RICKY HATTON has fired back at Dave Coldwell, trainer of Hatton Promotions light-middleweight star Ryan Rhodes.
Coldwell claims that Hatton Promotions are not acting in the boxer’s best interests after 'The Hitman' started training his big fight rival Sergey Rabchenko.
Sheffield’s Rhodes attempts to regain the European crown when he meets Hatton Promotions stable mate Rabchenko for the vacant title on the ‘Road To Glory’ bill at Manchester Velodrome on Saturday 16th June.
Ricky finds himself in the position where two of his world class fighters being matched by the European Boxing Union, and Coldwell is upset that the former two-weight world champion is training the Belarussian puncher.
Hatton explained: “I am in an awkward and horrible position now as I'm a trainer and promoter.
“I think the world of Ryan and all my boxers.
“Ryan and his trainer Dave Coldwell have known me long enough to know I have all my boxers’ best interests at heart.
“It is a strange situation but I'd have thought of all people that Coldwell who is also a promoter and a trainer would have understood the predicament I now face.
“Since Hatton Promotions started promoting Ryan we have secured him a world title challenge, and this will be the second time we have made a European title shot for Ryan.
“For Coldwell to insinuate that we would possibly be stitching Ryan up and not acting in his best interests has hurt me personally.
“These are unfair comments from Coldwell and shows what a fickle sport boxing is. He seems to forget what I have done for Ryan since we signed him.”
Hatton agreed to train unbeaten Rabchenko before the vacant championship contest against Rhodes was mandated by the EBU.
They were due to meet in March, and then Hatton told Rabchenko to stay with his current trainer until he’d boxed Rhodes.
When Rhodes pulled out of that date, Hatton worked Rabchenko’s corner when the Belarusian fought replacement Ronny Gabel in a non-title fight.
Hatton added: “I did the honourable thing and spoke to Ryan explaining that I was now working with Sergey after he pulled out.
“I tweeted just over a week ago that Sergey had landed in Manchester and was in the gym training.
“Coldwell tweeted back that Ryan didn't know I was training him said that as Ryan's promoter I was trying to get him beat.
“It goes without saying I'm training Sergey to win but as a promoter it doesn't change anything.
“As the promoter of the winner I will bend over backwards for them to secure a world title and it goes without saying that I will be there to help the loser re-build their career.”
The ‘Road To Glory’ bill also features a vacant WBA interim super-bantamweight title fight between Scott Quigg and Rendall Munroe, Martin Murray in championship action and Rhodes’ fellow steel city fighter Richard Towers facing Michael Wallisch for the vacant EU heavyweight crown.
There will be a talent stacked undercard that will include former British and Commonwealth welterweight champion Craig Watson (20-5), unbeaten hopefuls Adam Etches (7-0), Scott Jenkins (4-0), Ryan Doyle (1-0), Jimmy Kelly (1-0).
Ticket prices are now on sale priced £125 (VIP Inner Ringside + exclusive cash bar), £100 Ringside, £55, £35 and £30. You can purchase tickets by calling Hatton Promotions hotline 01925 755 222/www.ticketmaster.co.uk/0844 847 2500/www.ticketline.co.uk/0844 888 4402/www.hmv.com
Euro rivals Rees vs. Mathews and Hope vs. Proksa meet on Brook bill
Two European title rematches top undercard for July 7 Sheffield show
Gavin Rees and Derry Mathews meet again for the European lightweight belt on the undercard of Kell Brook’s July 7 show in Motorpoint Arena Sheffield, which features another European title rematch in Kerry Hope vs. Greg Proksa, live on Sky Sports.
Rees and Mathews fought for the Welshman’s European lightweight title in Newport in October but the bout was cut short when the Liverpool challenger broke his nose in the fourth round after an accidental head clash.
Since then, both men have recorded impressive wins, with Rees travelling to Paris in March to defend his title in style with a seventh round stoppage of Anthony Mezaache, while Mathews upset the odds in Oldham last month with a sixth round stoppage of Anthony Crolla to win the British title.
That was the venue where Hope stunned Proksa in a brutal and bloody battle for the Surrey-based Pole’s European middleweight title, with Merthyr Tydfil’s Hope putting in the best performance of his career to inflict the first defeat of the hotly-fancied 27 year old.
Sheffield’s unbeaten welterweight star Brook will announce his opponent for July 7 live on Sky Sports boxing magazine show Ringside on Thursday at 6pm, and show promoter Eddie Hearn is delighted be putting on these two mouth-watering rematches.
“These are two fantastic rematches that will provide huge entertainment on July 7,” said show promoter Eddie Hearn. “The Rees vs. Mathews fight in Wales was warming up nicely when Derry got injured, and I’m glad they are getting the chance to get it on again. Gavin was fantastic in France when he beat Mezaache and Derry’s performance against Crolla was very impressive and he certainly deserves a second crack at the title.
“Kerry Hope’s win over Greg Proksa was a real shock to everyone – apart from Kerry and his team. They were convinced he had the goods to beat Greg and so it proved, he was terrific and it was a gruelling and gripping contest. Greg will have revenge on his mind while Kerry won’t want to let that title out of his hands, so I expect the rematch to top the ferocious intensity of the first fight.”
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