De La Hoya Wants Hatton to Continue Fighting – News
May 5th, 2009
By Eric Thomas: Recently retired six-division champion Oscar De La Hoya is reportedly advising Ricky Hatton not to hang them up so quickly, telling him to that it’s not the end just because he lost a 2nd round TKO to Manny Pacquiao last Saturday night. Obviously, De La Hoya speaks from experience since he’s been beaten six times in his career and kept coming back each until the final loss. However, De La Hoya was never beaten badly until his final fight of his boxing career, an 8th round TKO loss against Pacquiao in December 2008.
With Hatton, though, he caught often in the 1st round by Pacquiao and then knocked down twice in the round. Hatton didn’t do any better in the 2nd, as he was taking hits up until the time he was knocked cold with a left hand by Pacquiao.
De La Hoya still thinks that Hatton is young and feels that he can keep fighting on. Hatton is 30-years-old. However, unlike a lot of similar aged fighters, Hatton has put a lot of extra mileage on his internal odometer by overindulging in food and drink, and often ballooning up in weight between fights.
Having to take off a great deal of weight each before a fight has seemed to decrease Hatton’s effectiveness in the ring in the past two years. It’s one thing getting beaten by Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Pacquiao, but quite another thing to have to struggle to beat Juan Lazcano.
De La Hoya may truly believe that Hatton has more time in his career, but if he’s unable to beat the top fighters in the light welterweight division like Junior Witter, then what choice does Hatton really have? I don’t know that Hatton can take having to settle for fighting non-big name fighters at this point in his career.
Having made a bundle in bouts against Mayweather and now Pacquiao, would Hatton be receptive to the idea of having to battle lesser named fighters? Probably not.
Hatton may be 30, but in reality he could very well be the same age as De La Hoya in terms of physical years on his body. One good thing for Hatton is that he’s faced much softer opposition than De La Hoya and has only recently started stepping up against 1st rate opponents.
Despite losing to Pacquiao, Hatton will likely continue to be a huge PPV star regardless, something that’s not lost on Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaeffer, who echoed the same thoughts, reminding Hatton that De La Hoya remained a huge PPV star even though he suffered losses periodically.
If Hatton decides to continue fighting, it matters little what De La Hoya and Schaeffer say to make Hatton feel better. If Hatton continues to suffer knock out losses, even against less than world class opposition, then I can see Hatton retiring very fast.
De La Hoya might be able to milk Hatton’s popularity for a little while longer by having him fight some older faded stars, but that’s something that can only be used for a short time before boxing public catches on and begins to turn away in disgust.
Tags: 27 Responses to “De La Hoya Wants Hatton to Continue Fighting – News”
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The GOLDEN Calf wants Hatton to continue fighting because it looks good for his image. If he retire then he looks bad. Deng! Your era ended up with a bang!!! You got banged up so bad. No more face to move forward in boxing. You’re not golden anymore! You are black and blue.
Ricky will be having one more fight at Manchester City’s ground, most likely it will be someone like Campbell or Holt. I hope he goes out on a high. Good luck Ricky.
There’s only one… fight that interests me now and that’s Junior Witter. Witter’s hardly a fall guy, though.
Whatever Ricky decides, he should make his next fight his last. He can’t run with the big dogs anymore… maybe he never did.
doesnt it piss you off when you look forward to a fight for months then it ends up like that. Just pure stupid tactics. He could of beat pac I have no doubt but he just totally wasted his chance and also underestimated pacs power aswell im fug gutted
well it would be bad for dela hoya if hatton retires,dela hoya is milking hatton,say hatton v dela hoya lol it will be a big joke and those who will watch it are themselves joker,and dela hoya will be laughing on his way to the bank
God did what?
Ricky…do not listen to Oscar, he never get things right. He maybe just running out of boxers in his shelf.
But there’s no shame in losing to the best fighter there is.
let’s leave ricky the greatest decision of his life. let us just remind him that God already gave him another chance to live a normal life. i was really worried when he was stunned motionless on the floor. looking as well to his girlfriend and families’ reaction was so awful and emotional for us.
I’m a big pacquaio fans , but i respect
hatton a lot . He deserve to be classed as
a great a fighter…his only loss is to
the vy best fighter…and his shameful loss
to manny is not becoz of his lack of ability
but becoz of d old faggot mayweather sr
tactics..I say manny is better than hatton , but
hatton wont suffer a big loss if he not
hired mayweather sr…
mayweather sr is a joke coach…
To andre and all pacman fans , plz respect
hatton
Maybe Hatton should carry on. Hes the same Ricke of the last few years. Its not aging, being shot, losin his punch resistance that lost him this fight.
He was reckless and stupid in the way he went oubout trying to beat the best boxer on the planet and he got exactly what happens when you do.
Physically hes still in his prime. But what is he mentally? He suffered from the Mayweather loss but had his pride in the fact he prefers 140. But he got smashed up at 140 too.
Im sure theres guna be plenty of routes open for him to come back but im not that sure those routes are guna be particulary interesting to him anymore.
Andre your a minge. hatton is a legend.
Apparently Manny made $12m and Hatton $8m?! Do the maths!
Hatton was a big enough name in his own right not to have ‘needed’ anybody, including Pacquiao.
