BoxRec

Yes, not the first and not the last; yes, there have been worse challengers; yes, there's nothing we can do to change it. But we can bitch and that's what I'm doing. I don't like this sort of thing.

Let's be honest, this fight is all about Matthew's surname, that's the only reason it was happening non-title and that's the only reason it's happening for the title. Non-title at 10-10 was OK, but to make it a title fight is just wrong in my book. Had GBP got Matthew a welterweight title fight, fair enough, but at light-middleweight? Crazy. But typical GBP. They can do what they want and they will do it, this we know. And the WBC will do what they're told Stu, this is a case in point. If I was Ryan, I wouldn't be holding my breath waiting for a WBC shot any time soon. And that's a real shame.

Glyn Leach wrote:Yes, not the first and not the last; yes, there have been worse challengers; yes, there's nothing we can do to change it. But we can bitch and that's what I'm doing. I don't like this sort of thing.

Let's be honest, this fight is all about Matthew's surname, that's the only reason it was happening non-title and that's the only reason it's happening for the title. Non-title at 10-10 was OK, but to make it a title fight is just wrong in my book. Had GBP got Matthew a welterweight title fight, fair enough, but at light-middleweight? Crazy. But typical GBP. They can do what they want and they will do it, this we know. And the WBC will do what they're told Stu, this is a case in point. If I was Ryan, I wouldn't be holding my breath waiting for a WBC shot any time soon. And that's a real shame.

I do kind of hope that what Horse (I think) said is true is that this was agreed at Light Middle so that another Hatton Promotions fighter would be inline to face the winner. Maybe it was part of the deal. I'm sure Ricky would have much rather brought in the WBA Welter champion to fight in Manchester or something for Matthew. Matthew is very much up against it here, so I do hope that it might mean two Hatton Promotion fighters get the chance for this title.

Thomas Hearns and Terry Norris used to wear this belt :x

stujones wrote:I do kind of hope that what Horse (I think) said is true is that this was agreed at Light Middle so that another Hatton Promotions fighter would be inline to face the winner. Maybe it was part of the deal. I'm sure Ricky would have much rather brought in the WBA Welter champion to fight in Manchester or something for Matthew. Matthew is very much up against it here, so I do hope that it might mean two Hatton Promotion fighters get the chance for this title.

Do you really think that Ricky negotiated with GBP over this Stu? Do you think he had the power to? The fight was already made as a catchweight bout for the same date, so can you imagine Ricky saying "No Oscar, I do not want my brother to have a world title fight that day instead, you must do this for me if you want that"? Dream on mate.

It just stinks that sanctioning bodies are now "sanctioning" an already-existing fight, instead of trying to get their top-2 ranked fighters to duke it out.

Mind you, Pacquaio-Margarito should never have been for this title anyway, when Martinez chose 160lbs the 154lbs titles should have been contested buy the top-ranked fighters instead.

Load of ol crap.....

Carlos-Wigan wrote:Golden Boy want a fighter that Alvarez can beat and probably foolishly think that 10,000 Mancs will make the trip over to watch Hatton get dusted within 4 rounds! I think we can all agree that who gets to fight for titles has gone beyond who deserves it.

Hatton's quite solid but he's not exceptional. If Mexican "dusts" him in 4 rounds then he would have to be an excellent fighter, not just good imo. I have a big article on Alvarez sat at home in either the BN or BM...pretty certain it's BN (got front page)....I will look forward to reading it.

This fight shouldn't be for a world title......Matthew Hatton has made a career at a different weight, is a specialist at avoiding dangerous fighters, and in almost 50 fights......far more than anybody else in the British top 20, has avoided getting in with any reigning (or probably former for that matter) British Champion.......I always thought that Hatton would duck anybody decent and wait til a relatively weaker guy was British Champion before having a go for it.....however, I never in a million years expected him to dodge his way to a World Title shot boxing old men and rent-a-Ukrainians.

I personally hope the Ginger Mexican hands him his a*se on a plate...........look who Hatton fought after winning his title off old man Branco.......some Swiss-cheese.....and you know what the say about the Swiss, they're neutral.

