Terry D wrote:I think recent events have proven that there is not enough salt in the sea to apply to a Ray Hatton statement. Once Hatton was with HBO other people would have worked to make the fight a reality. Leaving the minor details to the man in question, and we saw how they went.
Straight after Tszyu was the only time I heard real talk of making the fight, only Floyd then moved up to welterweight. Then Hatton moves up there and finds it tough so the fight looked in jeopardy, so they built up a Castillo fight. Floyd moving up to beat Oscar made the fight possible because there was no way Floyd would stick to that weight and he needed a fight that HBO could sell and that could make shed loads of money for all involved. Step forward Hatton, at the right time.
Prior to the Vegas trips the Floyd fight may not have sold as well over there as it eventually did. Plus, for the final time, in 2005 and 2006 Witter was as welcome on US TV screens as an hairy Muslim male at a mid-Western sorority panties and bras slumber party. Actually selling Hatton-Witter would have very hard, especially as Witter fans tend to offer lip-service support then back out the moment they have to actually attend one of his fights. Leaving Hatton to carry everything. Collazo, Urango, Castillo and Lazcano, even Maussa, all had one thing in common, people did not seriously object to their fights. That was not the case with Witter.
As for taking the fight straight after Floyd. Lazcano was a perfectly acceptable opponent for your first bout back. If you were happy for Witter, in your perfect little world, to wait from Sept to May for a fight then it shows exactly why you guys do not understand the root of the problem. Witter does not, plus did not, fight often enough, he is US poison and he is incapable of stringing impressive rounds together, let alone fights.
Hatton did all the groundwork to make his US name. Was he supposed to go to HBO and demand a match that would kill momentum in one way or another just to make a few agoraphobic British Junior Witter 'fans' happy?
They were operating in different stratospheres. Hatton was going to a place, the Floyd fight, whereas Junior was getting the occasional runout in a career that is not going to take off. Not unless his fans pull their fingers from out their keyboards and actually attend his fights, he then becomes popular, making fights becomes easier.
Talk risk to reward all you like but Witter turned down a Cotto fight that was high risk and potentially huge reward. He cannot say the money was shit, it is always going to be shit for him. He cannot say he was out of shape, he derides Hatton by saying he is in shape all the time.
Hatton took a risk by fighting Mayweather, he got a one-sided beating that could have ended his career and support. Sure he got paid well, but then I suppose you think Witter craves the Hatton fight for Corinthian reasons and really would fight him for free.
The fight was offered to Hatton in 2004 as Floyd's first fight at the weight. It was offered for Floyd's Novemeber 2005 PPV slot, Hatton choose Maussa instead saying he wasn't ready, Floyd then tried to get Cotto and Judah but had to settle for a none PPV fight in Mitchell as Judah argued about money and wanted to make the mandatory against Baldomir. Then in early 2006 when Judah lost Floyd again tried to make the fight with Hatton as Judah's value obviously went down, Mayweather even offered this PPV date to Margarito but Margarito had a tin pot fight scheduled. For his November 2006 PPV fight Floyd wanted a big name and was trying to get Hatton (who would fight Urango) or Mosley (who had a tooth ache). Floyd had to choose from between Spinks, Baldomir and Margarito. Floyd then got his big money fight against Delahoya and retired. But when the Hatton fight came available his father told him it was easy money and the rest is history.
Hatton was finally cashing out plain and simple and was taking ZERO RISK. Mayweather was P4P no1 so losing to the best isn't a hit on his stock. His 140lb status wasn't endagoured, even though the fight was offered to him at 140 according to Mayweather himself, its laughable when Hatton pretends he was too small at welterweight, the fight was offered to him at 140. Mayweather supposedly wasn't a puncher. Saying it is a risk is laughable (although if you want to say he could have been hurt is fair enough but you can get hurt anytime you step in the ring).
Witter was at least as credidible opponent as the no names Collazo, Urango, Maussa, Lazcano (we could talk about the WBU tripe).
Witter turned Cotto down on 1-2weeks notice as it is inadequate preparation time. Should we list how many big names Hatton's turned down on 4months notice?
Bottom line is Hatton is all about calculated risks, its not a bad thing and makes sense when it comes to making money. He's been very very fortunate to have the support he's had because its meant he can have every fight on his own terms and his pick of opponents to make him look good. Hatton is an excellent fight none the less.
