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Hatton on Harris!

August 3, 2004

By Craig Watt

Unbeaten Jr. welterweight Ricky "The Hitman" spoke exclusively to Fightnews over a coffee at the Pheonix Gym concerning the problems in making an October 2nd bout with WBA Champion Vivian Harris.

He stated, "I am struggling to get my head around this one. Frank has shown me copies of all the faxes and documents and in my eyes it looks a good deal and certainly better than the $300k received from his last bout with Oktay Urkal and better than the Germans are proposing for a re-match.

"In essence all allegedly has done is match the offer that was originally OK. Frank has done everything in his power to make this match.

"In terms of some of the bad mouthing, this is not my style and I do not see any great benefit in slagging each other off. I want to fight Vivian Harris for the WBA title and if it means going to the US then I will but I know the MEN Arena will be packed with 20,000 fans and this will add to the spectacle of such a good fight.

"I hope the fight goes ahead and we can show the fans what a strong division the Jr-welterweight division is and show what good fighters Vivian Harris and Ricky Hatton are. I am in training now for this fight. We want this fight as much as Vivian does." Overall the next few days are key in deciding whether the fight will happen or not but at the moment the prospects hang by a thread."

- End of article.

I think Manny has told Harris that he doesn't think he can beat Hatton, only reason for ducking Hatton, which is what he is doing. Best payday of his career, he's 'gotta look after his family' and he is backing out because somebody has whispered a number in his ear to say that is what Hatton is getting, I dont think so. If he thought he could whup hatton he would take the money and go do it, it would raise his image coz even in the States they have heard of Hatton and nobody rates Harris a Gatti or a Maywhether so he needs the fight too.

I don't see why Stewart would be telling him that, even the UK pundits seem to think it's a 50-50 fight, so that doesn't make sense.

Perhaps Stewart has lined something up, or has told Harris to get out of his main events contract, who the hell knows.

bugs wrote:I think Manny has told Harris that he doesn't think he can beat Hatton, only reason for ducking Hatton, which is what he is doing. Best payday of his career, he's 'gotta look after his family' and he is backing out because somebody has whispered a number in his ear to say that is what Hatton is getting, I dont think so. If he thought he could whup hatton he would take the money and go do it, it would raise his image coz even in the States they have heard of Hatton and nobody rates Harris a Gatti or a Maywhether so he needs the fight too.

I have no doubts whatsoever that Harris believes he can beat Hatton. But we've all seen judges do funny things so many times, you can hardly blame him for being paranoid.

Don't know if any of you have seen it already, but there is an open letter from Vivian Harris at http://www.britishboxing.net

As always, there are two sides to these things (and sometimes more).

Firstly, you could say - Harris has been offered what he originally asked for (if that is indeed the case) so he should be happy and fight.

Alternatively, you could say - I am the champion, coming to a challenger's home town, and I should get more than he does.

Both are fair opinions, I suppose, unfortunately in contradiction. I still think the fight can and will be made. What I don't like in the background, as James points out, is this Main Events/Manny stuff.

Yes, funnily enough, when I spoke to allegedly a few weeks back, something he said seemed to hint that all was not well between Harris and main events, and that appears to be the case.

How come Manny suddenly appeared on the scene? Harris has a history of being difficult to work with in any case, and he seems to be badmouthing his opponent.

The thing is, you could also say that a victory over Hatton would definetly enhance Harris' career, he may be champion, but he is not regarded as one of the leading lights of the division, having beaten second tier opposition to get his title.

I cannot comment on the figures he is mentioning, who knows how much main events are taking, or what the standard procedure is for the promoters, is there a 'standard contract,' it's an area I need to learn more about.....

I don't think this time around Warren is to blame. At the end of the day, if Ricky really wants this fight, he can agree to give a share of the TV rights to Harris, otherwise it is looking on shaky ground.

This is all very dissapointing.....

jamesmcdonnell wrote: How come Manny suddenly appeared on the scene?

It's no wonder Manny has "offered his services". He's just lost his biggest earner in Lewis, and knows Harris is in the right weight class to make big bucks:

Cotto, Hatton, Mayweather, Gatti, Tszyu, Mitchell, Zab - the list goes on..

adamiw wrote:

lirva33 wrote:

J wrote:what a bitter freak.
the fact he was stupid enough to sing a crap contract with crap promoters is his problem,not hattons or SN's, I ask myself whats better 3quarters of a mill or eff all.
How many tickets does he sell and where else is he gonna get a pyday like that, quite simply put, he wont.
Seems to me he is a grade A cock end.

didn't u read? he'd only get 100-200 thousand. Insulting.

he can take that up with his promoters. So that's well over 500,000 they are taking from him then? bullshit.

and cant you read , crap contract etc etc.....that not warrens fault is it, ok so 750 k for you viv and half a mill for your entourage. dont be silly mate.

