Has Hatton’s Immense Wealth Slowed Down His Boxing Career?
July 2nd, 2009
By Sean McDaniel: Like a lot of fighters that strike it rich with a huge fight or two, Ricky Hatton’s career seems to have reached a stall after his huge money fight against Manny Pacquiao in May. Since being destroyed by Pacquiao in two quick rounds, Hatton has been unusually quiet about his future plans. For a person that has always been quite open in the media about his life, plans and personal thoughts, it seems strange that Hatton is suddenly mute when it comes to his career.
There’s something about being poor which forces people to do the hard thing, because there’s fewer alternatives to choose from when you don’t have then big kind of money that Hatton now has. There’s nothing wrong with a fighter not wanting to struggle through tough training camps and further adversity once they’ve struck rich, because after all, who needs to be sweating it out in a gym when they’ve got millions off dollars in the bank.
However, the effect that money often has on an fighter’s career is often negative I must say. They either celebrate with rich foods by eating and drinking themselves to the point where their once great skills quickly erode, or they often become sedentary, staying at home watching television and not training.
Either way, I think it often ends bad when fighters starting making huge money. Manny Pacquiao thus far is an exception of fighter that hasn’t lost his skills or ambition despite making tons of money in the ring. With him it’s a little different, because he gives away most of it and doesn’t seem comfortable sitting around and eating like many fighters tend to do once they get wealthy.
Pacquiao stays active with friends and doesn’t just sit around getting lazy. If this were Pacquiao who had just been knocked out in the 2nd round, I don’t think for a second he would be considering retirement. On the contrary, Pacquiao would immediately say that he was getting back in the ring to continue with his career, even though Pacquiao has made millions already. For him, it’s pride, obligation and his love for the sport of boxing. He’s not going to think of himself or wanting to take the easy way out by retiring so that he could avoid having to work his way back on top.
With Hatton, however, he seems like a different fighter since getting big money in his fights with Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Pacquiao. I don’t think the knockout from Mayweather had anything to do with Hatton’s off performance against Pacquiao. I think it was a case of the easy life that Hatton has led since getting huge money in the Mayweather bout has had the effect of making him soft.
Hatton doesn’t seem to have the fierce pride that he once had now that he’s gotten fat and rich. I think Hatton would be so much better off if he were dirt poor again, and fighting like he once did without big money being waived in front of his nose.
18 Responses to “Has Hatton’s Immense Wealth Slowed Down His Boxing Career?”
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listen lee guys like presscott are two tough for men like khan . and hoe can you say he will be the best of british because he has fought well past it boxers and got ko”d by presscott .beat a p.e teacher and beat barrera a over the hill fighter on a cut which was caused by a head collision . so now khan gets a title fight against kontellnik who should have no problem whatso ever beating khan unless he gets paid 4 or 5 million pounds by warren to lose . so listen lee are you sure your not talking about sheffield legend naseem hamed.
Lee, can’t see what? his wisdom teeth through his glass jaw? LoL.
Prescott wont fight kahn now, hes not stupid he knows that with roach trainin him he has no chance.
Prescott is running scared of kahn FACT
kahn is going to be the bester british fighter of all time its a shame people like you cant see that
if khan is so good, why not have rematch with prescott, i mean u say hes improved, perhaps he will last 55 seconds this time!
Pffft, Hatton wouldnt last 2 mins with amir kahn….i was watching the training with the pac and i think that even he would be scared of kahn now.
that fight wont happen cuz hatton knows kahn will school him badly just like pac did.
Kahn is a proven warrior now i dont even know why he wants to fight a chump like hatton
Ricky Hatton is no baby and ricky Hatton isnt growing. thats a bunch of BS. He never belonged in the ring with either of the true champions.
Defeat always generates excuses…!
Before squaring off with our Pacman, Hatton held his head up high like a true British because he’s the greatest in 140 lb division, he felt he’s stronger, bigger, & taller, & have got all the arsenals, and also as expected superior among any other races.
His pride and the lack courage to accept that in the real world he’s only a little lad, in other words, he’s still a growing baby ( now he realized ) compared to the Pacman.