Like somebody above stated though, more articulately than myself.....although we all love the athletes, the great fights, the Sugar Rays and the Eubanks etc.....Boxing does indeed stink!

Deno1986 wrote:

Horse wrote:Rhodes doesn't deserve a title shot any more than Hatton does, in my opinion.

Completely disagree, Horse. Hatton is a Welterweight, has been for the majority of his career and has no ranking at 154. Rhodes is a Light Middleweight, European champion at the weight and is ranked NO.4 by the WBC. Rhodes has a much better case than Hatton for a title shot..

I meant Hatton deserved a shot at a World title as much as Rhodes regardless of weight class.

I agree, of course, that Rhodes has done more to earn a World title shot in the Light Middleweight division.

Thinking some more on this....

Alvarez fighting for the vacant title is okay because he is the number one contender (silver champion) but surely they should go down the top 15 until they find an available contender, starting with Alfred Angulo (ranked 2nd) and Paul Williams (3rd), plus of course Ryan Rhodes (4th). If that means scrapping the Alvarez-Hatton match and Alvarez facing someone else, so be it. If it means Alvarez facing Hatton but it not being for the WBC title, so be it. But making this a world title fight is nothing more than a BUSINESS decision.

This is from the WBC website - put up today.


THE WBC APPROVED ALVAREZ VS HATTON FOR THE VACANT WBC SUPERWELTERWEIGHT WORLD TITLE

The World Boxing Council approved Alvarez vs. Hatton for the vacant WBC Superwelterweight world title after having received two thirds of the WBC Board of Governors voting.

Matthew Hatton (41-4-2, 16 KO´s) has been champion of the BBB of C (British Boxing Board of Control) and has made three defenses of his EBU (European Boxing Union) championship, whereas Mexican fighter, Saul Alvarez (35-0-1, 26 KO´s) holds the WBC Silver world title of the Superwelterweight division, reason for which he is the official challenger.

The WBC found that five of the top six ranked fighters in the division had different problems and were not available to fight, in addition to considering by absolute majority that Hatton is a highly worthy boxer.

Apparently Hatton was British champion!

Col/T.M.K

Joke joke joke hattons get real ????????

T.M.K wrote:The WBC found that five of the top six ranked fighters in the division had different problems and were not available to fight, in addition to considering by absolute majority that Hatton is a highly worthy boxer.

Did Rhodes turn the fight down?

Horse wrote:

T.M.K wrote:The WBC found that five of the top six ranked fighters in the division had different problems and were not available to fight, in addition to considering by absolute majority that Hatton is a highly worthy boxer.

Did Rhodes turn the fight down?

You tell me.....

That was a direct lift from the WBC official website. We have to assume the one fighter who WAS available is Alvarez I suppose. Although in my book, why didn't they simply ask number 7 to fight him, and then number 8 etc - isn't that what rankings are for?

"T.M.K"

Ryan wouldn't have been offered the fight. Alvarez vs Matt was already made for that date as a catchweight bout (10st 10lbs limit). No way could anyone expect Ryan to fight for a world title at less than three weeks notice. Slipping Ryan in instead of Matt wouldn't have been an option by the time the fight was 'upgraded' to a championship bout.

You're in a position to expose this sort of nonsence Glyn, so can we expect to see a 2 page article in the next issue?

Glyn Leach wrote:Ryan wouldn't have been offered the fight. Alvarez vs Matt was already made for that date as a catchweight bout (10st 10lbs limit). No way could anyone expect Ryan to fight for a world title at less than three weeks notice. Slipping Ryan in instead of Matt wouldn't have been an option by the time the fight was 'upgraded' to a championship bout.

Well I think we all thought as much - but does that really constitute what the WBC refers to as being "five of the top six ranked fighters in the division had different problems and were not available to fight" - because I think it's safe to say all the others in the top 15 would be unavailable to fight Alvarez on 3 weeks notice....

Col

Twinkle Toes wrote:You're in a position to expose this sort of nonsence Glyn, so can we expect to see a 2 page article in the next issue?

We'd already gone to press mate, only had time to change the references to the fight in the Alvarez feature we're running. It'd be nice being a weekly sometimes ...