Hatton Wants To Be Pound For Pound Top Fighter
January 29th, 2009
By Scott Gilfoid: In an interview today on Sky Sports, Ricky Hatton seemed to be thinking beyond his fight with Manny Pacquiao on May 2nd, saying “There’s only one thing left to achieve, and that’s to become the pound for pound top fighter in the world. And with hard work and perseverance, and believing I’m myself, I think I can get there.” Also, Hatton spoke of himself as the best 10 pound fighter (140 pounds) in the world, ignoring the fact that he’s still not fought Junior Witter and Timothy Bradley, as well as a few other top fighters in the light welterweight division.
So right off the bat, I think it’s ludicrous for Hatton to even consider wanting to be a pound for pound top fighter because he’s not gifted in that way. It’s like a school boy struggling with fractions talking about tackling Calculus within a short time. Yeah, right.
Even if Hatton were to be somehow crowned as the top Pound-For-Pound fighter in boxing, I would look harshly at the organization that gave him such a title. It would be like People magazine crowning some aging male star and bestowing upon them as the world’s most attractive star.
In this case, it’s even worse because Hatton isn’t a fighter known for his refined boxing skills and instead often wins by clinching and out-wrestling his opponents on the inside. It’s often painful to watch, proving little other than that Hatton is the better wrestler on the inside.
If Hatton considers himself as the best 10 stone fighter (light welterweight), he needs to prove because his credentials at that weight have grown stale. Beating an old Tszyu in dull clinch-plagued fight in 2005 doesn’t hold any relevance anymore.
That was four years ago and that’s an incredibly long time in boxing. The game has moved forward, and the stars like Bradley, Ricardo Torres, Kentall Holt, Andreas Kotelnik, and Junior Witter are the top fighters in the light welterweight division now. For Hatton to claim that he’s better than them without having faced any of them seems ridiculous.
I see them all beating Hatton, except for possibly Kotelnik. Hatton has struggled since getting his lights turned out by Floyd Mayweather Jr. in 2007, looking bad against Juan Lazcano. Taking on Paulie Malignaggi instead of Witter, Holt and Bradley seemed rather strange to me.
Why fight him when those other fighters are considered more dangerous? For me, it seems that Hatton is avoiding them, yet still considering himself as the top guy without the fights behind him in recent years to give himself that title.
Tags: 16 Responses to “Hatton Wants To Be Pound For Pound Top Fighter”
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Yeah, the greatest fictional fighter of all time! Nearly beat Tarver too when he was calling himself Mason ‘The Line’ Dixon and fighting at heavyweight.
What that was a film? Nooooo way!
Who’s Rocky Balboa…the fiction made boxer.hahahaha.lol…
Anyway I still believe that on May 2, 2009 Ricky The Hitman Hatton will be Hit a hundred or a thousand times by the PACMAN. Speed, Movement, Power and skills are the one that will do it for Manny.
You say that Hatton is much more stronger than Manny… then what’s the used of it if he cant land his so called power punch. MAKE SENSE..
The reason why Hatton wont clean the light welterweight division is because of money. Would you rather see Pacquaio vs hatton, or holt vs Hatton. I dont think Hatton can be p4p and even if he beats Pacquaio, i still wouldnt regard him higher than Calzaghe unless it was absolute annihilation. If it was, then he’d fight Floyd again and lose and we’re back at square one!
Saying Hatton’s style will stop him from being a top p4p fighter is ludicrous, sluggers throughout history have been recognised as greats. The like of Frazier, Duran and er Rocky Balboa are regarded as Highly as the likes of Ali & Leonard.
Secondly saying Hatton doesn’t need to prove himself against the likes of Holt and (can’t believe your even claiming this one) Witter. Tzu wasn’t that old, at the time Ricky beat him he was the p4p no.2 and considered unbeatable. Something conveniently overlooked by american writers.
As for Witter, he isn’t in Hatton’s class, if he were half as good as Hatton I’d be clamouring for an all British superfight but Witter isn’t that good. Theres a reason he is still fighting in leisure centres.
Bradley – only won his first light-welterweight title (WBC) in May 2008, via a split decision over Junior Witter. Witter had an off-night by his high standards; but for the knockdown in the 6th the fight is a draw (so the title remain’s with Witter).
Bradley has only defended the title once, against average Edner Cherry; a natural lightweight. Prior to winning it, Bradley had just the WBC youth title and no major scalps on his record.
If he beats Holt, he becomes a viable opponent for The Hitman as he’ll hold 2 of the 4 belts, boxing politics permitting.
Torres – Barely scrapes into the top-20 light welterweights in the world according to BoxRec.com and probably doesn’t deserve to even be that high given his record. That record has seen him fight 12 times against a boxer with 0 wins in his native Columbia. The total number of wins for his first 24 opponents totals just 42, with 21 of these wins held by 2 of the opponents.
