By Scott Gilfoid: Unbeaten former World Boxing Council super middleweight Joe Calzaghe (46-0, 32 KOs) had a bit of helpful advice for the recently humiliated Ricky Hatton, telling him make the decision what to do with the rest of his career on his own, and then adding “If I was knocked out in the second round, I’d want to keep fighting so I could finish with a win,” according to the BBC. Calzaghe probably would have continued fighting after a defeat, but who that would be against would be the big question.
If it were against fighters like Tocker Pudwill and Mario Veit, Calzaghe might as well have retired in his hypothetical scenario, because it wouldn’t likely make a dent in trying to erase a knockout loss like the one that Hatton suffered at the hands of Manny Pacquiao on May 2nd. The same goes for fighters like 40-year-old Roy Jones Jr. or Peter Manfredo Jr., neither of which would have taken the sting out of a loss like Hatton’s in my estimation.
The only way to get boxing fans to forget about a loss like the one Hatton suffered, is for Calzaghe to step up to the plate and fight Chad Dawson, and I can’t see Calzaghe doing that regardless of how badly he was beaten. Likewise, Hatton can continue fighting, but if he’s just going to take on some easy over-matched opponent with little skills and next to no chance at winning, then Hatton would be kidding himself if he thinks that would make any kind of difference in the minds of boxing fans.
Personally, when I think of Hatton, my mind fixes on the image of Hatton stretched out on the canvas, flat on his back with his eyes staring into a big blank because he was out cold. I also can’t get the image of Hatton getting bombed repeatedly in the two round fight with Pacquiao, and knocked around like a rag doll, hitting the canvas three separate times before he lost consciousness in the 2nd round.
If Hatton does comeback, he’s going to need to take on a first rate opponent, one of the top light welterweights that Hatton has for some reason not chose to fight in the past two years. If Hatton wants to really impress his legion of loyal British boxing fans, then he could do no worse than to fight Junior Witter.
It’s a safe fight for Hatton in terms of him having to worry about being knocked out, since Witter isn’t really a big puncher. However, Hatton would have a lot to worry about because of Witter’s extraordinary boxing skills, which I consider to be a couple levels above the rather primitive throwback style of Hatton.
There would be a good chance that Hatton would lose because he’s not much of a boxer, but at least he’d have the respect of his fans. A loss would be the final nail in his coffin and Hatton could then retire knowing that he really is through as a fighter. I’d forget about taking on an easy fight, though, because that’s nothing more than another easy payday for Hatton at the expense of his fans. Hatton owes it to them to take on a top level fighter and not just someone he can beat.
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