Hatton and Mayweather - strikingly similar amateur careers! Thee fight of the era....

[Oasis_Lad]

a few years ago this fight looked a certainty, now i doubt it will ever happen

[Shanus]

'How dare you complare Floyd to any other fighter on the planet!'

[iron mike tyson]

good post as always but im sure the pro mayweather party on this board will flame it in someway

[Shanus]

Tell that to both parties, none seem too interested in actually persuing it.

[GEOFFHAYES]

So there are striking similarities, Hatton winning the Bronze at the '96 Junior World's but losing controversially to an Eastern European and Mayweather winning the Bronze at the '96 Olympics but losing controversially to an Eastern European.


Their pro careers, the paths they took, though, are polar opposite. Arum rushing Mayweather in with the great Hernandez, while Warren chose to milk Hatton (Hatton could of went the European route and had a world title shot at Terron Millett before the New Millenium, but Warren chose to use him as a cash cow instead).

Mayweather's trademark became the shoulder roll and Hatton's trademark was almost instantly his body punching.

People at Sky Sports said Hatton was special in 1998, likewise people at HBO said Mayweather was special in 1998. Their common opponent, Tony Pep, gave Mayweather a good workout, while Hatton blowed him away with bodyshots.

Mayweather's style was and is to avoid being hit first and foremost while Hatton's style was and is to take risks and excite the fans first and foremost.


Hatton is the king of the 140lb division, then considered to be the best in boxing, beating the legendary Kostya Tszyu, which is a greater win than any Mayweather can boast. But Mayweather is widely considered the #1 lb4lb boxer in the business.

Both are undefeated, Hatton has the style and tools to beat Mayweather, and both must fight!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/boxing/6141112.stm

[GEOFFHAYES]

MAYWEATHER

Mayweather was another supreme amateur, the youngest-ever winner of the National Golden Gloves at just 16 years old in 1993 - at 106lbs! He beat Eric Morel in the final, Morel went on to win the 1994 National Golden Gloves at 106. Mayweather won the National Golden Gloves again in 1994 at 112, and again in 1995 at 125.

He won the US Olympic Festival in '94 at 112, but lost to Arnulfo Bravo in the semi-final of the '94 US Jr Championships (112) and lost to Martin Castillo in Las Vegas in November '94 at a US v. Mexico dual (112).

He lost to Carlos Navarro at a '95 Pan-American Games qualifier (119), and lost to Juan Carlos Ramirez in May '95 at a US vs. Mexico dual (119). He also lost to Nouredine Medjihoud in Germany in May '95 at 126 at the senior world championships. He then won the '95 US Jr Championships (126) and the '95 US PAL tournament (126), before 'losing' to Trigran Ouzlan via 'walkover' in Russia in Dec '95 - I'm not sure how/why.

Then came the Olympics Trials and Olympic Box-Offs in '96, going 2-1 against Augie Sanchez to qualify for the Atlanta Olympics at 126. He won fights in duals against Germany and Russia respectively in the US, at 126, in preparation for the Atlanta Olympics.

He reached the semi-final of the Atlanta Olympics, losing a controversial decision to Bulgarian Serafim Todorov, having beaten the Cuban on a controversial decision in the quarter-final.

His record was 64-8 according to one record keeper.


Floyd Mayweather Sr was his trainer.

[GEOFFHAYES]

HATTON

The Hitman made his debut in 1990 (after a few years of competing in kickboxing), beating Danny Reynolds. He won the 1991/92 British ABA Schools, his first amateur title I believe.

(He really struggled to get fights because he was such an animal in the ring and big puncher for his age that other kids coaches or parents wouldn't let their kids in with Ricky!)

The Hitman's first loss was an apparent robbery against Bobby Beck in the 1993 Junior ABA Featherweight semi-final at York Hall. He beat Beck though in January '94 in Newcastle, stopping him in the final of the 1993/94 NABC Class A tournament. Also in January '94 he won the British version of the 'Golden Gloves' and the 1993/94 British ABA Schools. He 'lost' in December '94 to arch-rival Beck again in the Junior ABA Featherweight final which was resulted a 'walkover' in favour of Beck because Ricky had missed with a left hook that accidently hit the referee!

He beat Albert Coates ('93 Junior ABA light-welter champ, '94 Junior ABA light-welter champ, and later '95 Junior ABA light-middle champ) in the final of the 1994/95 NABC Class B tournament at light-welter in January '95, and won the 1994/95 British ABA Schools (at light-welter). In May '95 at the Bracknell Leisure Centre he won the Junior ABA Welterweight title. He also represented Great Britain in Russia and Bulgaria at light-welter in '95 and won all his fights against the Russian's and Bulgarian's - showing skills he hadn't needed to show at national level (but had been forced to hone in the gyms since he was 15 to hang with the likes of Andy Holligan and Pat Barrett) because he was often able to just blow everybody away.

He won the Junior ABA Welterweight title again in '96 (in Birmingham), but lost in one round to Jurgen Brahmer at welterweight in Blackpool at an England v. Germany dual, and lost to Brahmer (at welterweight) again on points in June '96 in a junior multi nations tournament in Italy. He then moved back down to light-welter and went to Cuba in November for the Junior World Championships where he won his first fight in the first-round, then out-pointed the Cuban, then out-pointed the American, but then by all accounts was robbed blind in the semi-final against the Russian who went on to win Gold. He beat Kevin McIntyre in one round up in Scotland in Dec '96 at an England v. Scotland dual.

He won the 1997 ABA light-welterweight title, beating Michael Hall in the final, before deciding to turn pro rather than wait for the Sydney Olympics.

That's all I know of Hatton's amateur career. I don't know his exact record but 70-5 has been thrown about.


(He first sparred at Billy 'The Preacher' Graham's gym in the summer of '96 and apparently made Ensley Bingham and Steve Foster Sr look silly with his footspeed, he got together with Billy in early '97 and Billy worked his corner for the ABA's. He had been to see lots of trainers but said something felt 'right' about Billy G)