Ricky Hatton vs Amir Khan is on the cards
June 22nd, 2009
By Liam Santiago: After suffering a second knockout defeat to Manny Pacquiao (49-3-2, 37ko’s), Ricky Hatton (45-2, 32ko’s) is stuck with the biggest decision of his carrer, weather to retire or fight on. Although his defeats were brutal he has stated that he is tempted to step back in the ring for one last super-fight against Amir Khan. Amir Khan has told Sky Sports that the fight is a real possibility. Khan has said the promoters are in talks over the fight.
If the fight goes ahead, and Hatton can pull of one of the best and biggest comebacks ever and win, it will most certainly bring Hatton back to the top level in boxing. He is the biggest ticket seller in boxing history and, despite two defeats, will have no trouble carrying on as the big household name, no matter how many losses he has.
Amir Khan is lined up to fight Andriy Kotelnik on 18th July, in a world championship bout. Khan has also suffered a devastating defeat to Briedis Prescott in a sensational 53 second knock-out. Not only does Amir Khan not possess the boxing ability of Pacquiao, he also doesn’t have that level of power. However, we won’t know how much punch resistance Hatton has left untill he fights again. Also, Khan has never been tested at world level boxing, apart from a win over Marco Antonio Barrera, which was unconvincing due to the bout being stopped on a cut suffered from a head clash. However, Khan’ skills must not be under-rated, apart from his chin problem he is an amazingly talented boxer with fast hands, fast footwork and he can punch. Under Khan’s new trainer, Freddie Roache, we may see the same sort of possitive outcome of his chin problem as we have with Wladamir Klitshcko. His fear of being knocked-out might make him that extra bit cautious in his defence and his offence.
A victory for Hatton here could also lead to the much anticipated bout against Junior Witter. The two have had an ongoing rivalry for years and the bout would also be a huge money spinner. For Khan, the victory would not be as big. Critics would claim that Hatton was shot and had nothing left to give.
Another huge decision Hatton has to make is, if he does decide to fight on, who will train him. Certainly not, all mouth no action, Mayweather Snr, who trained Hatton for the Pacquiao fight and was about as useful as a chocolate fire-gaurd. His best option might be to go back to his old trainer, the much under-rated, Billy Graham, who brought Hatton to the top level in boxing and if anyone can bring him back there, it is him.
Ricky Hatton will be announcing his decision this month and, considering that boxing is a business, this will be the biggest and wisest fight for him, should he decide to fight on. He has beaten many great warriors including Kostya Tzyu, Jose Luis Castillo and Juan Urango. Khan will probably be the favourite going into the bout, but Hatton should not be under estimated and considered ‘shot’. He has lost to two of the best pound for pound fighters in the world, which there is no shame in. How would Khan fare against Mayweather or Pacquiao? Who knows.
I very much doubt Hatton will retire, as he has stated in the past he will not go out on a loss. Also, rumours were circulating that he had signed an eight fight deal with sky that is not yet up. The critics saying he is shot is nonsense, the shots that Pacquiao hit him with may have knocked a speeding train off its tracks. The only difference is others would not, maybe, have took them shots. If he does decide to carry on and does take this fight, I fancy him as a big favourite to win and go back to where he belongs, at the top level in boxing.
Tags: 55 Responses to “Ricky Hatton vs Amir Khan is on the cards”
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Hatton & Khan would be a good fight, 50/50
sum1 made an interesting point they all have but if you read em all sum1 says “khan gets train by pacman” and didnt pacman beat hatton in round 2 was it? so if pacman beat hatton and trains with khan then i reccon khan would beat him dont underestimate khan just coz he got beat once!
but from the rest of your point of views ricky hatton would murderer him coz hes in a higher league then khan but i dont care if hatton lost to 2 of the hardest fighters coz he stil lost more then khan!
and like sum1 else said it will be alot of a closer fight then you all think speed “khan”
vs power “hatton” but if you think bout it ricky hatton could of beat mayweather but hes gone softer now and then every1 said pacman would beat hatton before they had that fight so whats the point dissin hatton?
hatton and khan has let us all down the both of them are startin to loose but khans younger then hatton and alot faster where as hattons older slower and also losin lack of power coz like sum1 said hes gettin abit “past it”
but it will be a closer fight i dont care what any1 says just read what i put and sink it into your heads to have a good think bout what im sayinn and i no for a fact you will all agree (:
khan who???
hatton the best !!!!!!
i wonder who is going to win ermmm i wonder
hatton v khan at m.e.n arena on 25th december
well roach is no spring chicken.
