By Liam Santiago: Does Amir Khan really have the right to call out Ricky Hatton? What has he done to deserve the biggest payday he will ever get? Boxing is a sport where you work your way up, earning the right to mega fights. Ricky Hatton certainly did that but I can’t quite see where Bolton man Amir Khan has. Yes, He outpointed Andriy Kotelnik last month and he has beaten an old, fading legend in Marco Antonio Barrera. But what else?
I can’t quite see the sense in Khan looking for Hatton either. The level of Khan’s punch resistance was displayed at the M.E.N arena last year when Breidis Pescott knocked him out in 54 seconds. There is not many light welterweights today that punch as hard as Ricky Hatton. Also, although Khan looked good against Kotelnik in his first world title fight, he did show signs of being vulnerable under pressure.
Please, show me a fighter today that is not better at piling the pressure on than the Manchester warrior, Ricky Hatton. Why Khan and his promoter, Frank Warren think this fight would be such a walk in the park is totally beyond me. Where and when has Khan proven that he is at that level? Hatton has lost to Floyd Mayweather Jnr and Manny Pacquiao, two all time greats. So, does that automatically believe anyone and his dog can beat him and disrespect the legend that made Kostya Tszyu retire on his stool, in the process.
As time goes on boxing and the boxers themselves are getting so reliant on being undefeated. Of course, being undefeated is a great achievement and no fighter would want to lose that nought of their record. But, losing to such great fighters does not mean a fighter is finished. Look at Muhammed Ali, Roberto Duran and Turpin. They all lost at the peak of their career and they have gone down as some of the best fighters to ever live.
Bernard Hopkins lost his first bout, as did Jake LaMotta. The point is simple, Ricky Hatton is not ‘shot’ He dominated the light welterweight no.2 contender, Pauli Malignaggi and stopped him in the fight before Manny Pacquiao. What would Khan do that Malignaggi could not? Is Khan trying to suggest that he is at the same level as Floyd Mayweather Jnr and Manny Pacquiao? Beating the weakest light welterweight champion, Kotelnik, certainly does not back that claim up or even come close to suggesting he could beat Ricky Hatton.
Please do not tell me that Hatton would be a walk in the park for Khan. Hatton would put that much pressure on Khan he wouldn’t know what day it was. Would the man that was knocked out in 54 seconds defeat the legend the made Kostya Tszyu retire on his stool. How would Khan react to the pressure Hatton puts on? I Personally think he would crumble.
How would he react to Hatton’s power? Well Khan has been knocked down by natural featherweights and knocked out in 54 second fight so I dread to think. Khan is a very good fighter, please, don’t take it the wrong way. He could beat some great boxers but Hatton is not one of them.
The likes of John Murray would be eaten alive by Khan but Hatton would simply prove far too much. Khan looks set to vacate his new world title to avoid a fight with his no.1 mandatory Marcos Maidana. So he will fight Hatton but not Maidana? I think Khan needs a serious shake up in his management team.
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