Ricky Hatton: Worth the Weight?

By Boxing News - 10/10/2012 - Comments

Image: Ricky Hatton: Worth the Weight?By Rob Blakeman: As Ricky Hatton’s original Conditioning Trainer and Nutritionist I feel I am qualified to ask the most important question in light of his comeback. I first met Hatton in 2001 and it became apparent very quickly that he and his camp hadn’t got the first clue on nutrition, avoiding over-training and all of the fundamentals that the top world fighters have in place.

Ricky would blow up by 2 or 3 stones between fights and I told him in no uncertain terms this would be his undoing. I tried to explain the accumulative effect that this kind of weight-loss has on the body- particularly when you do it 3 times a year as he was back then. I tried to make him understand that the top light welters at that time, De la Hoya, Mosley etc kept within a few pounds of fighting weight all of the time.

Ricky chose to ignore my advice then and continued to overindulge after each fight. I pointed out that when he ultimately got beat he would never know if it was because the opponent was the better man or that his own reserves had been diminished through all of the bad living. That I think, is the reason he’s coming back. If you truly give your all to your boxing career in terms of discipline and healthy living all year round and then you get beaten by the better man then you can live with that! You have been defeated but not diminished.

This was a subtlety lost on Hatton at the time but now perhaps he understands what I was trying to tell him. So, the only question he needs to answer now is this time, during his comeback, however long it lasts, will he keep control of his weight between fights?

Good luck Ricky, you need to drop the hangers on that you always had around you if they are still there and bring in some people who will tell you the truth about how to live like a Champion. The hangers on will stick with you even when you are living it up, content to share the money and the limelight-the best trainers however, will walk away when solid, experienced advice is ignored the way I did in 2002.

Rob Blakeman
Professional Trainer & Health Advisor
www.robblakeman.com



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