A good trainer who will get him to keep his hands up and not jump in, that would be a good start, thats all he needs to do, the best thing would be to just retire rather than get beaten by someone who he shouldnt.
Remember graham cant even do training sessions according to hatton because of his bad hands etc.
correction for above: Prescott ko’d Khan, not Valero. Still an exciting fight.
I’d like to see Edwin Valero come up in weight to fight Hatton, that’s if he gets past Breidis Prescott on July 25th. Valero’s name has been bandied about to fight with Pacquiao. A fight with Khan only divides England. What better way to go out, if Hatton so chooses, than to beat the man who ko’d Khan.
Mezzache got up from a Thaxton knockdown and only recouperrated by spitting his gumshield out, Khan would not have gt up from that knockdown
Very well-balanced article. It would be competitive. I don’t think it would be the biggest box office hit in America (while it would still be big) but it would be the biggest ever inside the UK.
If he doesn’t go back to Graham, Ward, then who should he go to. Because remember, he wont try and change his style again, it wont work.
Hatton got bashed up twice because he jumps in and doesnt think about what he is doing, things which are his and billy grahams fault. The style hatton had got him world titles and he was a strong fighter but against speed as he is now he will lose.
Its to late for hatton to change now anyway, as seen against pacman after a long training camp, even though it could be partly mayweather snr’s fault. He said this will be the new hatton etc etc but what changed? He cant take a punch anymore thats all, there is no way the hatton of three years ago would of been wiped out that easy.
Yes Kahn hasnt got the best chin but he is very quick and skillfull, exactly the things hatton will struggle with and he wont be drawn into a scrap close up. I agree hatton could wipe kahn out with one punch but if hatton is as shot as he seemed then he will be in for a tough night and i can see both fighters taking a count.
Ward, no-one said he could change his style. no one can. he needs a trainer that knows him.
Tevez what are you talking about??
Are you talking about hatton or kahn??
You say rematchs so you must be talking about hatton, why the hell would he fight paulie and lazcano again?? Nobody would pay to see those fights.
My comments keep getting taken off for some reason!!
Billy graham??? How can he change hattons style? He wont and he cant he has showed that with the mayweather fight.
John thaxton? come on mark, he just lost to a french jourmyman, murray will beat thaxton when they fight. Kahn would beat thaxton easily these days.
Sam your right about Hatton not challenging for world titles when he was 22, but answer me WHAT HAS KHAN DONE TO EARN A SHOT? this is everyones beef with Khan, how did he jump ahead of Prescott, Casamoyer, Katsidas, Diaz and even Jon Thaxton?
Khan would absolutely terorise and smash hatton to bits i pray this fight happens
Khan should fight prescott again. A great fighter defeats those who defeated him. Lennox Lewis being a prime example. Furthermore, losing to Breidis Prescott is not the same as losing to Mayweather or Pacman. Khan does not deserve his position in the sport, but on the same note, neither does ricky hatton!!
Let them fight, and may the glass jaws commence!!!!
to be a world champion you need a world champion chin,,,,khan has not got one,,hell get dumped on his backside in 2-3 rounds and not get up,END OF.
sam, go away u idiot.
1 other thing, don’t be too harsh on Khan, remember, where was Hatton when he was 22!? I will tell you, he certainly was not challenging for world titles! That took him til he was 26!
Khan will have more power @140, so it would be a lot closer then people are making out, plus Roach will have the blue print and game plan to beat Hatton..
“For Khan, the victory would not be as big. Critics would claim that Hatton was shot and had nothing left to give.”
“Khan will probably be the favourite going into the bout, but Hatton should not be under estimated and considered ’shot’. He has lost to two of the best pound for pound fighters in the world, which there is no shame in.”
Probably the two most true statements on this entire website
This is bull shi*!
Exactley when did Hatton say he is making a comeback and against Khan?
