By Scott Gilfoid: Former light welterweight and welterweight champion Ricky Hatton (45-2, 32 KO’s) is reportedly kicking around the idea of making a comeback against Floyd Mayweather Jr. next year, according to boxing news from the BBC. Hatton, who just recently turned 31 on October 6th, had this to say about it: “If I decide to come back it would need to be a fight to excite me.
One person on my hit-list is Floyd Mayweather.” I sure hope Hatton was talking about Mayweather Sr. rather than his son Mayweather Jr., because Hatton stands no chance against Mayweather Jr. Heck, at this point I think even Mayweather Sr. would give Hatton a run for his money and possibly starch him.
Hatton was knocked cold by Manny Pacquiao on May 2nd, a fight in which Hatton was dropped three times before getting knocked out for three minutes in the 2nd round. Hatton was never even in the fight and got dropped twice in the 1st round alone. The knockout was scary the way that Hatton stayed down for so long after getting flattened by a powerful left hand from Pacquiao. You would think that with a knockout like that, Hatton would at least want a tune-up before facing a fighter as good as Mayweather, don’t you? Without a tune-up, Hatton will be asking for it and will likely get knocked out again. Even with a tune-up, Hatton’s going to get knocked out. But at least he’d be doing the right thing by testing the waters in a tune-up fight, so that he can get the rust off and test whether he has anything left. You have to wonder if Hatton is afraid of being knocked out even against light competition at this point, because why bypass a tune-up bout and head straight into a fight with Mayweather. That sounds insane, almost as bad as Hatton’s miserable strategy he used against Pacquiao in which Hatton just bum rushed him without thinking.
Hatton: “I’d rather get back in the ring with him, have a go and get knocked out again because I can say that I tried.” I don’t like the way this sounds, to be honest. It sounds to me as if Hatton is just interested in getting a final paycheck and nothing more. Hatton doesn’t appear confident with that statement. This is so crazy. I don’t blame Hatton for wanting to get a rematch with Mayweather, because after all, Hatton did get knocked out by Mayweather in the 10th round in December 2007.
But, Hatton has done next to nothing in rebuilding himself since that time. Hatton fought Juan Lazcano, who almost knocked Hatton out in May 2008. Ricky won the fight by a 12 round decision but he looked poor in the fight in getting staggered twice by the light-hitting Lazcano. Then Hatton fought Paulie Malignaggi, arguably the weakest puncher of the top light welterweight contenders, and stopped him in the 11th round in November 2008. Those wins proved nothing, because Malignaggi and Lazcano are not in the class of some of the other top light welterweights in the division, such as Timothy Bradley, Marcos Maidana and Devon Alexander, in my view.
Still harping on the first Mayweather bout, Hatton had this to say about it: “I thought I was hard done by to lose in the first fight. The referee didn’t let me impose my style on him.” Hatton is referring to referee Joe Cortez, who prevented Hatton from working on the inside against Mayweather by constantly breaking the two fighters and not allowing Hatton to do much on the inside.
Hatton has a point here, but I still think he would have lost the fight regardless Hatton was allowed to work on the inside. Maybe if the fight had taken place in Manchester with a passive referee who allowed Hatton to hold and hit, and throw rabbit punches all night long, Hatton could have won under those circumstances. But Hatton wasn’t able to get away with those types of things against Mayweather in their fight, which took place in Las Vegas, Nevada.
If there was a rematch, it certainly wouldn’t be fought in England, so I don’t see how Hatton would have a chance. He needs to fight in England where he could get away with a lot more stuff on the inside in terms of fouls, because I don’t think Hatton would be given too much slack in a fight that was held in the U.S. Referees in the United States tend to penalize for rabbit punches and hitting and holding. They also take points away when fighters body slam others.
I doubt that the boxing public would be much interested in seeing a Mayweather vs. Hatton rematch. Without Hatton redeeming himself in some manner in the form of a couple of tune-up bouts, how would they sell it to the public? “Hatton got whopped last time, but this time he’s mad.” I think it would do okay, but not be a big seller because everyone knows pretty much that Hatton will get knocked out again.
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