hatton and pbf 2

[Roger Mellie]

So you believe the ref had something to do with Hatton getting KO'd?

I for one do.Cortez played a huge part in Hatton losing his cool.He lost his cool,abandoned his gameplan and got knocked out.

[Dragon Punch]

This is true.
After many years in the sport, when you get to the top, you want to be rewarded for the many years of training and struggle. Each fight can be your last so why not get paid like it is your last. That side to the sport and the fighter's thoughts on the business side to boxing is understandable. From a fan stand-point, I don't want to really hear or think about it even though I do think they are right and should do it to some extent; so it is mix feelings. But in the end, I'm a fan and I want fights to be made but at the same time I wouldn't want a fighter to compromise to much because it is his career and health on the line.

In today's game it allows fighters at the top of the money tree to not fight as often and avoid fights either for longer periods of time or straight out avoidance. Not a fan of that.

Agreed. Personally if Ricky beats Pac as I expect him to I would like him to face the Bradley/Holt winner (especially if Bradley wins as I like the kid) but it sounds like there's a deal on the table for JMM in England. Whilst that's a great fight, it does nothing for the division and blocks a good young fighter from getting his shot. It's kind of like, Oscar, Pac, PBF, Hatton and now JMM to a certain extent are an ''elite'' group and nobody else can break into it.


Hatton and Floyd at 140:

Floyd needed Gatti, no question. He needed Gatti to get a belt and boost his audience/popularity. His first big boost in boxing from most of the people I talk to that are not die-hard fans but are fans of the sport, was from beating Diego Corrales. But it was Gatti who had more "Star-power."
Gatti was his ticket to a PPV title fight with Tszyu and also set his increased popularity up for a Oscar fight.
Hatton spoiled that so Floyd wanted Hatton. Plus, in a way, I think Floyd's feelings towards Tszyu was a bit of wanting "get-back" for Tszyu.

I'm not sure where the fight would have been held but it would have been interesting to hear the negotiations as they moved along pass the initial talk stage of saying "Yes" to a fight.

From what I know, there was never any indication from Floyd's part that he wasn't serious about the fight when he was at 140. He did however make jokes as things moved on about Hatton's wrestling tactics and that he wouldn't fight in England because of what he regarded as what Hatton got away with when he fought Tszyu...I think that was it.

Yeah, I remember Floyd making those kinds of comments. I think personally both Floyd and Ricky would probably have loved to have got it on but there's no way there camps would have sanctioned it. There would have been no money to make it feasible, plus Ricky had just got his 3 fight deal with HBO which if memory served me right was basically 1 fight to introduce himself to america (Collazo) another to keep the momentum going (Urango) with the third being a PPV (This didnt come off due to a relatively boring peformance against Urango) so this stayed on ''Championship boxing'' or whatever it's called on HBO. It would however have been a great fight at 140lb, and I'm pretty certain it would have been alot more competative then it turned out to be at 147 with PBF winning on points.

I think Floyd's objective was to keep moving or he felt he would lose Oscar. If he stayed at 140, the way things are in boxing with fighters barely fighting and politics involved, Floyd wasn't going to wait around and miss the Golden Boy. Especially with the possibility if Hatton lost before he got to him.
I think Floyd really wanted to cash out and Oscar was that ticket. He wasn't looking at Hatton at the time as being that ticket. Oscar, and if Shane wanted to dance as well, were his retirement checks.
But everything was about keep moving forward to retirement.

What did end up helping boost the Hatton vs. Mayweather fight was Mayweather's fight against Oscar. Oscar did more for Floyd than any fighter before. I don't think it would have been as high if Floyd didn't fight Oscar first. So in the end, Floyd may not have been able to get his second money fight with Shane, he did however get one with Hatton. So it did end up working out Money wise and he topped it off with a KO victory over Hatton to finish off business.

Agreed, the Oscar fight turned him into a ''cross over'' star - that damn Oscar has that up his sleeve which is the reason he'll more then likely be appearing in the ring again. Personally, I don't thik there was ever going to be a question of Floyd facing Mosley ahead of Ricky - unless Hatton lost beforehand. Ricky bring's far more money to the table and a lesser threat then Sugar.


As a fan, I still don't like that the fight didn't happen back then at 140. And, I'm not a fan of what Floyd did while he was at 147, although I don't think Arum was giving him an easy time with regards to a Cotto fight. Margarito, yes, but not Cotto.
There was Williams though.

Arum probably wanted options on Floyd in order to sanction a Cotto fight - agreed he would have given him Margarito as he's expendable.



Excellant post - I enjoyed the read.

[713832281]

No.

would it turn out any different

[KingTito]

No, Floyd would still take it to him. He's just better than Floyd. What can Floyd Sr. possibly teach Hatton that Floyd Jr. can't do better.

[FeFist]

If they fight at 140lb I seriously see Floyd doing what he did to Autoro Gatti.

[gingeralbino]

So you believe the ref had something to do with Hatton getting KO'd?

Unquestionabley. Another poster already stated it made him lose his cool and chuck his game plan out the window. Cortez wouldnt let Hatton implement his game plan to get and STAY on the inside. Everytime Ricky went to get on the inside he ate punches. Doesnt take a genius to figure out that if the ref splits them up immediatley at the clinch before Hatton can do any damage, and Floyd keeps landing cleanly on Ricky's way in, then only one fighter is taking damage.
Floyd UD with a favourable ref (note I said favourable, not fair!)

[NakiFan]

Unless Hatton destroys Pac, showing massive improvement to his boxing skills I would give him no chance against PBF, he got embarrased in that first fight.

[legend198]

mayweather will ko him even faster.