I do think he will probably make a comeback, he has mentioned possibly at the millennium stadium in cardiff….
Billy Graham, under rated! Hatton leaving Billy Graham was the best thing he ever did! his training methods and tactics were what made hatton such a one dimensional fighter!
If he went to freddy roach 5 years ago, he would of achieved more..Possibly beaten mayweather, as up to the 6th round there was little in the fight..
Also, Hatton has publicly said on many occasions he dislikes witter and will not fight him as he does not want to give him his biggest pay day of his career!
Khan hasnt beat Kotelnik yet and looking at Khans record, on paper he aint even in his league
why do people keep comparing khan to pacman ,????(obviously being trained by roach but that doesnt warrant him being as good)
look at there fight records,!khan still a novice compared to pacman,ko,d of prescott,gomez,earl,,the only descent name on there is barrera respectivly but the guy was A past it and B had one good eye, ,what makes u think khan is that fast that hes not gonna get hit of ricky when a one eyed bloodied barrera can hit him with big shots,,,,mayweather couldnt get out of the way of ricky early on ,,,,why is khan gonna ,,, is khan faster that mayweather,,,lol, NO dont think so
ok ,khan has blistering hand speed and average footwork,but it wont add up to a half a mars bar come fight night because as soon as ricky tags him ,(and he will)and early on aswel,khan simply will not recover from it,he will not be able to push ricky back and keep him at distance,ricky will maul him,then ko him,2nd or 3rd round,ricky wins all day long,,,,saying that i think khans very talented ,but rickys style is gonna be a nightmare for him,infact bar mayweather and pacman i couldnt think of a worse fight for khan,why is this fight happening again????? mismatch, khan aint ready,
hatton has never faced anyone as fast as khan hatton is well past it now and has not a hope in hell hail king khan
If khan can keep cool, he will win by ko or points. should fight urango next, then lazcano rematch, then malignaggi rematch, then kotelnik THEN he should step up and face bradley.
never said khan was a pacquiao, infact i dont rate him too highly at all,but styles make fights and hattons lack of head movment will play into the fast hands of khan, hatton can’t be cautios in this fight or khan would just pick him off with quick combos. hattons best chance will be in the later rounds if his stamina holds out, but could be left needeing a ko and looking desperate. i would hate to see ricky lose to khan and hope the fight doesn’t happen. i agree with you about him beating witter(would ko khan early) though.
Ye goodpoint hardman, but at some point over 12 rounds, Rickys going to hit Khan flush and I douby he’d weather the storm. Khan is no Pacquiao. Also, I think after the Pacman fight Hatton will be a lot more cautious, he basically went into that fight with no trainer (mayweather snr). He has to get Graham back , then I think he can beat Khan,Witter, Bradley then who knows. But, Khan has the skill to beat him if he is not on his game.
good point liam, but could khans height reach & speed be a factor, maybe hatton has been left damaged goods by the brutal ko he took.at first i thouhgt the same as you and it would be like the malignaggi fight,but if khan doesn’t lose concentration keeps he punches flowing & his feet moving,as much as i hate to say it could take him the distant
Hatton Ko Round 3
Khan has never faced anyone like Hatton, he wont be able to deal with his pressure and he wont have the power to hold him off. He’s going to get a big shock. Hatton Ko, round 5.
Hatton by KO, round 3.
who is amir khan???? is he the joke that has faught featherweights and got knockd out by a real young star in the making!!!! + struggled against limond and gomez!!! as much as hatton is near the end hed still b up thr with top lightwelters.
I dont see this fight taking hatton back to the top.It could be the first step at getting a big fight but to say that it automatically puts him in that position is an overstatement.
If Hatton is serious about fighting again then he should fight to give himself another shot at getting a world title and not just fight Khan then retire,that doesn’t make much sense to me.If Hatton is going to fight again and should he fight Khan and win,i dont think he should retire.Hatton should fight on and give it one more shot at getting a world title.
Hatton is still fairly young and should he beat Khan,Hatton should press on.If Hatton loses,well,then we all know what Hatton should do next.It starts with an R…..
