Hatton's win over Tszyu - best British victory in 50+ years

[Captain Hook]

Honeyghan v Curry IMO.

x2

[mickwilliamson]

They say boxing is all about opinions. Well, here is an opinion from the late Budd Schulberg, who had a career stretching over 70 years of covering fights. This how highly he regards Ricky Hatton's victory over Kosta Tszyu:

"the most noteable British victory since Randy Turpin upset the first (and best) Sugar Ray more than 50 years ago".

That is, to put it mildly, a very bold statement. Discuss. Do you agree? Why? What other British victories stand out?

got to agree Best night of my life so far

[Autobarn]

it was an astonishing night, quite unbelievable for many - like me - who felt hatton was protected and undeserving (outside of economic factors). like mcguigan v pedroza, hatton never scaled those heights again, looking jaded soon after. i think some fighters have long successful careers, and others do it all in one exceptional night.

[paddyavh]

Can only remember back from the early 90's, but i'd go for:

1. Benn - Mclellan. No fight can match this for pure drama
2. Hatton - Tzzyu.
3. Tyson - Williams. I know he was shot but i still didnt expect that.

[forcefraser]

I'd rate Ken Buchanan's win over Ismael Laguna in Puerto Rico as right up there -

X2 to win it out there in that heat was a mammoth achievement.

[Deno1986]

mcguigan-pedroza perhaps? great 15 round fight, beat a great fighter, just a better fight than hatton v tszyu. mcguigan does work in britain, did win british titles, so it's safe to call him british, perhaps

Bit late commenting on this but hes Irish, sick of saying it at this stage! Dimitar Berbatov works in Britian, has won British titles[Premiership, Carling Cup etc], on your logic does that makes him British too?

I'm sorry if I'm coming across as a stone cold plonker but it alwas seems that if a decent boxer is from the North of Ireland or on the border he is considered British but if he is a rubbish boxer and is from the North he is considered Irish. Prime example is John Duddy, when he was unbeaten and doing fairly well he is a British boxer according to some posters and certain members of the press but he loses in April and all of a sudden he is a Irish boxer, Martin Rogan was the same when he lost to Sexton but wait and see when he beats him he will be British again, I just don't understand it!

I will probably take a bit of stick for this post and people will tell me to grow up or whatever but its been annoying me for years in boxing and had to get it off my chest

PS Nothing personal against you Autobarn, I just used you as a scapegoat, apologies

[Walker Smith Jr.]

Hatton at 3/1 underdog and Tszyu at 4/9 favourite hardly puts Hatton as huge underdog and as good as the win might be it is no Honeyghan v Curry or Benn v Gman IMO, also with the fact Tszyu never fought again after would also take some of the shine off for me.

[Autobarn]

mcguigan-pedroza perhaps? great 15 round fight, beat a great fighter, just a better fight than hatton v tszyu. mcguigan does work in britain, did win british titles, so it's safe to call him british, perhaps

Bit late commenting on this but hes Irish, sick of saying it at this stage! Dimitar Berbatov works in Britian, has won British titles[Premiership, Carling Cup etc], on your logic does that makes him British too?

I'm sorry if I'm coming across as a stone cold plonker but it alwas seems that if a decent boxer is from the North of Ireland or on the border he is considered British but if he is a rubbish boxer and is from the North he is considered Irish. Prime example is John Duddy, when he was unbeaten and doing fairly well he is a British boxer according to some posters and certain members of the press but he loses in April and all of a sudden he is a Irish boxer, Martin Rogan was the same when he lost to Sexton but wait and see when he beats him he will be British again, I just don't understand it!

I will probably take a bit of stick for this post and people will tell me to grow up or whatever but its been annoying me for years in boxing and had to get it off my chest

PS Nothing personal against you Autobarn, I just used you as a scapegoat, apologies

that's cool. but at the very least it was in britain, so it counts as a win for british boxing. i know it is a sore subject. n ireland is considered part of britain, and bazza did win british title. i think obviously he did it for economic reasons, was persuaded to "be british" by promoter. sometimes it suits irish fighters to be british, and sometimes it suits british fighters to be irish!

[Deno1986]

mcguigan-pedroza perhaps? great 15 round fight, beat a great fighter, just a better fight than hatton v tszyu. mcguigan does work in britain, did win british titles, so it's safe to call him british, perhaps

Bit late commenting on this but hes Irish, sick of saying it at this stage! Dimitar Berbatov works in Britian, has won British titles[Premiership, Carling Cup etc], on your logic does that makes him British too?

I'm sorry if I'm coming across as a stone cold plonker but it alwas seems that if a decent boxer is from the North of Ireland or on the border he is considered British but if he is a rubbish boxer and is from the North he is considered Irish. Prime example is John Duddy, when he was unbeaten and doing fairly well he is a British boxer according to some posters and certain members of the press but he loses in April and all of a sudden he is a Irish boxer, Martin Rogan was the same when he lost to Sexton but wait and see when he beats him he will be British again, I just don't understand it!