MightyWarrior wrote:Well this joker has been calling out Hatton for around two years now - "I'll fight him in his own backyard, he's a coward, no-one wants to fight me.. etc etc"

So Warren calls his bluff, meets his purse demands, and what happens? The man back peddles faster than Johnny Nelson on speed.

He better shut his mouth now, everyone knows he's full of shit when it comes to the crunch.

So he's got himself a f***ed up contract with Main Events - that's no-one's fault but his own. Why should a promoter have to make up the difference for him?

Hatton is the ticket seller, without him there's NO MONEY. Supply and demand. It's gone on for years and wont be changing anytime soon.

Did any champion get paid more than ODH, when Oscar was the challenger? Or Naz? Or Bruno?

Harris looks like he's about to jump the wrong way. Warren better call up Mitchell - he'd take 750K wouldn't he?

Great post, Im sorry you dont shoot your mouth of for a month happy with the figure and then get the arseole cos the home guy who draws the crowds and tv money (as showtime arent backing it) is getting more that you without hatton there is no 750 k. If you arent happy with your own contract then slate them off, not hatton. Blokes an arse, I hope the fight comes off and Ricky takes out his frustration on the prick. Its called greed.

The is no way in hell Harris fears Ricky Hatton. He has the size and style to give Ricky nightmares, in fact im sure he's already having them.

This is should not be about money for Ricky Hatton, this would be one of his defining fights, does he want to blow this opportunity and end up like Joe Calzaghe with no-where to go. Fighting endless no name mandatores watching his prime go by defending a meaningless belt. Is it really that much of a problem to go 50-50, just for this one time, the bigger money comes after along with a big reputation boost. This is greed on Ricky Hattons part imo, he's hardly short of money. He has so much to gain from this fight.

He would get this fight made at all costs if he really wanted it, I don't think he really wants it though, Vivians way to dangerous for him. Him and Billy Graham are probably sitting down right now thinking of other ways to get out of the fight.

whatever blue, if you actually took part ina conversation rather than just sniping and taking the points that you wish to take and ridicule I might be bothered to take your comments on board.

My point is he was happy with 750 k b4 so what difference does it make, he also hasnt really been engratiating himself to the fans with his constant bad mouthing of hatton and his promoters.

what do you want me to say, he seems like a really nice, guy? Hattons is scared of him, hows that figure then? Hatton was happy to take the fight and even FW basically upped his input of cash to keep harris on baord when showtime pulled the plug, then harris pulls out cos he finds out hatton is earning more. Yeah looks like Ricky and frank have really gone out their way to jeopardize this fight.

And you call me blind.

But as per usual on this issue we will not agree so there you go.

Hang about, Warren has agreed to Harris' purse demands, so how can you blame Hatton and Warren for this? It's Harris who has pulled out

Something doesn't make sense to me, he claims that main events have no part in the promotion, so how come they are still getting 30% if they have no involvement, a manager would get his cut, but a promoter who is not promoting him, why would they be getting 30%?

Blue wrote: Hatton is the ticket seller only in England.
When it goes to purse bids and then Detroit, MI. USA, Harris will be the Ticket seller fighting at home for the same purse [/color]

So Harris is now a "ticket seller" in his "home town" of Detroit is he Blue?
Can you enlighten us all where you got this inside info from please?

He's from Guyana, by way of Brooklyn, in case you hadn't noticed you plonker.

Ricky Hatton has fought more times in Detroit than "Home town" Harris - once.

The people of Detroit wont know Harris from a hole in the ground. Hatton is probably more well know there than he is.

After years of moaning about being avoided by Hatton, Harris is offered eveything he asked for, and turns it down.

[quote="jamesmcdonnell"]Hang about, Warren has agreed to Harris' purse demands, so how can you blame Hatton and Warren for this? It's Harris who has pulled out

quote]

exacyl mate, but apparently we are blind its all a cunning plan by FW and RH to get Harris to pull out, by giving him the biggest purse of his career, more cunning than a fox at the university of cunningness

jamesmcdonnell wrote:Hang about, Warren has agreed to Harris' purse demands, so how can you blame Hatton and Warren for this? It's Harris who has pulled out

Something doesn't make sense to me, he claims that main events have no part in the promotion, so how come they are still getting 30% if they have no involvement, a manager would get his cut, but a promoter who is not promoting him, why would they be getting 30%?

