News – Hatton vs. N’dou Still On

By Boxing News - 10/09/2009 - Comments

hatton-matthew3429By William Mackay: The Matthew Hatton (37-4-1, 14 KO’s) vs. Lovemore N’dou (47-11, 31 KO’s) bout appears to be back on for November 13th. It was thought that N’dou was injured in training and had to pull out of the fight. The bout will be taking place at the Fenton Manior Sports Complex, in Stoke. N’dou’s little known International boxing Organization welterweight title will be on the line for the fight, but more importantly, it will be a chance for the 28-year-old Hatton to break the top 15 in the world rankings if he can beat the 38-year-old N’dou.

Currently, N’dou is ranked number #15 in the International Boxing Federation. Hatton could find himself in the same spot if he beats N’dou. Although it’s difficult to imagine how Hatton can progress much further than that with his limited power and hand speed. If Hatton is steered around the top contenders, most of which I feel would easily beat him, Hatton could eventually creep into the top five and end up getting a world title shot against champion Isaac Hlatshwayo.

It’s Hatton’s had luck that Miguel Cotto, Shane Mosley or Andre Berto don’t hold the IBF belt, because all of them are much better known than Hlatshwayo and would bring Hatton a good payday if he ever gets to that point. Hatton is the younger brother of former light welterweight and welterweight champion Ricky Hatton. For most of Matthew Hatton’s career, he has toiled way in obscurity, beating largely B and C level fighters and losing occasionally to them.

It’s a minor miracle that he’s gotten to the point where he is now, because he’s looked very bad in being beaten by Craig Watson last year in a one-sided 12 round decision. I thought that we’d never hear of Hatton again after that lopsided defeat. But Hatton has reemerged with wins over carefully selected fighters like an older Ben Tackie, Ted Bami and Ernesto Zepeda.

Hatton was close to fighting Zab Judah recently, but that fight disappeared when Judah said he wanted the fight to take place at light welterweight rather than welterweight. Hatton perhaps should have taken the fight anyway, because it would have been a much bigger opportunity for him to face Judah rather than the 38-year-old N’dou.

It’s one thing getting beaten by a younger, quality fighter like Judah, and quite another thing to get beaten by a 38-year-old like N’dou, who has lost two out of his last three fights. If it wasn’t impossible, Hatton should have tried to take the weight off to make the fight.

If he had been able to fight hard for a full 12 rounds, he might have had a chance to beat Judah. It wouldn’t be easy, because Hatton doesn’t have much power or speed, but he could have made it interesting if Judah didn’t take him out in the first six rounds of the fight.

Matthew Hatton dreams of being a world champion some day, like his older brother Ricky. Who knows? Perhaps Matthew could pull it off and capture a welterweight title, but it won’t be easy. It’s going to be a trouble enough just to get ranked high enough to get a world title shot.

Unless Hatton plans on fighting mostly B level fighters, I have serious doubts whether he’ll get ranked in the top 5 before being beaten repeatedly by the other top 15 contenders. He’s lacking in many different areas, not just with his power.



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