I will probably take a bit of stick for this post and people will tell me to grow up or whatever but its been annoying me for years in boxing and had to get it off my chest

PS Nothing personal against you Autobarn, I just used you as a scapegoat, apologies

that's cool. but at the very least it was in britain, so it counts as a win for british boxing. i know it is a sore subject. n ireland is considered part of britain, and bazza did win british title. i think obviously he did it for economic reasons, was persuaded to "be british" by promoter. sometimes it suits irish fighters to be british, and sometimes it suits british fighters to be irish!

Completely agree with you, it all comes down to money at the end of the day! McGuigan will always be a sensitive one because he was born and rared in the Republic and only qualified to fight for the British title through his mother being from the North. I've got it off my chest now so I'm happy

For what its worth my vote on the topic goes to John Straceys victory over Napoles in the Champions back yard and after getting up from a knockdown.

[chinny]

Benn, WBC champion who hadn't lost for five years and had a first-round win over Iran Barkley to his name, was a 40-1 underdog against McClellan. He was a 40-1 underdog for a reason.

That is complete and utter bollocks. 40-1!

Mcclellan was favourite (I had a bet on him to win in rd 1), but there wasn't a huge amount in it.

[DIRT SUGAR]

Benn v McLellan for me.

Nigel just wasn't meant to win that fight. Plus, I was there and I never have and don't think I ever will experience an atmosphere like the one in the London Arena that night. Unbelievable.
I can still remember the sound of McLellan's punches thudding off Benn and the noise both fighters' boots made as they dug in to throw bombs. I've never seen so many hard punches thrown and taken.

You don't see it on the ITV broadcast but in the end of the second round, Benn, who as you will remember had already taken a battering, started coming into it and at when the bell rang he turned to go to his corner he pumped his fist in a 'Come on!!' gesture crowd's reaction to that moment is something I've never experienced since and don't think I ever will again.

Benn fought his way back into the fight and with one movement of his arm galvanised 12,000 home fans to go mental until he finally won. Then the place just went totally fornicating mad. Just an the most amazing fight to watch live and I was in the 14th row!

My claim to fame is having the last T-shirt from the board which can be seen in the background on the TV broadcast. The woman selling the merchandise was amazed... 'Everyone's hands are shaking!'

Honeyghan's win over Curry best away win for a British fighter definitely.

Put Benn and Honeyghan at the top because they beat excellent world champions who were at the top of their game going into those fights.

In now way an indictment of their achievements but Napoles, Tszyu, Pedroza, were all great fighters who were there to be taken. Passing of the torch fights.

[My Name Is Earl]

Benn was a huge underdog, but not 40/1!

Watch the itv replay, and they comment on it a few times. That was one of the reasons, Benn was pumped at the finish. "they brought him over to beat me up etc"

[BroughtonRulesRefuge]

Hatton at 3/1 underdog and Tszyu at 4/9 favourite hardly puts Hatton as huge underdog and as good as the win might be it is no Honeyghan v Curry or Benn v Gman IMO, also with the fact Tszyu never fought again after would also take some of the shine off for me.

- Nor did G-man, and Napoles as mentioned previously.

Nothing any Brit can do can ever match Turpin's superb topping of a prime Robinson, but most recently I got a kick out of Joe thrashing the chaff out of Mr. Pops and Roy to avenge some long standing animosity. A bit too anticlimatic to be the best British win in 50 yrs, but if Kessler sweeps the Super 6, that probably locks MK into HOF and put Joe in the running.

Decades from now, the debate will still rage whether Lewis was Brit or Canadian, but his win over Tyson took him from the bin to the throne in one fell swoop with the public and boxing establishment even though Tyson was so far past it he was scarcely given a puncher's chance. The ugly win and fortuitous retirement in the face of Vitali dragged him down mightily, but the future might be more kind since that will have been the only prime great he will have beaten for his career.

[jamesmcdonnell]

Hatton at 3/1 underdog and Tszyu at 4/9 favourite hardly puts Hatton as huge underdog and as good as the win might be it is no Honeyghan v Curry or Benn v Gman IMO, also with the fact Tszyu never fought again after would also take some of the shine off for me.

- Nor did G-man, and Napoles as mentioned previously.

Nothing any Brit can do can ever match Turpin's superb topping of a prime Robinson, but most recently I got a kick out of Joe thrashing the chaff out of Mr. Pops and Roy to avenge some long standing animosity. A bit too anticlimatic to be the best British win in 50 yrs, but if Kessler sweeps the Super 6, that probably locks MK into HOF and put Joe in the running.

Decades from now, the debate will still rage whether Lewis was Brit or Canadian, but his win over Tyson took him from the bin to the throne in one fell swoop with the public and boxing establishment even though Tyson was so far past it he was scarcely given a puncher's chance. The ugly win and fortuitous retirement in the face of Vitali dragged him down mightily, but the future might be more kind since that will have been the only prime great he will have beaten for his career.

As good as Turpin's win was, Robinson was a little removed from his absolute prime and was a little complacent and distracted during his european tour. Not saiing it wasn't a great win, because it was, and Turpins style clearly was a bit of a nightmare for Robinson in both fights.

[Rocky Balboa]

Guys, we cannot discount Turpin's win over Robinson. Ok, Ray was past his best, but we should not take nothing away from Turpin for scoring a memorable victory. I think, like a lot of other victories for British fighters, a case can be made for Turpin's win!