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"HBO’s Mayweather/Hatton 24/7 documentary has done a superb job of selling the fight. Which is to say it’s done a superb job of convincing viewers (see: potential pay-per-view buys) that Ricky Hatton stands a reasonable chance of winning. Between watching him hammer that gargantuan body ball that’s strapped to trainer Billy Graham’s torso, and listening to him, steely-eyed and resolute, predict dire things for Mayweather, you’d think the two are easily on the same plane.
On paper at least, they are not. It’s not close.
Long forgotten is the hellish time Hatton had with Luis Collazo in his only other bout against a top-ranked welterweight. In the wake of Hatton’s immense affability and popularity, most were more than willing at the time to forget that the decision could quite readily have gone the other way. Hatton did not; he dropped right back down to 140 pounds where he belonged.
Only that return to junior welter didn’t go as planned. Juan Urango’s bodyshots so discomfited Hatton that Graham had to nurse him through the early rounds with between-rounds counsel along the lines of, “All fighters have days like these and you are obligated to suck it up.” Suck it up Hatton did, even if over the last two rounds doing so required him to hold on to Urango like he held the tap to the last keg of Guinness in Manchester.
Mayweather has never been as close to losing to anyone as Hatton was those two nights, even against far better competition. It is commonly accepted that Jose Luis Castillo, when he was young and fresh, came closer than anyone has to beating Mayweather. And in my view, he didn’t come very close at all.
Still, Hatton has the right style to beat Mayweather. Generally, swarmers like Hatton do better against classical boxers than do other boxers or big punchers. Without a lot of trouble, one can envision Hatton’s whirlwind, mauling style wearing Mayweather down over the course of a long, grueling bout. Indeed, as I write this, the poll on this very site shows 34.1 percent of respondents picking Hatton by kayo.
I don’t see it. Mayweather wins this. Hard or easy, but he wins it. Too fast, too skilled, too good."
Taken from the Ring's website.
Thoughts?
On paper at least, they are not. It’s not close.
Long forgotten is the hellish time Hatton had with Luis Collazo in his only other bout against a top-ranked welterweight. In the wake of Hatton’s immense affability and popularity, most were more than willing at the time to forget that the decision could quite readily have gone the other way. Hatton did not; he dropped right back down to 140 pounds where he belonged.
Only that return to junior welter didn’t go as planned. Juan Urango’s bodyshots so discomfited Hatton that Graham had to nurse him through the early rounds with between-rounds counsel along the lines of, “All fighters have days like these and you are obligated to suck it up.” Suck it up Hatton did, even if over the last two rounds doing so required him to hold on to Urango like he held the tap to the last keg of Guinness in Manchester.
Mayweather has never been as close to losing to anyone as Hatton was those two nights, even against far better competition. It is commonly accepted that Jose Luis Castillo, when he was young and fresh, came closer than anyone has to beating Mayweather. And in my view, he didn’t come very close at all.
Still, Hatton has the right style to beat Mayweather. Generally, swarmers like Hatton do better against classical boxers than do other boxers or big punchers. Without a lot of trouble, one can envision Hatton’s whirlwind, mauling style wearing Mayweather down over the course of a long, grueling bout. Indeed, as I write this, the poll on this very site shows 34.1 percent of respondents picking Hatton by kayo.
I don’t see it. Mayweather wins this. Hard or easy, but he wins it. Too fast, too skilled, too good."
Taken from the Ring's website.
Thoughts?
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