A knockout artist who has fought mainly cannon-fodder then, coming up short when moving up to a better class of a fighter – lost to Cotto in 7, struggled to beat Mike Arnaoutis, lost to Kendall Holt in their rematch in double quick time.
Kendall Holt – Probably the best of the bunch, with only a couple of blips (the first fight with Torres and an earlier career loss) on his record. Has recorded a win over David Diaz (then 26-0), Isaac Hlatschwayo (25-0) and Demetrius Hopkins (28-0-1) as well as Torres in their rematch.
If he beats Bradley, he becomes a viable opponent for The Hitman, even with just 1 belt.
Andriy Kotelnik – decent boxer who took the WBA belt from Gavin Rees with ease, but has a loss to Witter (for the European title) and another to M’Baye so not at the front of the queue.
Has a mandatory defence next month but if he gets through that and another defence in the summer, then maybe he puts himself in pole position for bigger fights.
1) Holt
2) Witter/Bradley
3) Kotelnik
4) Other top-ranked light welterweights
5) Torres
I agree Hatton is not P4P No. 1 material IMO, regardless of the outcome May 2nd. However, he is rated in most websites top 10′s. Inc. Ring Magazine. (No. 9) FACT!
It recognises the fighter’s strengths and weaknesses and then assesses it against other fighters disregarding weight. For example, a 147lb version of Joe Calzaghe would beat Shane Mosley. (According to The Rings P4P Ratings)………..obviously this is very subjective!!
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interesting debate.
and i disagree with UKs definition of P4P, simply because some weight classes are weaker than others. for example heavyweight is a weak division right now, so is light middlewight and to some extent light welterweight.
hatton as we have seen is completley ineffective at any other weight other than 140. so in my opinion can never be considered p4p above fighters who won titles in 2, 3 and 4 weight classes.
at least witter, bradley ,holt and torres are prepared to fight each other. ricky hatton seems to think that his win 4 years ago over an old tszyu, and his win over an old shot to death castillo, makes him the best lightwelterweight for life! hatton avoids the dangerous fights at 140 on account that his fame alone puts him above them but his stupid most of whom no nothing about boxing will not understand this and will support him regardless. as for being the P4P king above pacquiao, calzaghe, marquez, hopkins or cotto is just a joke that shouldnt be entertained
If Ricky Hatton’s “only” good fight was against Kostya Tszyu, I would just like to ask one question answered plz.
Could tell me all the top fighters who Kendall Holt, Ricardo Torres, Timothy Bradley and Juniour Witter beat to be considered the best Light Welters around? Just wandering ;D
He would beat witter, witter has fought 2 decent boxers in his time, zab judah and bradley. he lost both and got put on his arse against bradley.
I DONT EVEN KNOW WHY CHAD DAWSON WAS MENTIONED??? AND I STILL TRULEY BELIVE THAT HATTON WOULD DESTROY WITTER, MY OPINION
I think Rex was saying that Hattons got heart. just not much else.
Hattons had a fabulous career. If all he had was Heart that got him where he is today then stuff it he clearly doesnt need much else.
But Hattons got alot more than that. Everybody he fights says afterwards that they understemated his speed and strenght.
Hes faster than he looks, has enough power and put the heart with that and no wonder he breaks other peoples
Boxing style, Skills and Heart wins a Fight combined it all and you got MANNY PACMAN PACQUIAO.
sorry Ricky but you only got Heart.
P4P King via K.O in 8 or 9th round.
Ivan Calderon?
Chad Dawson?
Kessler?
Hatton is 3 leagues above these his skills are astronimical compared to theres.
Please tell me you were joking? Ha
I do agree that Hatton has to fight the best at Light Welter to be able to claim he is the best at the weight, but saying he cant be the p4p best because of his style is as ridiculous. Whatever the style, if it wins the fights, who cares!!!
Using this logic, could it not be argued that Pacman is more the p4p best because he is fast and aggressive over Mayweather who ducks, weaves and fights mostly off the back foot??!!!! (thats ducks defensively, not ducks fighters!!). Style has no part to play in it, beat the best, become the best. Simple!
1st of all i agree, Hatton will not become P4P when he beats Pacman (thats right when).
I believe he could be considered for top 10 (just) but we know what it means to be P4P king.
Does Scott know what it means? Hes sayin that Hattons not flashy enough to be P4P. His style isnt crisp or talented enough.
Thats not how it works. It about who is the best. If Hattons style made him the best then hes the best.
The way i see it is if all boxers just happened to be naturally at the same weight and keeping their own attributes whod be the best of them.
Is Pacman a better Super feather than Vlad Klitchko is a heavyweight. Is Calzaghe a better super middle than than Berrera is a lightweight. And the 1 whose better at his weight than any other is at thiers is the P4P.