Light welterweight Campbell Hatton (14-1, 5 KOs) is moving on from his coach / unclear Matthew Hatton, following his first career defeat against Central Area champion James Flint last Saturday night on March 30th in Sheffield, England.
Trainer Change: A Magic Wand or a Waste of Time?
We don’t know what went on between Campbell and Matthew for the two to part ways, but it wouldn’t be surprising if it had to do with the 23-year-old being told the cold, hard truth by his trainer.
A new trainer won’t transform Campbell into a massive puncher with Gervonta Davis-like power or morph him into a copy of his famous father, Ricky Hatton.
Even if this magic-genie-like trainer could turn him into Ricky, he’d still get bounced around the ring by the talents at 140.
Ricky Hatton was from a different era, coming on when the king of the light welterweight division, Kostya Tszyu, had gotten old and was no longer the young fighter he’d once been.
If Campbell could gain the power and grappling skills of his father, Ricky, it would still be extremely tough for him to find success against this era’s top fighters.
After a fast start, Campbell gassed out after two rounds and was outboxed the rest of the way by Flint. Although Campbell continued to press, he looked tired and was getting beaten up in the last two rounds. Flint had Campbell hurt in the eighth and tenth.
Flint (14-1-2, 3 KOs), a fighter with a 21% KO rate, showed more power and speed than Campbell. That’s not a good sign for Campbell because he shouldn’t be getting out-powered by a fighter with that level of power.
For Campbell to succeed at 140, he would need to improve his power because he’s not fast enough to depend on his speed like some of the top fighters in the division, like Richardson Hitchins and Ryan Garcia.
Matthew Hatton’s Message
“What a journey the last seven years! I’ve enjoyed it immensely,” Matthew Hatton said on X. “Always made him a priority and always will. The right time to move on @campbellhatton, the future is yours. Find a way, make it happen.”