On Hatton's Diet

[Carbo]

The always brilliant Harry Pearson wonders if it is really so bad. After all, why should we be any different to every single generation before us who has discovered that the previous generation's dietry advice to be poppycock.

Over the past few years Ricky Hatton's enthusiastic attitude to fried food has created the impression of a lad who once saw a sign advertising an all-day breakfast and took it as a life-changing aphorism. Much credit has therefore been heaped on his new trainer, the croaky-voiced veteran Floyd Mayweather Sr, who has so altered the Mancunian's diet that these days they can get him to put his gumshield in without having to coat it in batter first. If reports are to be believed, the sight of Hatton ballooning up between bouts like a puffer fish menaced by sharks is now a thing of the past. The experts agree that this is all for the best and point to the now almost totally spheroid Roberto Duran as a warning of the fate that might befall The Hitman if he does not follow his trainer's advice.

While it is true that Duran is a sorry spectacle, waddling about Las Vegas looking for all the world like a sun-tanned Humpty Dumpty, a note of caution should be sounded. We might look on Ricky Hatton's old school diet of sausage and chips with the sort of alarm you might expect to see on the face of a museum curator who has just watched Heurelho Gomes pick up a Ming vase, but that is no reason to be smug. Because if the past is anything to go on, it is a certainty that what passes for commonsense dietary preparation today will be laughed off as lunacy by future generations.

These thoughts occurred to me this week when I was dusting my bookshelves as part of the vital mental preparation needed for sitting at my desk avoiding writing anything until it is time to go and get a biscuit, and came across a copy of Running Recollections, the autobiography of Alf Downer. The Jamaican-born Scot was the pre-eminent sprinter of the late-Victorian era, a time of such outward decorum that runners could be disqualified for having dirty legs. That they could also be sentenced to a year in the prison with hard labour if they were found guilty of losing a race deliberately, indicates an altogether darker element to proceedings, as indeed does the fact that two of Downer's predecessors, Harry Gent and Harry Hutchens, were once involved in a race so controversial that the crowd reacted by burning the stadium down.

Whatever, Downer was a professional racer who regarded preparation (and presumably frequent washing) as the key to success. In one memorable section of his book, the "Flying Scotsman" offers up his wise counsel on diet. Pork, lamb and veal are to be avoided, he says, because of their laxative properties, and cheese because it "curdles on the stomach". The only liquid a training athlete should really imbibe, meanwhile, is "strong bitter ale", however in the evening red wine may be taken "though never more than half-a-pint".

Fearful perhaps that the reader may form the impression he is simply making this stuff up as he goes along, Downer then calls on the expertise of various contemporaries. Len Hurst ("World Champion at 20 Miles") advises that while the athlete may eat as much meat as he wants he should only consume a limited quantity of vegetables "since anything inducing flatulence must be carefully avoided". The athlete should also give fish a wide berth, as it is "watery" and likely to "swell the abdomen and injure the breath".

"Half-mile Champion of the World" Edgar Chester Bredin, meanwhile, suggests that the ideal pre-race meal consists of "the inside of a pork chop and a glass of port".

Like all true modern sporting men Downer likes to look back at an earlier era and have a good old chuckle at the madness that prevailed. The Scot cites the example of that champion pedestrian of the Georgian era Captain Robert Barclay who apparently once walked 1,000 miles in 1,000 hours on Newmarket Heath.

The Captain came from a family of redoubtable physical toughness. Barclay's father was noted for his feats of strength, once reacting to finding a stray horse trespassing on his pasture by picking it up and throwing it over a hedge. His grandfather, meanwhile, had been the MP for Kincardine and made a habit of walking to Westminster from his home in Fife for the start of each parliamentary session, paying for his keep along the way by engaging in winner-take-all bouts of "cudgel play and wrestling". Surely something that Gordon Brown might like to keep in mind for future trips to and from Kirkcaldy.

Barclay's robust constitution is a source of wonder to Downer, who remarks that the Captain's training diet, which was based on frequent doses of Glauber's purgative salts and meals of underdone mutton, stale bread and flat ale, "would have reduced any ordinary individual to nothing better than a likely candidate for place honours in a coffin".

