Ricky Hatton Returns To The Scene Of The Crime

[BIGPOPPAPUMP]

By Jake Donovan - This Saturday will mark exactly 50 weeks since the last time Ricky Hatton last played the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada. It was there that he lost his “0”, at the hands of then pound-for-pound best Floyd Mayweather Jr in their welterweight superfight last December.

It is where Hatton returns this weekend, this time one weight class lower for the fourth defense of his lineal junior welterweight crown when he meets top American challenger Paul Malignaggi (Saturday, HBO, 10PM ET/7PM PT).

Gone is the team that had accompanied him for that fight, but still lingering are the ghosts of what stands for the moment as the worst night of his professional boxing career.

“Whenever I walk through the MGM Grand the first thing that will go through my mind will be Floyd Mayweather knocking me out,” admitted Hatton (44-1, 31KO) during an international conference call Tuesday afternoon to discuss this weekend’s match.

A loss of any kind is often difficult to overcome; a knockout loss even more so. With Mayweather now claiming retirement, Hatton is forced to move on and settle for beating the best of the rest.

That journey began last May, when he returned home – and to the junior welterweight division – for a fight against faded American challenger Juan Lazcano. Despite the title lineage at stake, the show’s true purpose was a double-barrel showcase, with plans for the matchup this weekend so long as Hatton and Malignaggi emerged victorious.

Neither fighter was particularly impressive or even entertaining in their decision wins. Malignaggi overcame a weave malfunction to survive his mandated rematch with Lovemore N’Dou in the evening’s co-feature; Hatton had less difficulty with Lazcano, save for a brief scare in the 10th that was averted by a clinch and a time out for a shoelace re-adjustment. [details]

[deanrw]

That ring post should be charged with assault!!

I like Ricky. Just wish he was a bit more disciplined.

[edgarg]

That ring post should be charged with assault!!

I like Ricky. Just wish he was a bit more disciplined.

Yes, I've always thought that it was thecorberr-post which administered the KO. Mayweather's punch wasn't hard enough to do it, even if Hatton was stumbling into it.
Which he was. The video shows that he was stumbling or falling forward, absorbed the punch, fell further right into the post. It was a wrenching contact, and he's lucky his neck didn't snap.

At the same time he was losing badly, not hurt or anything like, but had become aimless with no plan except to wander around after Mayweather, and, when he found him, do nothing except take punches. A useless foray into a division he was/is totally unsuited for. There were/are more welterweights who would have beaten him up long before the 10th rd.

[MANGLER]

If he loses this time it won't be by KO, so I hope he don't go **** talkin the ref.

[aqf157]

To be fair I reckon if Ricky looked after himself and had nurtured his boxing skills (which from looking at his early fights he clearly has) as well as his "fighting" skills then he could have got right to the top of the pile. Instead he had a trainer who half way through Hatton's career recognised that Hatton could steam role his way through opponents rather than out-box them, which then became the CHIEF philosophy when preparing for fights, not least because it's all Graham knew about. Then again if it worked against Tszu it can work against anyone, and would have worked against anyone in that ring on that night, but things change as they say and boxers and trainers alike become smarter. If there is one thing that Ali has taught us it's that boxing always wins in the end. The match-up against Malignaggi will tell us whether Hatton really has the requisite skills or not. A lot of his followers say that he has, and I think he has, it's just whether he can pull it out of the bag at this stage of his career, it might be too late, I hope not but we'll see...

[bigflip55]

i like ricky, i think its great the guy doesnt have to live like a monk to get ready to put it on someone, i belive you need to have balance in life and i think ricky has just that. obviosly he isnt always messed up or else how would he be able to drop to 140 from 180-190, thats what i weigh and i drop to 165 and just to do that it takes disapline

[nathan_nall]

Paulie No Joke

Man, its easy to see why the Brits look at Hatton as their favorite son... What other fighter is as honest as he is about his strengths, and his weaknesses. But I was blown away when I saw the betting odds. All along its been crystal clear to me that Paulie would box his ears off for 12 rounds. I haven't been in the message boards in a while, so I was oblivious. I honestly thought the rest of the world would agree. Hatton is one of my 3 favorites right now, but Paulie is gonna shave his whiskers with fast and clean boxing.