Sounds like a don king contract...

MightyWarrior wrote:

Blue wrote: Hatton is the ticket seller only in England.
When it goes to purse bids and then Detroit, MI. USA, Harris will be the Ticket seller fighting at home for the same purse [/color]

So Harris is now a "ticket seller" in his "home town" of Detroit is he Blue?
Can you enlighten us all where you got this inside info from please?

He's from Guyana, by way of Brooklyn, in case you hadn't noticed you plonker.

Ricky Hatton has fought more times in Detroit than "Home town" Harris - once.

The people of Detroit wont know Harris from a hole in the ground. Hatton is probably more well know there than he is.

After years of moaning about being avoided by Hatton, Harris is offered eveything he asked for, and turns it down.

I FORGOT HE WAS GUYANESE!
i do believe mr blue you have just been, how do you americans put it , OWNED. and enjoy a few smilie faces back at you :( 8) :)

I am usually the most critical of FW but this is clearly not down to him.

This is a problem between Harris and Main Events - everything else from Harris is just BS. He comes out of this badly.

It is not FW's fault that Harris has to pay his manager, his lawyer, his cleaning lady, uncle sam, uncle tom cobley and all. I hate to point out the obvious but Harris will have to pay these WHOEVER he fights, so he is perverse if he doesnt take the best purse available.

The stuff about Hatton getting more than him is just crap and shows him in a bad light. His demands have been met and the rest is none of his business.

Frankly, none of what Harris says makes sense unless you take the view that since his initial acceptance Steward has come on board and told him to sit tight and get out of his main events contract, and blame everyone else like a spoilt child as a smokescreen.

Myself, I hope FW now wins purse bids at the lowest level possible. Pays Harris his 80% at $400k, pays Ricky his 20% at $100k and then gives Ricky a confidential 'management contract fee' of $900k and spends the additional $350k in lunch for himself at Gordon Ramsays.

Sometimes the unbelievable happens and a person so stupid and crass emerges that he makes FW seem like a hero. Step forward Vivian Harris.

Yeah, I know what you are saying.

It's just I can understand him being pissed off as champion, coming to a challenger's backyard and getting less than him.

Totally understand where you are coming from though.

don't call it a comeback wrote:I am usually the most critical of FW but this is clearly not down to him.

This is a problem between Harris and Main Events - everything else from Harris is just BS. He comes out of this badly.

It is not FW's fault that Harris has to pay his manager, his lawyer, his cleaning lady, uncle sam, uncle tom cobley and all. I hate to point out the obvious but Harris will have to pay these WHOEVER he fights, so he is perverse if he doesnt take the best purse available.

The stuff about Hatton getting more than him is just crap and shows him in a bad light. His demands have been met and the rest is none of his business.

Frankly, none of what Harris says makes sense unless you take the view that since his initial acceptance Steward has come on board and told him to sit tight and get out of his main events contract, and blame everyone else like a spoilt child as a smokescreen.

Myself, I hope FW now wins purse bids at the lowest level possible. Pays Harris his 80% at $400k, pays Ricky his 20% at $100k and then gives Ricky a confidential 'management contract fee' of $900k and spends the additional $350k in lunch for himself at Gordon Ramsays.

Sometimes the unbelievable happens and a person so stupid and crass emerges that he makes FW seem like a hero. Step forward Vivian Harris.

I agree, this is all about Harris and main events, he's been trying to get out of his contract with them for ages, and Stewart has been whispering in his ear not to take the fight, as you say. Thing is, Harris will live to regret this, he's never going to be a draw, because he is an unpleasant character, and I doubt that promoters are queuing up to sign him after the way he's fucked this up. He'll end up another also ran who held a title briefly.

Fight News:

Main Events attorney Pat English has responded to promoter allegedly's final $750,000 offer for WBA super lightweight champion Vivian Harris to come to Manchester, England to defend against Ricky Hatton. The answer is no. According to English, Harris would prefer to take his chances in a WBA purse auction (a scenario where the champion takes a 75%-25% split of the winning bid).

Below is the text from a fax English sent to Warren today...

Dear Frank:

Reference is made to your letter of today.

You are partially correct and partially incorrect in your letter.

The day before yesterday I spoke with Jay Larkin to see whether there was the possibility of resuming negotiations with you with a London site. It was not a request; it was an inquiry.

Unfortunately, there has been no agreement for the Harris/Hatton bout. I truly wish otherwise. However, there is a well-established mechanism for resolving deadlocks such as this one, and that is the purse bid mechanism. Going to purse bids is the established method of resolving differences. Vivian has requested immediate purse bids.

