I offered you a DVD of Collazo. If the belts mean nowt then why Collazo and not Rabbah. After all WBA Champion or not he's hardly Boxing's answer to Viagra is he?
Ask HBO what fight they are headlining with? What fight is the main draw in Boston.
Big Bad Kevin McBride
Oh dear, Fight Academy have excelled even their poor standards of promoting this time.
Meanwhile, how much will Hatton be paying poor old forgotten man Clinton Woods, bearing in mind Sky are paying him and not FA?
Makes perfect sense to give up the IBF belt. After Collazo, Ricky has probably got 4 or 5 fights left. If he wins against Collazo, he's got bargaining power at welter. PBF is now at welter, Cotto will be at welter very soon. These are the big moneyand "respect" fights that people want.
If he stays at 140, who is there to compare with PBF or Cotto?
boxingchat wrote:I offered you a DVD of Collazo. If the belts mean nowt then why Collazo and not Rabbah. After all WBA Champion or not he's hardly Boxing's answer to Viagra is he?
Ask HBO what fight they are headlining with? What fight is the main draw in Boston.
Big Bad Kevin McBride
Oh dear, Fight Academy have excelled even their poor standards of promoting this time.
Meanwhile, how much will Hatton be paying poor old forgotten man Clinton Woods, bearing in mind Sky are paying him and not FA?
If he fought Rabah you'd be poo pooing that matchup too dont pretend any different. Rabah lost to Kinuthia who Witter blew away in 2 rounds. He has since beaten Kinuthia twice but you get the point. Collazo is a better and more marketable fight in the US end of story you cant tell me any different. For one HBO would not fork out for Hatton v Rabah but they will for Hatton v Collazo - why?
Ben Rabbah lost to KINUTHIA??? ha, that is funny. what's all the fornicating fuss about BR then?
Kinuthia looks like a featherweight training on fresh cream donuts. he was appalling in that fight with Witter, which was almost as bad as Scott Harrison's farce vs Kebede.
At least Collazo has beaten a legit top ten guy, in JA Rivera (even if the belt he won from the showdown is a shadow of the one Mayorga held)
You know I find it quite deflating when a boxer relinqueshes a world belt. Hatton worked hard to become world champion, I find it disconcerting that he can give it up so easily. I like Hatton, but feel uninspired by his strategy of vacating the belt he fought hard for, to fight for another, then if he wins have a couple more 'big' fights. Now that he has reached world status he should defend against all comers and acquire more belts. It should be about beating everyone around, domination - to use money as a key factor will not cement a legacy.
boxingchat wrote:Question, how is a fighter meant to become a big name if people like Hatton avoid them and don't provide them with the same opportunity that he was given agsint Tszyu? Just a thought.
The easiest way would be to sign with a connected promoter who controls the local
media like your stepping-stone-buddy Wankie. Then he can sit back waiting for all the
contenders to get booked, hold press conferences challenging the biggest names and
complaining no one wants to fight him.
He will be inserted into the lower rankings, move up through attrition and fighting an
elimination bout with another undeserving fighter.
After that; win the title and dump the promoter.
Last edited by Blue on 30 Mar 2006, 01:29, edited 1 time in total.
John Dillinger wrote:Makes perfect sense to give up the IBF belt. After Collazo, Ricky has probably got 4 or 5 fights left. If he wins against Collazo, he's got bargaining power at welter. PBF is now at welter, Cotto will be at welter very soon. These are the big moneyand "respect" fights that people want.
If he stays at 140, who is there to compare with PBF or Cotto?
Has everyone forgotten what happened to Juan Manuel Marquez?
Now that Ricky is no longer IBF champion, he’s no longer the WBA "Super" Champion.
So he’s obliged to fight the WBA mandatory; does anybody know who that is??
I think U guys have seen the last of Hatton at 140
John Dillinger wrote:Makes perfect sense to give up the IBF belt. After Collazo, Ricky has probably got 4 or 5 fights left. If he wins against Collazo, he's got bargaining power at welter. PBF is now at welter, Cotto will be at welter very soon. These are the big moneyand "respect" fights that people want.
If he stays at 140, who is there to compare with PBF or Cotto?
Has everyone forgotten what happened to Juan Manuel Marquez?
Now that Ricky is no longer IBF champion, he’s no longer the WBA "Super" Champion.
So he’s obliged to fight the WBA mandatory; does anybody know who that is??
I think U guys have seen the last of Hatton at 140
Yes, the only difference being that Hatton is being paid a kings ransom to take a winnable fight against a guy one weight up, rather than take peanuts to go to a champion's back yard. His obligations at 140 will mean nothing, as long as he wins in May.
Hatton has come in for some deserved criticism, as have Fight Academy. But nobody should ever compare Hatton's situation to that of JMM. Marquez has just given an object lesson in how to fornicate up a career, Hatton is practically rolling in money, despite seemingly messing up.
