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When the announcement came down that Ricky Hatton was going to be awarded with Ring Magazine's coveted "Fighter of The Year" award for 2005, I could not help but feel like a robbery was taking place.
I can't argue with Hatton having a great year and the accolades he was receiving from the boxing public for stopping Kostya Tszyu, but I don't think Hatton did enough to win the award.
There was another man who fought twice in 2005, and he fought an opponent tougher than Tszyu or Carlos Maussa. The fighter that should have been awarded Ring's top honor is Jermain Taylor.
When you break down the statistical facts of the fighters both men faced, there is no comparison. The opponents don't even come close at the time of the fights taking place.
Let's take a look at Hatton's two opponents, Kostya Tszyu and Carlos Maussa. There is no question that Tszyu was regarded as a great fighter coming into his bout with Hatton. Tszyu was also favored by many experts to win, and he was perched on many pound-for-pound lists in pundit land. The problem with Tszyu was not his credentials, but his lack of in-ring activity and he was still pretty fresh from coming off a near two-year layoff due to numerous injuries. [details]
I can't argue with Hatton having a great year and the accolades he was receiving from the boxing public for stopping Kostya Tszyu, but I don't think Hatton did enough to win the award.
There was another man who fought twice in 2005, and he fought an opponent tougher than Tszyu or Carlos Maussa. The fighter that should have been awarded Ring's top honor is Jermain Taylor.
When you break down the statistical facts of the fighters both men faced, there is no comparison. The opponents don't even come close at the time of the fights taking place.
Let's take a look at Hatton's two opponents, Kostya Tszyu and Carlos Maussa. There is no question that Tszyu was regarded as a great fighter coming into his bout with Hatton. Tszyu was also favored by many experts to win, and he was perched on many pound-for-pound lists in pundit land. The problem with Tszyu was not his credentials, but his lack of in-ring activity and he was still pretty fresh from coming off a near two-year layoff due to numerous injuries. [details]
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