Is Hatton Shot? – Boxing
June 6th, 2009
By Jim Dower: In weighing whether you could consider Ricky Hatton a shot fighter, you have to look at the two schools of thought on the subject. On one side you have the boxing fans who feel that Hatton has lost his ability to take a punch since being drilled by Floyd Mayweather Jr. in a 10th round stoppage loss in December 2007.
What you can’t ignore is that Hatton was immediately hurt in his next fight after losing to Mayweather, in the fight against Juan Lazcano who stunned Hatton with a big left hook in the 8th round of their bout. To be fair, Hatton was nailed with a big left hook that he never saw coming since he was rushing forward at the time that Lazcano hit him.
However, Lazcano’s not a big puncher and Hatton had been hit by the same punch by other light welterweights with better power than Lazcano and Ricky hadn’t been hurt like that. Who knows? If could have been just a fluke thing that could have happened at any point in Hatton’s career if he had been hit on the button in the same way that Lazcano hit him.
But none the less, the timing of it coming directly after the Mayweather knockout makes it very suspicious. Hatton did get through his next fight after the Lazcano bout, beating Paulie Malingaggi in an 11th round TKO in November 2008, but that fight isn’t a good test of Hatton’s chin because Malingaggi isn’t a power puncher of any sort.
Pacquiao is a good puncher, but he’s not been a one-punch knockout artist in the past like he looked to be in the Hatton fight. You would think that because Pacquiao’s moving up in weight that his power would have less effect on a bigger fighter like Hatton, who should have been able to take Pacquiao’s punches without getting knocked down repeatedly.
However, Pacquiao was hurting Hatton with nearly every punch that he threw at him in the short two round bout. Pacquiao is a great fighter, most boxing fans would agree, but he hadn’t been able to dominate fighters like Juan Manuel Marquez like he was with Hatton.
From the looks of it, Hatton looked like a shell shocked fighter who could no longer take a heavy shot without dropping to the canvas. No doubt that Pacquiao is better than most of Hatton’s opponents during his career, but I don’t think that Pacquiao is better than Kostya Tszyu, and he hadn’t been able to hurt Hatton like this four years ago in their fight. Hatton took all Tszyu’s shots without getting hurt once in the fight.
Of course, back then Hatton had far less mileage on him from his bouts with overeating and drinking between fights. You can take one look at photos of Hatton from four years ago and then take a look at recent photos of Ricky to see how much he’s aged in only four years. It’s dramatic to say the least.
Does this mean that a combination of Hatton’s unhealthy lifestyle and the punishment that he took in fights with Mayweather and Pacquiao have had an accumulative effect on Ricky, I can’t say for sure.
Tags: 28 Responses to “Is Hatton Shot? – Boxing”
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Them shots from Pac man would have knocked any light welter in the world out. OK , he should’ve boxed, but mayweather snr had f u ked his head up big style.
I think he made the biggest mistake when he sacked billy graham. He knew hatton inside out.
But too answer the question, is he shot. NO. He has lost to 2 of the best fighters that ever lived. Did ali never lose. Did duran never lose. Did Robinson never lose.
Yes they did and they were the best. A few years ago ppl were saying MARQUEZ WAS SHOT, now look at him.
Wonderful analysis, to be honest I think Hatton has been a victim of taking many shots when younger and on top of all that the weight gains and losses for every fight. It is no secret that going up and donw in weight like he does basically deminishes a boxers ability to absorb punishment. If you are not sure of this just ask Roy Jones Jr. After he came down from 193lbs to 175lbs to fight tarver. Short night indeed. Same as Jones I believe that is Hatton dedicates himself to stay in shape, eat and live healthy and train like a man on the rise and not a fighter on the way out he can have a second career. He must thought, keep the chin tucked and box better, i.e. move the head and not jump in to a punch.
ricky hatton should be remembered for what he done . he took his tallent to the world not like every other british boxer , his only two loses where to the best pound for pound on the planet .if only every boxer here would do the same . america sees british boxers as second or even third best but we stick to winning silly world titles . the one thing ricky done was go that step further he wanted to be the best on the plannet.im gutted as everyone in britain is but just remember he tried ,he should be looked at as someone who went all the way , lets just wait n see if we ever get another boxer who wants to be the best on the plannet
Hatton’s been taking blows for a while, he’s not as good as he’s made out to be, plain and simple. Years of getting hit in the head catch up to anyone.
oh and diaz is a lightweight not a light WW and he lasted 9 rounds! not 2. hatton took bombs from some big hitters at higher weights to pac. lazcano had him really hurt aswell.