You might think the same of Tom Hicks, who prepared for the 1904 Olympic marathon by drinking a breakfast cocktail of raw eggs in brandy, laced with strychnine. Except that Hicks took the gold medal and no doubt bragged of the advantage his diet had given him, possibly pausing to quote from Downer and chortle.

[DavidPayne]

Well I've yet to see a shred of evidence of the "damage" of Hatton's diet.

Motivation and age, like every other fighter strike me as entirely more likely reason for any demise that may have befallen him.

And Duran didn't do bad well into his thirties did he?

[Carbo]

Well I've yet to see a shred of evidence of the "damage" of Hatton's diet.

Motivation and age, like every other fighter strike me as entirely more likely reason for any demise that may have befallen him.

And Duran didn't do bad well into his thirties did he?

Even though it's copy designed for laughs, it's a fair point.

Remember the 80s when high-carb low fat diets were all the rage and we all had a good old laugh at the fottballers from earlier times who would have a big steak for lunch before a game? Red meat and protein were out.

Now protein is the best for losing weight, and carbs are a big no-no. They have to be slow burn and eaten in small portions at regular intervals.

Hatton's diet can't be a 'good thing', but whether it's as bad as all that, considering he has 12 whole weeks of living like a monk, eating like Paula Radcliffe, and training like a crazy-hungry Guadalajara street punk desperate for a route out of poverty should suggest he's in pretty good shape by the time Blue Moon starts playing.

[Phenomenal-Nutrition]

Well I've yet to see a shred of evidence of the "damage" of Hatton's diet.

Motivation and age, like every other fighter strike me as entirely more likely reason for any demise that may have befallen him.

And Duran didn't do bad well into his thirties did he?

Even though it's copy designed for laughs, it's a fair point.

Remember the 80s when high-carb low fat diets were all the rage and we all had a good old laugh at the fottballers from earlier times who would have a big steak for lunch before a game? Red meat and protein were out.

Now protein is the best for losing weight, and carbs are a big no-no. They have to be slow burn and eaten in small portions at regular intervals.

Hatton's diet can't be a 'good thing', but whether it's as bad as all that, considering he has 12 whole weeks of living like a monk, eating like Paula Radcliffe, and training like a crazy-hungry Guadalajara street punk desperate for a route out of poverty should suggest he's in pretty good shape by the time Blue Moon starts playing.

Hatton's out of training diet is trash, hence he looks like a big puddle of shit in between fights and if it wasn't he wouldn't need to have such a strict pre-fight diet. Is Hatton in good shape come the first bell? Yes. Could he be in hell of allot better shape? Ofcourse he could

Comparing Downer's diet to Hatton's off season diet is a stupid comparison because they are blatantly completely different.

Saying Duran's binge eating and drinking hurt him is foolish. At 147 he was humiliated in the Leonard rematch, he was clearly beat by Benitez and Kirkland Laing at 154 before respectably losing to Hagler and beign blasted out in 2 by Hearns. If he was in better shape against Barkley he would have made easier work of it. He also may have been able to compete at lower weight classes or compete with the elite of the division, because Barkley with all due respect to him wasn't the best at 160

High Carb diets have their place, as do High Protein diets. High carbs fuel workouts but too many carbs turn into fat, reducing carbs means the body needs to use bodyfat as fuel. The type of carb and timing of the carb is also critical

[jamesmcdonnell]

Well I've yet to see a shred of evidence of the "damage" of Hatton's diet.

Motivation and age, like every other fighter strike me as entirely more likely reason for any demise that may have befallen him.

And Duran didn't do bad well into his thirties did he?

Duran had skills Hatton could only dream of, and didn't have anything like the terrible vigour he had as snarling lightweight dervish. Those skills enabled him to continue succeeding at top level until his late 30's.

Hatton's lack of defensive prowess means he will not fare as well as Duran should he continue to smash the shit out of his body.

Alcohol especially has a very deleterious effect on the body over the long term - and binge drinking damages the heart muscle over time.

