Hatton Should Shoot For a Rematch With Malignaggi

By Scott Gilfoid: Losing so badly to Manny Pacquiao must have been a huge eye opener for Ricky Hatton (45-2, 32 KOs), so much so that Hatton is reportedly looking to fight only one more time and then retire from boxing. As of now, no official announcement has been made from Ricky, but if he opts to fight one final time, Hatton is going to need to be very careful in the caliber of opponent that he chooses or else Hatton may end up being humiliated once again and get knocked out in his final fight instead of impressing his fans with a win.

One opponent that has been mentioned as a potential last fight victim for Hatton is Australian Michael Katsidis, the dangerous but flawed knockout artist, who has a shaky chin. I’d advise Hatton not to fight this guy, because I think Hatton can’t take a hard shot anymore and would end up getting knocked out in front of his huge audience in Manchester.

If I were an adviser for Hatton, I would strongly warn him to stay away from Katsidis and look for someone much easier, like Paulie Malignaggi. Hatton has already beaten Malignaggi, stopping him in the 11th round last year in 2008, and it was a fight that Hatton had no problem winning due to Malignaggi’s last of power.

Right now, the last thing that Hatton needs is another big puncher like Katsidis or Pacquiao to test his weak chin. Even moderately hard punchers would likely be too powerful for Hatton right now in his weakened condition and I can’t see anything good coming from Hatton stepping in the ring with anyone with any kind of power.

Hatton needs a fighter like Malignaggi, who has only 5 knockouts on his record and isn’t a threat to knockout anyone, even a fighter like Hatton with his glass jaw. Hatton used to be able to take a heck of shot without going down, but since losing to Floyd Mayweather Jr, Hatton hasn’t been able to take a healthy shot without being staggered or dropped.

I don’t know if Hatton is interested in fighting Malignaggi or not, since he’s already beaten him soundly, but he needs to reconsider it, because Hatton obviously wants to fight a top light welterweight or lightweight for his final fight of his career and not just some unknown B or C-level opponent that the fans won’t care about and someone Hatton won’t get any credit for having beaten.

Hatton needs a safe fight right now, and I can think of no one else other than Malignaggi that can ensure that Hatton won’t get blasted out again. If Hatton chooses to fight someone like Victor Ortiz, Lamont Peterson, Juan Urango, Timothy Bradley, Junior Witter, Nate Campbell, Marcos Maidana, Andriy Kotelnik, Kendall Holt, Joan Guzman or Devon Alexander, Hatton will only lose and likely get knocked out for his efforts.

Hatton needs the weakest puncher and someone who will fold under his shots. I would say Alexander, but Hatton wouldn’t be able to outwork Alexander on the inside and would likely lose by a decision. Even in that fight, I fear that Alexander would knock Hatton just by staying in the fight long enough to stop him by an accumulation of shots.

When you have a chin as bad as Hatton’s, you got to go for the easiest options available or else bad things or going to happen. Knowing Hatton, he’ll choose for a weak puncher, and someone that he knows he can beat. Hopefully, Hatton doesn’t make a big mistake in fighting any of the fighters that I mentioned because I can’t see Hatton beating any of them now, and I doubt that he could have beaten most of them in his prime.

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