banks were talking about ricky hatton not diaz. hatton is shot because he cant take the shost anymore but his skills are still the same. he dosent listen to his trainers i have watched nearly every hatton fight since the pac loss and he fights the same everytime. the reason he was knocked out so quick was he took 78 punches in less than 2 rounds most fighters only take that many in 6-8 rounds and thats stil a lot of punches. may weather landed twice as many on ricky but it was over 10 ROUNDS! we cant blame floyd snr because was hatton who wanted to become a better defensive fighter, wich floyd is the best at but ricky didnt listen! you could hear floyd sayin keep ya hands up but he didnt he kept them down by his chest. wat more could floyd do hatton got caught in a whirlwind And didnt have the BOXING BRAIN TO KEEP HIS HANDS UP AND SURVIVE. rickys biggest problem is his short fuse. he said a few days b4 the fight all he wanted to do was ko pac man! worst game plan ever
hatton is not a shot fighter, do not take away the 2nd round knock out of manny pacquiao to this man…truth be told that when pacquiao met hatton he was undefeated in Light Welterweight…so to say that hatton was a shot fighter is bellittling the accomplishment of pacquiao. When Juan Manuel Marquez knocked out Juan Diaz who was knocked out by the galaxy warrior did anyone thought about diaz a shot fighter? and Why other writers are quick to say that Marquez was great because he beat casa and diaz?…..wake up manuela
I don’t neccessarily think that Hatton is shot, I feel that any jr. welterweight would have been knocked out cold with the left cross at the end of the fight. Both Pac and Mayweather had the perfect game plan for him. Hatton’s had a successful career and he’s been viewed as a good boxer using the same strategy and tactics he used against Pac and Mayweather, and beating 45 other fighters, but when he stepped up in competition to the elite fighters, with the level of quickness as Mayweather and Pac, he was just no match. He showed great boxing skills and improved defense against Malignaggi, but it’s easy to look impressive against a guy who probably hits softer than Ricky’s fiancee. Ricky stated that people were over estimating Pac’s win over DLH, but I think he made the mistake of over estimating HIS OWN fight against the light hitting Malignaggi, and when he tasted Pac’s power, he reverted to fighting his old style. At this point in his career, I think he will be well respected as a good fighter, but he’s proved that he’s not an elite boxer to the fans and himself. I think he can continue fighting to beat good jr. welterweights, but if he knows that he can’t compete at the next level, then why continue fighting? Fight a top 5 jr. welterweight or lightweight for your fans, like j. diaz, or timothy bradley, then call it a day.
Good article mate!
enjoyed the read!!!
There is a history of guys being badly beaten in one or more fights and coming right back. Duran was destroyed by Hearns in 2 Rds and Hearns was destroyed by Hagler in 3. Up to that point both guys had had many tough fights yet they went on
to enhance their already succesful careers.
Hatton’s problem is that allowed himself to be Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde (Hatton/Fatman) and this is what eventually brought him down. Those food and beer binges destroyed his body and aged him. PBF claimed he is responsible for Fatman’s demise.
That is always possible because when a fighter loses for the 1st time it can affect his psyche but let’s face it, PBF did not destroy him. If we go back to the Collazo fight. His psyche was almost damaged from power shots at welter. He was hurt and barely hung on at the end of that fight so it showed that he was no superman.
However, Pacman is the firt fighter to actually destroy him in such onesided fashion. Speed kills as what you can’t see will put you on your ass. Ali was not the most powerful hitter but when he put together combinations he hurt you. Leonard, Macho Camacho, Prince Hamed & Super Roy to name a few speed devils, ko-ed many fighters with a 2-3 punch combo. But Super Roy used to do it with one super quick, powerful punch the same one Pacman used. What you can’t see knocks you out.
If Hatton wants to continue, I am sure the same determination he showed in training and the heart he showed in earlier fights, could get him back to the top. He can’t let himself be Fatman and must stay in fair shape. He also must avoid speed demons until he gets acclimatized to working with such fighters.
He must also be able to adjust in a fight and not be so one dimensional. One final thing, I think he might have outgrown L-welter and should move to welter. I am not sure if he can regain his mental tenacity but therein lies the key to hi recovery. It will not be easy but I think he can do it. Ricky, we your fans think you can return.
Good Luck!
tszyu was never actually THE pound for pound becus during his reign as champ roy jones then bernard hopkins were each P4P. tszyu was right up there tho but he was over the hill when hatton beat him.
As for the article, hatton isnt shot that is just an excuse. Its that hatton is not actually as good as he is made out to be
Good point Perez. He was and Hatton beat him, a few years later Hatton faces a new 1 and is demolished. faded since the Tzu fight?
has kostya tszu been a pound 4 pound #1?
Just been told JFK was less shot than Hatton! Good article,also must stress I am a Hatton fan,the boy was good for boxing.
Unfortunately the loveable manc IS shot.Sad but true.He can no longer take a jab much less a power shot.
If we go by your reasoning, then Pacquiao should have been a shot fighter decades ago after suffering knock outs.
Get over it, mate! Hatton just met a better fighter, that’s all.
Rasheed, I Agree 100% in Comment.
Good article Jim.
I have followed Hattton since he was an amateur, a couple of points to make.
