I really like Hatton… but I don’t see him as being that much better than an Arturo Gatti. Put him in with a speedy, slick boxer, and he’s going to have problems all night.
I don’t see him hanging with the PBF’s and DLH’s, especially now, and at 147lbs.
He should move on down and take Cotto, perhaps Castillo will be there soon if he isn’t already.
I agree it is to soon to judge Hatton its all the Hatton lovers that want instant gratification again I say whats the hurry???I strongly disagree with the Gatti statement..Arturo is a brawler and a warlord for Chrissake!!! He has Satan afraid of him and thats the good news For Ricky!!! The bad news is that Artoro is a better faster more technically sound Boxer than Ricky..
He can give them a run for their money, but he is gonna have to up his game big-time.
Before this fight I gave Hatton about a 40% chance against PBF, based on speed and intensity that PBF hasn’t seen before. Ask me again now and it’s down to about 20-25%, he looked tired after about halfway and struggled in the 12th, to anyone that has followed Hatton that is unheard of and the only expaination can be the extra pounds, maybe some slack training.
6 months hard work in the gym though and he can grow into this division, he will never be as dangerous as he is at 140 but his workrate alone would give him a big chance against Oscar, the same as he did to Tszyu.
I have always said that Hatton is a bit like Barry McGuigan used to be. His effort against the great Tszyu was eerily similar to McGuigan’s title winning bout against the (also) great Eusebio Pedroza
A very very good fighter going forward, excellent high-pressure all action style. relentless marauding style that bulldozed everyone in front of him as he went to the top. Great body puncher. I’m cynical enough to think that it probably helps being white, as well. Weaknesses are a slightly porous defence, a lack of real one-punch power and a propensity to get cut.
Hatton also fell out with his promoter, as did McGuigan before his US unveiling, and (if he had been stopped in the final round, which was a close run thing) we would be drawing all sorts of parallells with McGuigan-Cruz.
I think that going up a weight is a bit of a lazy response to his lack of discipline in ballooning in weight between fights, and that, at 5’6", Hatton is not a full welterweight. He can’t use his physical strength to bully people, he’s going to be at a big reach disadvantage etc.
I think Hatton’s style does not lend itself to a long career at the top, and he needs to maximise his earnings now. Fighting Collazo, who is a good fighter, an awkward southpaw and a full welterweight, was incredibly poor matchmaking and simply a bad fight for Ricky.
So, as often happens, I think the truth is somewhere between the more hysterical extremes that have been posted throughout this forum.
Hatton is a world class fighter, with a good chin and a great heart. he has some technical and physical deficiencies, but he is as qualified an anyone out there to step into the ring with the PBFs and DLHs of the world.
Alot of people are making a lot of excuses for a world class fighter. The weight,the guys a natural WW, hes a southpaw. Thats alot of excuse for a guy who is ranked by many as high as #5 lb4lb. The truth is this for the elite fighter & pounds shouldn’t matter that much. Its not as if he was coming from 130 or 135.Then i would agree with the weight thing. Hes been at 140 his whole life and 7 pounds shouldn’t make that much of a difference especially for a guy who walks around above 170 pounds. If anything he should of felt stronger being that its much easier to sweat down to 147 than to 140.The south paw thing holds a little weight but once again an elite fighter should be able to figure out a southpaw. And people act like all of a sudden he was fighting the best southpaw in the world. Please i like collazo but I rank corley and even judah over him and I hate judah. Then you say hes a natural WW when the truth is I would bet that hatton walks around heavier than collazo. The truth is he struggled against a mediocre fighter and maybe even loss. That don’t cut it for world class fighters. What if floyd looked like this against collazo what would hatton fans think about him? If hatton never fought collazo and this was pbf with this showing what would you say? Honestly
Ricky has more that slightly porous defense he has no defense also his lack of head movement and extrmrly awkward stlye will be downfall against the PBF,Cotto’s Margarito’s a slick Welterweight will tear him apart and break him down!!!Sure he is qualified… but Winning??? I dont think SO!!