hatton in america

[Azteca]

why is the view of hatton in america that he is just a 'face first' slugger? with all the hatton - castillo talks, i think hatton would be able to outbox castillo with considerable ease. hatton - mayweather would be a different story as it is near impossible to outbox mayweather because he is able to turn you and then punch as opposed to tszyu who always dropped straight back.

i will be the first to tell you, hatton can box-fight and it is a massive misconception in america that all he does is plod and is there to be hit. hatton has a reputation as a brawler, which he can be, but he is a very intelligent brawler with brilliant head movement and he makes space inside to work. he always has a great gameplan and he leaves it to his opponents for them to figure it out.

hatton isn't limited to just an inside game, either. he is not as good of a boxer as mayweather but he can do it when he wants to and quite effectively. he's quite good at phase attacks where he moves in, strikes then lays of for a second by putting his weight on his back foot and leaning back just a little bit. he then pushes in again to attack. i'd say it's more of a move where you use it in the amateurs, but it's very effective. it's quite hard to notice it because it's very subtle but that is why its effective.

i think some of you should watch carefully and you will see the skill that hatton is always talking about that he has.

[Nacho_Analstain]

hatton is a GOOD,fighter,hes got a lot 2 learn and hes only young,my heart races wen i c im get hit coz u never know wot will happen as hes not proved his chin yet,o hope he does good hes a good fighter but hes got alot of threat

[kayjay]

I've not seen the Hatton I read about here, and I think alot of Americans feel that way. I hope you're right.

[AllEyesOpen]

Kayjay hit it on the nose, He needs to prove himself to Us fans, but there are alot who have faith.

[KoolWillie]

Castillo VS Hatton that could make fight of the year, both fighters can be sluggers when they want too be

[Konstantin]

He is percieved that way because thats how US fans have seen him fight.

[JuicyJuice]

hatton is a GOOD,fighter,hes got a lot 2 learn and hes only young,my heart races wen i c im get hit coz u never know wot will happen as hes not proved his chin yet,o hope he does good hes a good fighter but hes got alot of threat

Hatton hasn't got anything to learn (he knows it all), and he's not young. He has only a handful of fights left in him.

[JuicyJuice]

When I was an amateur, I remember people often talked about "Richard Hatton from Sale West" around the gyms, and he was always spoke of him as just a tough brawler who was bowling kids over. But I went to see him fight one day and couldn't believe my eyes, he was like nothing nobody had described - he was poetry in motion. This was January 1995, and he was winning the NABC Class C title against Al Coates.

Hatton was so superior when he fought nationally that he just blew everybody away and got percieved as just a brawler, a strong kid. But Coates was on the national team, he could box abit, so Hatton boxed abit. When Hatton fought internationally in 1995 in Bulgaria and so on, I've seen footage and he's BOXING because he knew he couldn't blow away these top Eastern Euro's like he could with most of the English kids. Against this Bulgarian guy, who clearly had abit of class about him, Hatton was showing a darting jab and darting footwork and it was so impressive, so much finesse about Hatton on this footage.

[JuicyJuice]

When a lot of people felt Hatton would lose to Magee in 2002, because they felt he was just a non-stop pressure fighter while Magee was a crafty counter-puncher with a dangerous punch, I knew that it was a bunch of horses piss because I had seen Hatton BOXING when he was an amateur. I knew he could out-box Magee if he couldn't blow him out of there, and I was right.

When a lot of people felt Hatton would lose to Tackie in 2003, because they felt he was just a non-stop pressure fighter while Tackie had strong enough resolve to last with anybody and strong punches to take anybody in the end, I knew that it was a bunch of horses piss because I had seen Hatton BOXING when he was an amateur, in the Magee fight, and in the gym. I knew he would out-box Tackie.


First and foremost, Hatton is a ticket-seller, he loves nothing more than exciting the crowd and pleasing his fellow Manchester City fans. He's 5ft6 with 65-inch reach and awesome body punching and in-close head-shot variety, and amazing stamina, so ofcourse he's going to get in there and pressure opponents. But with the right opponents, he'll bring out the BOXING ability he has in reserve.. but only if he needs to.

[JuicyJuice]

Hatton has showed me in the amateurs and in the gym that he can box exceptionally well.

Billy Graham says that we have never seen the best of Hatton in professional boxing (and I have to agree), but insists that one day we will..