1- Yes, his lifestyle has caught up with him, your right, you only need to look at his face to see that! he is 30 but he looks more like 38, look at Mayweathers face? hardly a blemish on it, because he looks after his body between fights, doesn’t eat junk food, or drink and trains even when there is no fights imminent.
2 – Hatton has always been a little 1 dimensionsal, he lacks a bit of ring craft, he had the wrong tactics on the night and Pacman is in the form of his life, Pacman seems to have gained power as he has gone up the weights which is unusual.
3 – He could resurrect his career, if his ego can handle that he is not the best, he lost to 2 world class fighters, there is no shame in that.
I dont know if Hattons shot or not. I was completely shocked to see him finished in such fashion against Pacquiao last month.
It was devastating and Pacman was pinpoint accurate with some huge shots that Hatton walked stright on to. My gut feeling is those shots would of flattened anybody within a 3 weight catagory that night and in any round.
But Hatton was walkin over people with the same tactics not that long ago. And lately the same style is having less affect.
I suppose we need to see him fight again against somebody that isnt a P4P king to see whats he like now.
Id say Hatton aint shot but i am not completely convinced.
If we go by your reasoning, then Pacquiao should have been a shot fighter decades ago after suffering knock outs.
Get over it, mate! Hatton just met a better fighter, that’s all.
I’ve replayed the fight many times and the level of accuracy of Pacquiao is amazing. He nailed Hatton at will and I was surprised he lasted 2 rounds maybe because Pacquiao was too cautious in the first round. Sorry but I think any boxer who absorbed punches like Hatton did in that fight would have have been knocked out. The difference between Tszyu’s shots and Pacquiao’s is that even though Tszyu is a strong puncher, his punches come in slower which enables Hatton to prepare his chin. Hatton never saw what hit him in his fight with Pacquiao. Hatton’s comment after the fight was Pacquiao was swinging wildly and he got nailed by one. Obviously he had no idea what happened.
Ricky was very successful using the same techniques earlier in his career. As he continued to win more fights, he felt very comfortable and didn’t feel a need to change his ways. Only when he lost did he feel he needed a change. I think his idea of change was all wrong for him. He chose a trainer that he felt would turn him into a completely different fighter. In choosing Mayweather Sr., he found himself very frustrated because he couldn’t adapt. He did turn into a completely different fighter, a fighter that would never have the potential to remain a champion. It was all because he tried to change completely instead of gradually. It reminds me of when I tried to switch my dog’s food to a better brand when he was a pup. Instead of gradually mixing the two types of food and eventually sticking to the better brand, I just switched it completely. My dog rejected the food and got sick. But as I slowy mixed the two brands, he became accustomed to it and eventually ended up eating just one brand of dog food. If Ricky slowly learned some new techniques, slowly worked on his speed, and slowly worked on his defense, he would’ve eventually ended up finding a way to fix his flaws and improve the great skills he had before. But by jumping the gun and challenging Pacquiao, he didn’t have the time to improve. He panicked and reverted to his old ways. Mayweather Sr. should’ve realized this. Instead, he too let his ego get in the way and underestimated his opponent. If Ricky had a coach who trains exactly like Roach, Ricky would’ve have known that it was too early to challenge Pacquiao. His coach would’ve studied his flaws and worked on them. His coach would’ve observed his strengths and found ways to improve them. Instead, Mayweather Sr. tried to make Ricky box the way he does, which is definitely not the right move for Ricky. I don’t think Ricky needs to retire from boxing. I think Ricky needs to retire the notion that he feels he’s the best, either in his division or overall, and that he can defeat everyone with his left hook alone.
Sorry it should have been its OVER Ricky Hatton..
Its Over Tommy Hatton..
Hope you enjoyed the Ride..
Nice article i agree with you.
Was just thinking the same as Bubby69. A well weighted (although brief) article.
Ricky Hatton is more than entitled to fight on if he wishes to. I’d like to see him go to the wild card gym and see if Freddie Roach can do anything with him technically and give Ricky a couple of fights. If he doesn’t show he can improve his boxing then hang up the gloves. On the other hand, Ricky Hatton has good inside skills, and if Roach was to feel like he could get some defence into him then why not have another pop at a big fight in a years time.
All by the by of course, and i’d certainly be happy with a retirement decision from Ricky. He’s been a great servant to British Boxing in spite of how Americans feel about him.
Good article mate…..Glad to see not all the writers on here aren’t retards!!!!
I dont want to see Ricky fight again, Ive been to alot of his earlier fights and also Tszyu, Mayweather and Lazcano and I have to say he just doesn’t have it anymore.
He was a very good fighter and must have surpassed all of his own wildest dreams when he first ever laced up a pair of boxing gloves with the levels he fought at and titles he gained.
If he sticks around he’ll be pressured to fight Khan and maybe even Witter if either or both win their upcoming title fights. I feel that he may just lose to both of them now, so Id like him to retire whilst he’s still classed as Britains top dog.
You’re a long time retired in sport and he doesn’t want Khan or Witter to hold bragging rights over him for the rest of his days.
Nice Read..