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By Jake Donovan - It's the same set of circumstances for the winner of any big fight. Being good enough to win just doesn't seem to be good enough for others. Before the victor has a chance to celebrate and embrace the moment, he's already confronted with the inevitable question: What's next?
Ricky Hatton was forced to immediately ponder the future following his four-round destruction of Jose Luis Castillo Saturday night in Las Vegas. It began with Max Kellerman, an agenda-driven fan disguised as a color commentator, asking not who Hatton will fight next, but whether or not he'd consider a follow-up to his one-and-done at welterweight, where the more lucrative matchups await. Jim Lampley's post-fight wrap-up was prefaced with the same line of thinking, as have been various reporters through their column space in the aftermath of last weekend's action.
While a "no comment" to an answer is generally regarded as a cop-out, Hatton's noncommittal approach to the question (save for a brief dig at Floyd Mayweather Jr.) was perfectly acceptable on this occasion. After all, he already tested the welterweight waters last year, and nearly drowned, narrowly escaping with a controversial unanimous decision while discovering that the weight class wasn't his cup of English Tea.
Answering no offers the perception that he's ducking the sport's biggest stars. Answering yes makes him a hypocrite, conveniently forgetting the aforementioned bout against Collazo. In addition to cementing his claim as the best junior welterweight on the planet, Hatton also proved himself to be one of the sport's better politicians.
While the name of the game (and any other sport these days) is ultimately about making money, plenty of fighters in the past often sought to carve out a legacy for themselves. Like Hatton, his 140 lb. predecessors had more lucrative options awaiting them had they added seven pounds to their frame. Instead, they stuck it out at junior welterweight, allowing the division to be identified by their reigns. [details]
Ricky Hatton was forced to immediately ponder the future following his four-round destruction of Jose Luis Castillo Saturday night in Las Vegas. It began with Max Kellerman, an agenda-driven fan disguised as a color commentator, asking not who Hatton will fight next, but whether or not he'd consider a follow-up to his one-and-done at welterweight, where the more lucrative matchups await. Jim Lampley's post-fight wrap-up was prefaced with the same line of thinking, as have been various reporters through their column space in the aftermath of last weekend's action.
While a "no comment" to an answer is generally regarded as a cop-out, Hatton's noncommittal approach to the question (save for a brief dig at Floyd Mayweather Jr.) was perfectly acceptable on this occasion. After all, he already tested the welterweight waters last year, and nearly drowned, narrowly escaping with a controversial unanimous decision while discovering that the weight class wasn't his cup of English Tea.
Answering no offers the perception that he's ducking the sport's biggest stars. Answering yes makes him a hypocrite, conveniently forgetting the aforementioned bout against Collazo. In addition to cementing his claim as the best junior welterweight on the planet, Hatton also proved himself to be one of the sport's better politicians.
While the name of the game (and any other sport these days) is ultimately about making money, plenty of fighters in the past often sought to carve out a legacy for themselves. Like Hatton, his 140 lb. predecessors had more lucrative options awaiting them had they added seven pounds to their frame. Instead, they stuck it out at junior welterweight, allowing the division to be identified by their reigns. [details]
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