. Michele Piccirillo
6. Manuel Gomez
7. Andrew Lewis
8. Teddy Reid
9. Jawaid Khaliq
10. Jose Antonio Rivera

You call that "poppin'"? lmao.

Hatton moved up to welterweight and won a world title, AFTER he won the lineal championship at light welterweight.

And if you're saying he shouldn't have fought at light welterweight, than you're basically destroying your own theory of how fighters should move up in weight. You have to start at a weight to move up from, and Hatton did it at light welterweight, and then moved up to welterweight.

And please tell me how the light welterweight division is phony. It started back in the 1930s and became a fully recognized division in 1959. You even said he should've moved up to light middleweight to win a title there, even though the light middleweight division was established much later on.

Going by your logic, DLH (who's one of your favorite fighters, according to your sig) was a phony champion in 3 divisions. How does that sound to you?

[CarlosG815]

Here's the welterweight rankings from 2003:



You call that "poppin'"? lmao.

Hatton moved up to welterweight and won a world title, AFTER he won the lineal championship at light welterweight.

And if you're saying he shouldn't have fought at light welterweight, than you're basically destroying your own theory of how fighters should move up in weight. You have to start at a weight to move up from, and Hatton did it at light welterweight, and then moved up to welterweight.

And please tell me how the light welterweight division is phony. It started back in the 1930s and became a fully recognized division in 1959. You even said he should've moved up to light middleweight to win a title there, even though the light middleweight division was established much later on.

Going by your logic, DLH (who's one of your favorite fighters, according to your sig) was a phony champion in 3 divisions. How does that sound to you?

Now go dig up the 140lb rankings for that year.

[QuietOne]

Now go dig up the 140lb rankings for that year.

2003

Kostya Tszyu, Champion

1. Sharmba Mitchell
2. Zab Judah
3. Arturo Gatti
4. Vivian Harris
5. Ricky Hatton
6. DeMarcus Corley
7. Oktay Urkal
8. Miguel Angel Cotto
9. Omar Gabriel Weis
10. Junior Witter

That seems MUCH better to me.