So what’s next for Richard Hatton? Ask Simon Cowel.
Hatton was never one to show off his wealth so i think money has nothing to do with it.He got beaten by Mayweather just like every1 else did who faced the great man.The fight against Manny was just a bad night for the Hitman and i do think if they ever fight again hatton would last a bit longer and do things a bit differently but thats not going 2 happen.He should fight on and a fight against Kahn sounds good and then maybe when Mayweather beats JMM,Hatton and Marquez would be a exciting fight to see
Had nothing to do with money. Hattons immense lack of boxing skill and a weak azz jaw slowed him down. Hatton will come back and make some money fighting bums like he did before he got his shot. He’ll be the Monte Barret of his division.The new British gatekeeper.
I think it was Pac’s immense right hook and left upper cut that slowed down Hatton’s career.
He’s gone into the gym to keep fit so that he doesn’t ballon up in between fights like he used to though – if there even is a next fight.
i love hatton but i tink he shud retire,i respect him more than any british fighter out de,at least he had the balls to face the best,he fell short twice i no but he can quit nowing how good he was,unlike calzaghe who never faced the best,hopkins and rjj were well past der best
Now, Ricky, he just crossed two fighters way above his league is all. Bloke’s contemplating what to do next after reality bit his behind, that what he once believed being up there with the elite was nothing but smoke. That ain’t a small slice of humble pie to swallow, eh? My gut feel is he will fight one or two meaningless fights and hang it up for good, pursue his career as a stand-up comic / boxing promoter.
What destroyed Ricky more than anything is the way he balloons in weight between fights by about 3 stone at a time. No one expects him to carry on living like a monk out of training but having 10 pints of guiness a night and doing a straight swap from veg to fry-ups is going to play its part (all this he has admitted in his autobiography).
What encourages him even more though is when the tabloids print headlines like ‘ricky fatton’, a gimmick that he now thrives on and the hangers on who shout ‘get another pint in’ who are a desperate to get a snap in the paper at his parties, I wasnt a fan of Floyd Mayweather Snr but he wanted to keep Ricky well away from these people and let him party when he was retired, look at Calzaghe and Witter, two figters who will both admit how hard it is to give up certain vices in life but did so and have both boxed past 34 years old, an ae I dont think Hatton will be active by, even if he wants to.
Hatton needs to take some fights to end his career on a personal high.
My suggestion would be silencing junior witter. If he thinks he still can…
It would be an amazing fight. A really challenge. A loss to witter would finish hatton. he most likely believes its too risky.
Maybe a fight against world champion amir khan would be a better option. Both would love a big money fight.. But hatton knows khan has speed, and he has freddie roach who knows how to beat hatton. Maybe hatton will be too scared to take that fight aswell.
I dont want to see hatton fight anyone except khan or witter. I dont think theres any other fight out there for him. Timothy Bradley might be rated as one of the best, but the fight would have no real meaning to anybody other than die hard boxing fans.
Not exactly the best way to end a career.
thats what money does- it kills the hunger of being a fighter
I am with Ukansodoff, Ricky was simply found out at the highest level but is also probably on the slide a little bit as well.That said I am sure he would still beat many very good fighters.If he wants a final hurrah at home why not?? he has had a good career let him go out on his shield if that is what he wants
We all love money but money is not the reason for Hatton losing his 2 big fights.
He couldnt take that step up in class simple as that, he took both fights very very seriously and was soundly beaten because the flaws in his game are shown up and exploited by elite boxers and their elite trainers.
Now i cant say whats goin through his head and what his dilemas are that he needs to sort before he makes a decision but i think he cant see a challenge thats guna get him through the training camps. He dominated a division being world champion, he moved up a weight and won another world title, the next thing is to take on the elite boxers and he fell short in ways that confirmed to him hes not at that level.
Now what? Is he hungry enough to go back over old ground at this stage in his career? He cant step the other way he will get beat by an elite boxer again. so theres retirement and oppertunitys are already open to him, but hes a born boxer with the heart of a lion, its hard to give up. Especially with his last fight endin like it did.