John Dillinger wrote:Makes perfect sense to give up the IBF belt. After Collazo, Ricky has probably got 4 or 5 fights left. If he wins against Collazo, he's got bargaining power at welter. PBF is now at welter, Cotto will be at welter very soon. These are the big moneyand "respect" fights that people want.
If he stays at 140, who is there to compare with PBF or Cotto?
Has everyone forgotten what happened to Juan Manuel Marquez?
Now that Ricky is no longer IBF champion, he’s no longer the WBA "Super" Champion.
So he’s obliged to fight the WBA mandatory; does anybody know who that is??
I think U guys have seen the last of Hatton at 140
The difference with Marquez was that he was considered dull as dishwater, and had no fanbase. Had he been a draw then the business with the belts would not have mattered a jot, he could have made fights with Barrera, Morales or Pacquaio even without a belt on the line.
He won't have to face his WBA mandatory for a while, but as you say, this could well be the last time we see him at LW.
I'm not sure what i think about Ricky moving to Welterweight. So much of his success has come from the fact that he is physically stronger than his opponents, he would do well to avoid any natural welterweights, although it looks like most of the big fights at Welter are against natural light welters or even lightweights.
boxingchat wrote:I offered you a DVD of Collazo. If the belts mean nowt then why Collazo and not Rabbah. After all WBA Champion or not he's hardly Boxing's answer to Viagra is he?
Ask HBO what fight they are headlining with? What fight is the main draw in Boston.
Big Bad Kevin McBride
Oh dear, Fight Academy have excelled even their poor standards of promoting this time.
Meanwhile, how much will Hatton be paying poor old forgotten man Clinton Woods, bearing in mind Sky are paying him and not FA?
If he fought Rabah you'd be poo pooing that matchup too dont pretend any different. Rabah lost to Kinuthia who Witter blew away in 2 rounds. He has since beaten Kinuthia twice but you get the point. Collazo is a better and more marketable fight in the US end of story you cant tell me any different. For one HBO would not fork out for Hatton v Rabah but they will for Hatton v Collazo - why?
Because Don King sold it to them that's why and McBride is the main event in this Irish stronghold venue
I cant see what the difference between fighting Collazo and Rabah is, as theyre both nobodies that Ricky will blow away. It does make sound business sense for Ricky to move up to 147lb to get superfights with the likes of PBF, Cotto and Gatti etc.
I wouldnt say Hatton has ducked anyone BoxingChat, what has he got to fear from the likes of Rabah and M'Baye anyway? Isnt the aim of a good promoter to make his fighter the most money anyway? With the multiplicity of titles around at the moment he cant fight everyone
I'm sure Hatton will be pleased that's 7lbs less he has to lose! I daresay he'll be on the weights to improve strength though so he wont have that benefit for too long.
Some snippets from Hattons press conference from yesterday
Hatton said he estimates that he has around 3 years left in the sport. A fight with Floyd Mayweather is the height of Hatton's ambitions. Despite what the critics say Ricky reiterated that he does want the big fights.
It was revealed that Hatton and Mayweather don't get on. Floyd came over to Ricky while he was seated in the crowd at the Bernard Hopkins - Jermain Taylor rematch and pointed at him saying "I'm going to get you". Hatton, offended as he thought Mayweather had over to exchange pleasantries with him, blocked Mayweather's way and told him to "Piss Off". Apparently, a HBO executive came over to intervene to diffuse the situation.
On his decision to move up to welterweight.... Hatton asked where the big fights are at light-welter now that Mayweather, Gatti and Cotto have moved up (Has Cotto moved up though?). Ricky also pointed out that Carlos Baldomir and Antonio Margarito also lie in wait at welter and that he's got to be flexible.
With regards to taking the Collazo fight, Hatton confirmed that the final shortlist was 3 consisting of Collazo, Junior Witter and Vivian Harris. Ricky chose Collazo because he was a world champion and in Hatton's opinion represents the hardest fight of the three. He said that Collazo is a southpaw with a 7 inch reach advantage over him which will take some getting to grips with.
Ricky confirmed that he turned Junior Witter down because he felt that a victory over Witter would mean little to the Americans. If the long awaited domestic fight is to take place it needs to be staged in Britain. However, Hatton did say he would be interested in a fight with Witter if Junior manages to capture the WBC title against DeMarcus Corley.
Should Hatton decide to move back down to light-welter, win or lose against Collazo, the only 3 men that interest him are:
1. Diego Corrales
2. Jose Luis Castillo
3. Junior Witter, but only on the condition that Witter wins the WBC title.
jamesmcdonnell wrote:Sounds fair enough to me......
Yeah and me.
Considering their options for the May 13th fight I reckon they've picked the right opponent as the Witter fight has to take place in the UK and Harris's thrashing at the hands of Maussa.
Its good to see that Witter could be in Rickys plans if he beats Corley - its over to you Junior
The easiest way would be to sign with a connected promoter who controls the local 
win the title and dump the promoter. 