Rciky Hatton. like him / dont like him? poll...

[Wales]

Lots of "discussion" on here, so, do you like ricky, or not?

Black or white

up or down

Like or loathe

[banjo]

Where's the "indifferent" option?

I neither like him or loathe him.

As a fighter he bores me but I respect him for doing what he does for a living even if I haven't always agreed with his career path.

[Spud]

Definitely like Ricky Hatton - dam good bloke and someone who has done very well for himself and despite me thinking he will lose on Saturday - I want him to win.

Loathe some of the people who come with him.

[Wales]

well banjo, i didnt put a middle ground, splintery arse situation, otherwsie i feel many would choose that. if you dont have an opinion, or can't choose, dont vote. I thought he was the dogs baleros, then i got bored with him, but i do like him, support him and hope he does well when it comes to the crunch. At the end of the day, you either like or dont?

[Wales]

Loathe some of the people who come with him.

amen baldy

[Asterix]

I like him more than loathe him but neither like him nor loathe him.

[Mukel]

I dont see any reason to dislike him, the whole man of the people thing is something
that was started as PR thing, and he's ran with it, so what?
Atleast he is respectful and decent guy, and he comes to fight.

[emma]

Dont like him. I used to think he was alright but lately hes turned into a bit of a tit what with all this chat show hosting rubbish and releasing christmas songs.

[MecnunK]

can we have a dont care either way option?

[Dioufy]

I like Hatton - the 'dislike' for him is because he's not the most intelligent man in the world despite making millions. Some of the things he says are a little regurgitated and when he uses phrases like "what kind of fighter would Ricky Hatton be if he didn't do this or that" - that does become a little annoying. But on the other hand I do think he's a top bloke and a nice/funny man - in this society, amongst famous people, that's a rare commodity. He's also a great fighter - I will never forget the Kostya fight and the nerves I felt in the build up to the Mayweather fight will never be eclipsed. Furthermore, he's been good for British boxing and anyone who says different is either stupid or just plain naive. He deserves a lot more respect than he gets off here sometimes.

[Poncey]

I'm with banjo. I wouldn't say I like him, but I certainly don't loathe him. He's also done a lot to put boxing back on the map in the last 3 years.

Great spelling on the title Wales.

[DG.]

As a fighter he bores me but I respect him for doing what he does for a living even if I haven't always agreed with his career path.

He also bores me wih his fake Man of the people lark.

I don't hate anyone.

[chinny]

I like

the profile he has given british boxing, the Kostya night (I was there and took a load of mates who aren't usually interested in boxing) and the jokes the first time

I loathe

the hypocrisy and lies which come out of the camp, for which ultimately he has to take responsibility. Cheaper for fans in Vegas than New York, anyone? They clearly skim extra cash for themselves by passing tickets onto the agencies and I'm glad it has backfired this time around.

[Hagler2002]

Can we have a "I used to like him, but now he is rather irritating" option

[Abbo]

I think its a relief that Parky / Wossy havent been on TV lately to host one of his "walk past the chippy" gag fests..

[oliverfennell]

Loathe some of the people who come with him.

Couldn't agree more! DD

[oliverfennell]

Dont like him. I used to think he was alright but lately hes turned into a bit of a tit what with all this chat show hosting rubbish and releasing christmas songs.

Are you serious??

[banjo]

Dont like him. I used to think he was alright but lately hes turned into a bit of a tit what with all this chat show hosting rubbish and releasing christmas songs.

Are you serious??

yep he is releasing a song for christmas

[Poncey]

Dont like him. I used to think he was alright but lately hes turned into a bit of a tit what with all this chat show hosting rubbish and releasing christmas songs.

Are you serious??

yep he is releasing a song for christmas

http://www.nme.com/news/oasis/40158

[Chambers2]

Can't say I loathe Ricky as a person as he seems a good lad in the interviews I've seen him in, but I loathe alot of his matchmaking and I feel he's took the piss out of his fans

(I haven't voted)

[Phenomenal-Nutrition]

Like him as a person although I have been his biggest critic and think his matchmaking has been horribly synical, yet very good business. Hes not what I look for in my favourate fighter, either in terms of fighting style or matchmaking. His act also got OLD a long time ago. So I'm largely indifferent

Hes gone from heavily overrated (hes going to smash Mayweather, best British win EVER) to becoming very underrated. He'll beat Malignaggi either way.

[boxerbob]

like him , done great for british boxing , feel some fans and press though are starting to dislike him for some reason???

will defo beat paulie on sat night as paulie was so easy to hit in his last 2 fights against much slower fighters , hatton is fast both with hand and feet.

hatton by
wide decision

[oliverfennell]

http://www.nme.com/news/oasis/40158

Will this be better or worse than Bruno, Benn and Naz's forays into pop music?