[DavidPayne]

But we will never know if the diet actually had an adverse effect. Hatton could live like a monk and lose motivation, develop injuries (elbow), face better comp, face bigger comp, have poor sparring, use the wrong tactics, have emotional problems, infections.....

Diet is one factor and with Hatton's style of fighting, a decline in his performances was inevitable by his late twenties early thirties wasn't it.

Didn't we all say that five years ago.

Hatton was never going to be cute counter-puncher or an elusive vet.

He's a come forward fighter, rare for them to be improving post 30.

[Phenomenal-Nutrition]

Alcohol especially has a very deleterious effect on the body over the long term - and binge drinking damages the heart muscle over time.

I always wondered if a fatty liver is more susceptable to a bodyshot KO than a none fatty 1.

[Wax On]

The difference between Duran late in his career and Hatton is that Hatton gets himself fit for his fights, because the weight loss dictates he has to.

Duran moved up the weights out of necessity more than anything.

When Ricky retires I bet he's fatter than Duran though!!

[Carbo]

When Ricky retires I bet he's fatter than Duran though!!

Are you kidding? Duran looks like an Hispanic Marlon Brando. (And sounds like that, too. "Hemos conocido unos a otros durante muchos años, pero esta es la primera vez que se haya llegado a mí por un abogado o de ayuda. No puedo recordar la última vez que me invitó a su casa por una taza de café, aunque mi esposa es madrina de su único hijo. Pero entrar en mi casa el día de mi hija que se casó y me pide que asesinato de hacer dinero," he sometimes says.)

[DavidPayne]

So did Maradona, but look at him now. He couldn't go on the Atkins diet anyway, he doesn't even know who a Butcher is.

[Carbo]

So did Maradona, but look at him now. He couldn't go on the Atkins diet anyway, he doesn't even know who a Butcher is.

A Bilbao Butcher or a Terry Butcher?

[Phenomenal-Nutrition]

Maradona had his stomach stapled

[DavidPayne]

Fern Brittain must be furious, she says the mental and physical scars of the ridicule her weight caused her run very deep, it affects those around them too, her husband Phil Vickery still can't get the MARSO W06 scar off his arse.

[Poncey]

When Ricky retires I bet he's fatter than Duran though!!

Are you kidding? Duran looks like an Hispanic Marlon Brando. (And sounds like that, too. "Hemos conocido unos a otros durante muchos años, pero esta es la primera vez que se haya llegado a mí por un abogado o de ayuda. No puedo recordar la última vez que me invitó a su casa por una taza de café, aunque mi esposa es madrina de su único hijo. Pero entrar en mi casa el día de mi hija que se casó y me pide que asesinato de hacer dinero," he sometimes says.)

He is indeed unrecognisable. Like a wrinkly Morales.

[Datsue]

Actually, sorry to take this even further off-topic, but Morales is almost unrecognisable, too: he looks at least a decade & a half older than he actually is. I saw a piccy of him standing next to Margarito & I thought, "Feck me, Julio Cesar Chavez has let himself go recently, & got quite some suntan."

Then it struck me that the short fat old one was Erik...

[Wax On]

Yeah but if Ricky can put on 2 or 3 stones in 3 months, just think what he could achieve in 20 years.

At that rate, he'll need a crane and all 4 isle seats to get him ringside at Las Vegas.

[Poncey]

Actually, sorry to take this even further off-topic, but Morales is almost unrecognisable, too: he looks at least a decade & a half older than he actually is. I saw a piccy of him standing next to Margarito & I thought, "Feck me, Julio Cesar Chavez has let himself go recently, & got quite some suntan."

Then it struck me that the short fat old one was Erik...

He was at the Cotto fight. I didn't know who it was at the time. The picture that Old Bones posted was actually after he'd lost a few stone since I saw him.

[observer1]

Which is why i struggle to believe the opinion he does better at LWW than at WW.

The only reason he does "Better" at LWW is due to the level of oopposition there,

[Phenomenal-Nutrition]

Which is why i struggle to believe the opinion he does better at LWW than at WW.