Yes, don’t retire. Take a beating while De La Hoya lines his pockets instead.
What a joke. Manny should have got more than the 52-48 split. He was just doing what Mayweather and De La Hoya did to him. They took MASSIVE cuts.
Why should he get 50-50 when Manny is P4P number 1! Hatton NEEDED him not the other way around. It’s a lack of respect just because Manny is a humble nice guy.
What a piss-take of a nice guy like Manny.
Ricky will defo not retire he has one of the biggest fan base in the world far to much money to be made there would be lots of people up for fighting hatton just for the payday alone……..
hatton 2 years ago would beat khan this sat bradley the sat after then witter after that we all know that so does khan so does witter so does bradley, hatton knows it 2 thats why the dream is over im not saying he couldnt now but i just wanna remember hatton as the best light welter wieght the uk has ever seen, so i want him 2 stop now. god bless ricky hatton.
I think Hatton’s intentions were to have 2 or 3 more big fights after facing Pacman, the last perhaps being a send-off at the City of Manchester Stadium. Obviously, that changes given the devastating fashion in which he was KO’d. As far as continuing now, that begs the question, why bother? He doesn’t need the money. He’s unlikely to get a shot at the big time again. He doesn’t need to risk his health – he’s 30 but has more miles on the clock than most 30-year-old boxers. He doesn’t need to do it for popularity or fame. I personally would like to see him retire, but I wouldn’t begrudge him 1 more fight to sign-off with a win.
As far as skills go, he’s never been a really good boxer. As a fighter though, you can’t question his heart, commitment, power, pressure and workrate. Despite his limitations and a lifestyle not conducive to the sport, he’s achieved more than most would/could. Only the very best (in their primes) have beaten him. To have losses to Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquaio on your record is nothing to be ashamed of. Both are world-class operators.
People might point to the way Manny destroyed Hatton and Oscar De La Hoya and compare it to how Mayweather handled them. However, Manny caught them both later in their careers – De La Hoya was fading and badly weight drained, Hatton has taken a hell of a lot of punishment due to his fighting style – and Manny fights more aggressively than the defence/counterpunching masterclasses that Mayweather produces. I think a fight between the 2 of them would be a great match. I’d like to see Manny win it.
yah.. don’t retire… good advice from the golden boy…better face each other in the ring to say who’s the better fighter of you two…
hatton is one of the boys and he has done it all his own way. any proper bloke wud respect hatton for the person and boxer he is. however it is defo time for him to call it a day as he doesent look as ferocious as he use to at the weigh ins he looks painfully skinny and almost ill. i think his life style has defo caught up with him we all new it wud happen sooner or later. still i take nothing away from him. his only 2 losses were against the best p4p fighters of his era.
THE WAY RICKY HATTON PERFORMED AGAINST MANNY,I THINK HE SHOULD RETIRE.THERES NO POINT FIGHTING AMIR KHAN AS KHAN WOULD BEAT HIM WITH ONE ARM TIED BEHIND HIS BACK!
Why fight on? the guy has made a shitload of cash, and achived all he can.
Now he knows he can’t mix it with the very best P4P fighters whats left, fighting up and coming fighters or bums. The mega fights are now gone, My opinon Hatton should retire, he was beaten by the very best in the game and theres no shame in that. Why wait until a bum knocks him out and ends his career, get out with your head held high and your brain intact
I would love to see this happen.
- Khan beats kotelnik for title, first defence against witter.
- Hatton fights and beats Bradley
-Hatton vs winner of Khan v Witter
I would think hatton made de la hoya millions the other night with golden boy getting there piece of the promotion,Thats the reason oscar thinks hatton should carry on.
Hatton has done it all but i know he will want 2 end it on a high, with who tho i just dont know.
DONT BLAME HATTON LOST TO PAQUIAO, BECAUSE DIAZ, DELAHOYA,HATTON. SUPERED A BRUTAL LOST. THAT REALITY OF FIGHTING PAQUIAO IN THE RING HE IS BEAST, MONSTER IN THE RING . HOW CAN YOU BEAT PACMAN A MONSTER BUT OUTSIDE THE RING HE IS HUMAN GENTLEMAN KIND HARMLESS
I think Hatton could comfortably win another belt at welterweight, additionally i believe he could beat either witter or kahn which are two fights mentioned for him, and which both would be pretty big in the UK, but really what would be the point – he knows now that he can’t achieve his biggest goal (to be the best p4p) and he can’t even be classed as the best welterwight any more until Pacman moves division
I know fightings like a drug to fighters and hattons only 30 but he’s an “old” 30 he takes a lot of punches and obv his weight fluxuation in the past also takes its toll
I’d like to see him retire he’s had a great career, some great fights made a load of money, made a load of fans, and currently still has his health
Hatton needs to retire, he made his name and theres no shame in loosing to two world class boxers (possibly the best in this era)
im a big hatton fan but his lifestyle has defo took his toll on him. but fk it he done it his way, he is one of the boys and still a hero in my eyes. but he shud defo retire as he just doesent look as ferocious as he once did and in the weigh ins he looks painfully skinny and frail. Hes a millionaire still loved by the british and any proper bloke would respect him