Of course we are aware that Ricky Hatton can withdraw from the mandatory position. However, is it really fair to label Vivian Harris as a coward when he is prepared to resolve the differences through purse bid, and to fight Hatton? Indeed, I ask you whether the logical conclusion would be that if Harris is willing to fight under purse bid terms and Hatton is not, that it is Hatton who is the coward?

Of course, we do not believe Ricky Hatton is a coward. We believe that he is a brave and honorable boxer. I wanted to illustrate to you how easy it is to turn around accusations of cowardice.

In point of fact, we must now measure how dedicated Ricky Hatton is to fight for the title. He has the opportunity. He can choose to grasp that opportunity by agreeing to go to purse bid or he can step aside. He is perfectly within his rights to step aside, but to do so will mean, clearly, that he is not dedicated to fighting for the title.

Very truly yours,

DINES AND ENGLISH, L.L.C.
PATRICK C. ENGLISH

He has a point you have to say. Surely if Hatton really wants the title, he is prepared to either travel and/or take the lesser cut. Isn't that what being a champion is all about? It's all about desire, now I am not saying Hatton is a coward if he doesn't, but it depends on how much the genuine title belt would mean to him. Some things transcend money, and I am sure Ricky isn't a poor man.

I've just been asked my opinion by another website and I've said exactly the same thing, Jimbo.

In BN this week, Warren says purse bids "don't stack up financially" for Hatton. So what you do is take the short end for once and try and get a genuine belt.

13 defences of the WBU belt...FW has done very well indeed by Ricky and he must be a millionaire. Time to settle for less, just this once.

This has become a grudge match and I'd love to see it.

I agree with you both. If Frank let's this one go, his record in getting big fights for Hatton this year is 0-2 - that'll be both Mitchell and Harris he's failed to deliver.

Fair or not, it wont look good when Hatton & co start to consider their options.

Hmm, I think we are pointing the finger at the wrong person. I think it is down to Hatton to say, 'look boss, fornicate it, I'm going, this is my big chance to secure a belt, it's now or never, let's do it.'

MightyWarriorPosted: 05 Aug 2004 09:04

So Harris is now a "ticket seller" in his "home town" of Detroit is he Blue?
Can you enlighten us all where you got this inside info from please?
The hometown boys are Emanuel Steward and his backers who could fill the Arena with a potluck dinner.
He's from Guyana, by way of Brooklyn, in case you hadn't noticed you plonker.
How many fights has he had in Guyana?
Ricky Hatton has fought more times in Detroit than "Home town" Harris - once.
I doubt anybody in Detroit or anywhere else but England remembers it.
The people of Detroit wont know Harris from a hole in the ground.
Harris is well known through out the USA from his exciting fights regularly on ESPN. But he I best known for his defining top level fight winning the WBA title from Diosbelys Hurtado on Showtime. Hatton hasn’t even faced a top level fighter yet and will be exposed when he does. 8)
Hatton is probably more well know there than he is.
Like I said only in England, Believe it or not Hatton is only known in Latin America because of being overrated by BoxRec. I am constantly being asked, “Who is this Ricky Hatton BoxRec overrates so highly?
After years of moaning about being avoided by Hatton, Harris is offered everything he asked for, and turns it down.
That’s simply untrue; Harris who is THE CHAMPION wants is 75% of the purse. He was willing to go into the lions den to get it. Wankie has NEVER offered that. He is trying to overturn TRADITION.
Looks like my call on Wankie’s “wiggle out” is right on target as yesterday on FightNews he said;

I need to know today whether Vivian Harris will accept my final offer of $750k for the fight or we will definitely move on. We will not get involved in any purse bids and if the offer is not accepted we will withdraw Ricky from the mandatory WBA position so he has to then face Oktay Urkal.

We will explore other avenues and not go to purse bids if we cannot get a final response to my offer of $750k. Alternately I will offer to match Vivian's average purse over the last three fights if this sum is a better offer." Warren confirmed he would send a written letter to Pat English at Main Events to confirm the position but a response must be given by Harris in the next 24 hours for the fight to happen.

As I said stupid is as stupid does; turning down a mandatory shot automatically drops U down in the ranking. Wankie is putting pocketbook and his ego before his fighter.
Main Events replied,
http://fightnews.com/706.htm
Back to Wankie’s 3rd rate championship sideshows for U guys. I will still get to watch a Harris defend against a “quality challenger here in the US while U name calling supporters get what U deserve