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y Paul Upham: Ricky Hatton will be stripped of his IBF junior welterweight this coming Monday, that is of course unless he relinquishes it first. The IBF has given Hatton and his team a deadline of end of business Friday USA time to confirm that he is not fighting Jose Luis Castillo next and will instead face new IBF No.1 contender Lovemore Ndou. With Hatton contracted to face Castillo in June on HBO in a multi-million dollar fight, it is simply not going to happen.
IBF President Marian Muhammad’s patience with Hatton and his promoter Denis Hobson was wearing thin on Thursday.
“I’ve been speaking to other people who are involved with Hatton and the proposed Castillo bout,” she told Australian Associated Press, “and they say that they had a contract signed even before Hatton fought (Juan) Urango (on January 20) so it’s been a bunch of garbage and I just don’t want to play the game anymore.”
President Muhammad told SecondsOut last week that it was not possible for Hatton to fight Castillo first in June, even if he were to commit to fighting Lovemore Ndou immediately after.
“No, he can’t do that,” she had said, “because when Juan Urango fought him, Juan Urango fought him on an exemption because the mandatory was already due. You can’t get two exemptions to further delay a mandatory. If Ricky Hatton says he will fight Castillo next, I will have to vacate the title.”
When Hatton is stripped of his belt on Monday, 35 year-old Ndou who won an IBF world title eliminator over Naoufel Ben Rabah last Sunday in a thrilling fight will be declared the new IBF junior welterweight world champion.
“The IBF has told Ricky Hatton and his promoter Denis Hobson that I get the next shot,” said Ndou. “Before my fight on Sunday, Mr Hobson told IBF President Marian Muhammad that he would face the winner next. Most people in the boxing world already know that Hatton is going to fight Jose Luis Castillo next in June. Denis Hobson has even admitted that in the English newspapers. If Ricky Hatton wants to keep his IBF title, then he must face me now. Ricky Hatton has to remember that he got his first chance at the IBF world title when Kostya Tszyu defended against him as the IBF No.1 contender. What would Ricky and his fans have thought if Kostya had refused to face him? Now that Hatton is the IBF world champion, he must defend against the IBF No.1 contender, just like Kostya did.”
IBF President Marian Muhammad’s patience with Hatton and his promoter Denis Hobson was wearing thin on Thursday.
“I’ve been speaking to other people who are involved with Hatton and the proposed Castillo bout,” she told Australian Associated Press, “and they say that they had a contract signed even before Hatton fought (Juan) Urango (on January 20) so it’s been a bunch of garbage and I just don’t want to play the game anymore.”
President Muhammad told SecondsOut last week that it was not possible for Hatton to fight Castillo first in June, even if he were to commit to fighting Lovemore Ndou immediately after.
“No, he can’t do that,” she had said, “because when Juan Urango fought him, Juan Urango fought him on an exemption because the mandatory was already due. You can’t get two exemptions to further delay a mandatory. If Ricky Hatton says he will fight Castillo next, I will have to vacate the title.”
When Hatton is stripped of his belt on Monday, 35 year-old Ndou who won an IBF world title eliminator over Naoufel Ben Rabah last Sunday in a thrilling fight will be declared the new IBF junior welterweight world champion.
“The IBF has told Ricky Hatton and his promoter Denis Hobson that I get the next shot,” said Ndou. “Before my fight on Sunday, Mr Hobson told IBF President Marian Muhammad that he would face the winner next. Most people in the boxing world already know that Hatton is going to fight Jose Luis Castillo next in June. Denis Hobson has even admitted that in the English newspapers. If Ricky Hatton wants to keep his IBF title, then he must face me now. Ricky Hatton has to remember that he got his first chance at the IBF world title when Kostya Tszyu defended against him as the IBF No.1 contender. What would Ricky and his fans have thought if Kostya had refused to face him? Now that Hatton is the IBF world champion, he must defend against the IBF No.1 contender, just like Kostya did.”
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