Malignaggi: I would have beaten Hatton; I’m better than him

By Boxing News - 11/28/2012 - Comments

Image: Malignaggi: I would have beaten Hatton; I'm better than himBy Scott Gilfoid: It’s hilarious to see how WBA welterweight champion Paulie Malignggi has suddenly reversed course on building up Ricky Hatton following Hatton’s loss to Vyacheslav Senchenko last Saturday night and then his subsequent retirement from boxing.

The loss and the retirement removed any hope of a Malignaggi vs. Hatton rematch, and it looks like Malignaggi doesn’t seem to be happy about not getting the fight. Before Hatton’s loss, Malignaggi has been saying nothing but good things about him. Boy, things sure have changed now that Hatton has retired.

Malignaggi said to RingTV “I have no doubts that I would have beaten Ricky Hatton. I am better than Ricky Hatton…Since when has Hatton ever beat a technical boxer?…He was lying to himself. It’s a shame. He could have taken a lesser opponent [than Senchenko].”

Malignaggi was harping big time about Hatton’s mistake of facing the much taller and still cogent Senchenko for his comeback fight instead of a fluff opponent. Malinaggi would have gotten the fight with Hatton, and the payday that went with it if Hatton had selected a nice 3rd tier opponent to beat up for a guaranteed victory. But instead Hatton chose a live body and ended up getting taken out in the 9th round from a left to the body by Senchenko.

You can see in the interview that Malignaggi is deeply upset at Hatton’s loss, because he really wanted to get Hatton in the ring for some reason. Hatton knocked Malignaggi out in the 11th round four years ago in a one-sided fight, and I guess it’s bothered Malignaggi all these years that he was handled so easily by Hatton.

Malignaggi wanted that chance to prove that he was the better guy, but that won’t happen now. Hatton has retired and ends any hope of a Malignaggi-Hatton rematch.

I honestly think Hatton still would have beaten Malignaggi if it had been him in the ring instead of Senchenko. Hatton wouldn’t have had to worry about getting hit with anything hard after he gassed a little in the 6th and I think he’d have beaten Malignaggi by a decision. I doubt Hatton would have knocked him out, because Malignaggi would be dancing around the ring all night long, but it would have still been a very winnable fight even for this version of Hatton.

Hatton should delay his retirement for just one fight so he can take on Malignaggi one more time to shut him up. Malignaggi’s title doesn’t have to be on the line if the WBA wants to make a fuss about it, but I think it would still be an interesting fight.



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