[bennie]

Ricky "Hitman" Hatton continues his American saga in Las Vegas on Saturday night with a 12-rounder against brash New Yorker Paulie "Magic Man" Malignaggi.
Home boy Ricky has boxed four of his last five fights in the States and lacked the sparkle he shows here but this time American Floyd Mayweather is in his corner, one of the game's best, or certainly best-known, trainers and a man whose own son dismantled Hatton in 10 one-sided rounds in Las Vegas last December, for Hatton's only loss in 45 fights. For the first time in a long time, we ought to see some Hatton improvement.
True, Malignaggi is no Floyd Mayweather Junior, with only five career knockouts to his name, but the 27-year-old from Brooklyn is quick and clever and has the ability to box rings round an opponent. Plus, he has only one loss himself (in 26). Malignaggi will undoubtedly test Hatton and the defensive lapses, the stamina issues and the real lack of versatility we have seen from Ricky recently, which led to the Brit's big decision to leave trainer Billy "The Preacher" Graham after 11 long years.
Graham was with Hatton from the very start and masterminded Hatton's fantastic win over Kostya Tszyu on a memorable night in Manchester in June 2005, when Hatton crowded the ageing but dangerous Russian, wearing him down and never giving him the room to unload his crunching shots. Tszyu was ultimately pulled out by Aussie trainer Johnny Lewis at the end of the 11th round, exhausted and behind on all three cards. Lewis showed the same compassion and intelligence shown by Eddie Futch in the Thrilla in Manila 30 years earlier. All round, it was the biggest boxing night in Britain for a long, long time.
Since that night, however, Hatton has largely disappointed, moving up and down the weights and suffering to Mayweather Junior and struggling against the unremarkable likes of Carlos Maussa, Luis Collazo and Juan Urango, although he still came through those struggles and is unquestionably division No. 1 at light-welterweight (the Mayweather pasting was up at welterweight). Ricky did look good against Mexican veteran Jose Luis Castillo in four rounds last year in Las Vegas, which he ended with a lovely left hook underneath, and punched out a comprehensive 12-round decision over Sacramento veteran Juan Lazcano back here in Manchester earlier this year, despite a couple of late wobbles - but they were old men, in truth, and the 30-year-old Hatton clearly needed a change of personnel and a change of personnel has been made. Who knows? Malignaggi might just suffer the same fate as poor old Tszyu.
Malignaggi and Hatton had a good look at each other when they fought on that Manchester show in May where Hatton, a phenomenal ticket-seller in his home city, outworked Lazcano in front of a crowd of 55,000 (yes, 55,000). Even after he was hurt in the eighth and 10th rounds, Hatton outworked Lazcano, and one judge gave him every round. As for Malignaggi, he disappointed on the way to a 12-round split decison over ageing former victim Lovemore Ndou of Australia, although he broke his right hand in the middle rounds, an injury which is said to have healed well. Nonetheless, it was a poor showing. Malignaggi does have a history of trouble with the hand (broken four times now). Flashy Paulie is a brave guy, a tough guy. He suffered terrible facial injuries in a 12-rounder with Puerto Rican star Miguel Cotto in Madison Square Garden in June 2006, including a broken cheekbone, and also suffered two knockdowns, but stuck it out to the bitter end and a wide points defeat. It was a beating. Malignaggi came back last year with a sharp win over decent Bahamian Edner Cherry and picked up the IBF title made vacant by Hatton (and since relinquished in turn) with a sparkling decision over Ndou in the first fight. He outscored Cameroon strongman Herman Ngoudjo earlier this year, prior to the heavy Ndou rematch. Malignaggi actually looks to have benefitted from the brutal Cotto experience and that will hold him in good stead for his biggest fight since, for this fight, although the superfit, relentless, body-punching Hatton would have thumped the likes of Cherry, Ndou and Ngoudjo, no doubt.
Will he thump Malignaggi? The Italian-American showed against Cotto he can soak up an opponent's biggest punches, so we can expect him to stick around as much as he sticks and moves. Malignaggi's speed and slickness poses the biggest threat to Hatton's campaign of improvement, and his sharp counters could bust up the pale-skinned visitor, but it is hard to overlook his five meagre knockout wins, five in seven years as a pro, on top of all those hand problems. Hatton will be determined to impress his new trainer, and with his legendary workrate, and hopefully some new finer touches, he will.
He wears down Malignaggi on the way to a late stoppage.
An interesting match on the undercard pairs Ricky's younger brother with Ricky's former opponent over 10 welterweight rounds, namely Matthew Hatton against Ben Tackie.
Ricky routed Tackie in a 12-rounder in Manchester in December 2004, without ever budging the rock-like Ghanaian, who has never been stopped. Tackie is 35 now, however, and represents a 'name' on the records of up-and-comers. Alfonso Gomez and Kendall Holt have both licked him in recent years but Hatton - Matthew, that is - might struggle in the early rounds before his fitness and workrate win through. Tackie still 'has a go' when he can. His head might also play a part, given Matthew tends to mark. Above all, Matthew is no Ricky. It will be tough for him.

[Poncey]

http://www.nme.com/news/oasis/40158

Will this be better or worse than Bruno, Benn and Naz's forays into pop music?

If Ricky farted into the mic for 3.5 mins his would be better. If you'd said Diamond Nights, it would be a different story.