The only reason he does "Better" at LWW is due to the level of oopposition there,

Goto agree, Mayweather could have stayed at 140 for his whole career if he hadn't chased Delahoya and where would Hatton be then if he lost his 140 status instead of losing at 147? Mayweather aside if he was taking on the top 140lbers from the recent past like Cotto, Judah, Delahoya, Mosley he'd get rightfully pasted. Its no secret I always fancied Witter to find a home for his big counters on Hatton's open defense

Also it should be noted if you look at boxrec's top10, he hasn't faced 1 of them and if you look at their top20 140lbers Hatton has faced 3 of them (Lauri, Urango, Malignaggi)

[Poncey]

A great comparison was Judah v Clottey. A prime example of a big WW against an average size LWW. Zab did very well against smaller WW, but against bigger ones he simply couldn't stay with them. Ricky is the same.

[Datsue]

A great comparison was Judah v Clottey. A prime example of a big WW against an average size LWW. Zab did very well against smaller WW, but against bigger ones he simply couldn't stay with them. Ricky is the same.

Very good points & this is why certain rednecks on the Current Scene piss me off (well, it's not the only reason...) with their constant carping about abolishing weight-classes & why division-hopping is fine.

Weight divisions are there for a reason: to level the playing field. At 140 I think Judah could've won at least another couple of belts, but being run over three or four times by guys who outweigh him by more than a stone on the night has buggered him up if you ask me.

(Although he did do well the second time versus Spinks, who if my memory serves me I think weighed twelve stone on the night according the commentators, whilst Zab had put on about three pounds).

[Carbo]

A great comparison was Judah v Clottey. A prime example of a big WW against an average size LWW. Zab did very well against smaller WW, but against bigger ones he simply couldn't stay with them. Ricky is the same.

Very good points & this is why certain rednecks on the Current Scene piss me off (well, it's not the only reason...) with their constant carping about abolishing weight-classes & why division-hopping is fine.

Weight divisions are there for a reason: to level the playing field. At 140 I think Judah could've won at least another couple of belts, but being run over three or four times by guys who outweigh him by more than a stone on the night has buggered him up if you ask me.

(Although he did do well the second time versus Spinks, who if my memory serves me I think weighed twelve stone on the night according the commentators, whilst Zab had put on about three pounds).

What buggered Judah up was his fragile mind. Watching him was forever wondering when he would have a mind-fart and either smack the referee (Tszyu), decide in the fifth round he had won a fight and needed to provide no kind of resistance at all for the rest of it (Baldomir), or start a mass brawl (MAyweahter). That's not to mention his often questionable preperationa and ring application (Rafael Pineda, and most of his recent fights bar Clottey).

The guy has all the talent in the world, but mentally he's a bum.

The Hatton up a weight thing is right, though, and it is also true that Judah would have been better served by staying at his natural weight at 140.

[Phenomenal-Nutrition]

The thing about Judah is lack of discipline to work on conditioning and work on foundamentals. His speed, power and reactions in his prime are some of the best in the last 30years, better than Mayweather.

[J]

Which is why i struggle to believe the opinion he does better at LWW than at WW.

The only reason he does "Better" at LWW is due to the level of oopposition there,

OF COURSE KOSTYA WAS RUBBISH WASNT HE.

its gotta be that and the errr reach , height and by fight night weight disadvatanges of fighting men at welter.

Honestly there isnt half some sheer idiocy displayed on here at times.

[observer1]

Which is why i struggle to believe the opinion he does better at LWW than at WW.

The only reason he does "Better" at LWW is due to the level of oopposition there,

OF COURSE KOSTYA WAS RUBBISH WASNT HE.

its gotta be that and the errr reach , height and by fight night weight disadvatanges of fighting men at welter.

Honestly there isnt half some sheer idiocy displayed on here at times.

Idocy?

Kosta was not rubbish, no. But he was certainly passed it. Hence the retirement afterwards. But apart from him, then what?

That was 3 years ago. SO you think Hatton should stay at LWW because Kosta was there 3 years ago? Or how about going to the division 7lbs higher than him, closer to his natural weight, and face talented boxers.