Good article. I agree with UKansodoff. Both of these fighters have other things they need to do before this fight happens. I am a big British boxing man, having travlled to Vegas with Hatton and just had to go through the pain in the arse of changing my Khan tickets, so the thought of a big UK fight excites me. Bring back the 90′s Benn Eubank style battles I say. But not yet!!!!!
Khan is going the right way now. Had his blip but hopefully, Roach has that defence sorted now. His chin is suspect but his boxing skill should keep him out of trouble. Get a world title and a few defences then he can start demanding big money fights.
Hatton has lost only twice in his whole life. To as has been said, possibly the best 2 fighters of the last 10 years. He has got at least 2 or 3 fights left in him. At least. He wont get the big belt fights but he can spin a few extra quid out the industry.Junior Witter is a poss. But I think there are a few up and coming 140 lb fighters that he could school.
I think 2 years worth of fights and then these 2 should match up. As Hattons big goodbye and as Khans start to big money makers.
Just please hold it in Wembley not Manchester or Vegas. I hate having to travel up to Manchester and Vegas is not the place for an all English fight. 100,000 people in a packed out Wembley. Biggest gate in boxing history in its home country. England!
Hatton will ko khan in 2 or 3. If khan wins then i will take him seriously.
great article.i would love to see this fight happen.i think hatton would knock khan out.
I dont really think i wana see this happen. Im not sayin i wouldnt watch it cuz i definatly would but i would rather both of them do sometihng else.
If Hatton was to win it would be a massive de-railment of Khans career for a 2nd time after still recoverin even now from the Prescott loss.
If Hatton was to lose to glass chinned khan of all people that sould be as a devastating way to step out of the sport as if he stepped out now after the Pacquaio loss.
I dont wana see either of them outcomes happen to 2 of my favourite boxers but if they fought one of them definatly would.
Though theres no doubtin it would be a really big British fight and a lovely payday for both of them.
I know i’d pay for a ticket to see khan get put on his arse
I think that Hatton should face his long time rival in Whitter..
If Khan wins it’ll do his career a little good, although Hatton is damaged goods at present.
But if Hatton wins it doesn’t prove anything. Khan is untested and in my mind still needs to prove himself after his KO defeat. Hatton looks like he has beaten a kid with minimal experience. Who cares?
I think it is the wrong time for both of these two to face each other. Hatton needs to fight a good strong fighter who is making waves. Khan isn’t doing that just yet, the defeat has made us all wonder about Khans world class ability.
Hatton V Whitter, a big UK fight, both need a win and there is history between them.
M
Carlos Tevez…..blah blah rest of crap if you can read you tool i DID say i mis-read!
why has hatton sunk to fighting khan in a “superfight” he should go after witter that would be more profitable, plus whoever he fights next will cause him problems no matter how good they are. pac man laid the blue print down to beat hatton now hatton needs to change his style now.
i think kahn will be steeping out of his league ,he thinks he is good because he beat a old barrera but wen he stepped in the ring with presscott he was down and out in 1min ,so now we all no kahn has a glass jaw – an d i feel it would be degrading for hatton to fight this no mark,or maybe he should just tk him out for the fun of it.
Hatton should fight Witter if he can beat ALexander in August. He shouldnt bother with Khan but if he does I hope he knocks him out!!
GOOD ARTICLE. ifancy khan on pooints. welsini, it says others would have avoided them shots.idiot.
hatton v khan 1st wba in the bag, hatton v witter wbc belt 2 should he win only then retire.
these r the fights i want 2 c but both khan and witter need 2 win there next fights in order 2 tempt hatton with the titles.
from a cash piont of view, and to securehis legacy this i think is his best route back 2 the top
My apologies i mis-read
Someone else might have took those shots????? Who?!! Rocky Balboa?
LOL khan is barking up the wrong tree here and he will soon learn when he wakes up in the hospital. One lesson is don’t run before you can walk
This is going to be interesting, Khan has alot more skill than Hatton, but Hatton will bring on alot of pressure. This is a big fight for the UK! But yeah I agree I would like to see Witter fight Hatton too.
khan isnt in the same league as hatton 2 even mention this is a joke junior witter would be a better opponent and would make a more exciting fight!!
If Hatton gets stuck in, comes forward and fights close he will win by knockout.
“biggest fight in history in terms of money…..”
In who’s mind?