BoxRec

Germany's Oktay Urkal challenges for the WBA light-welterweight title in Berlin on January 10 against Vivian Harris. This raises the inevitable question: why couldn't Harris have been brought over to defend against Hatton!

Why should Hatton fight Vivian Harris for the WBA title, Ricky Hatton is already the good old WBU Light Welterweight Champion of the World!!!

Seriously though, it's a good point. Harris has stated on many occassions that he would happily travel to England to fight Hatton, and therefore you'd imagine Warren would jump at the chance quicker than someone shutting down a boxing forum ... but obviously that isn't the case. I've always felt Hatton would have the best chance of beating Harris rather than Tszyu, Judah, Corley etc. I have a feeling Harris likes a fight, but doesn't like pressure fighters, I think Ray Oliveira pipped him a while back didn't he? Urkal is very underrated and it wouldn't surprise me at all if he beats Harris. In fact I predict Urkal UD Harris.

Urkal looked slick and quick against Magee and didn't let the Irishman counter punch as he likes to.
Urkal also gave Tsyzu a tough battle going by fight reports, despite a broken jaw.

I fancy the Turk to pick up the win in one of those massive German rings. Its all about winning over there, whether you look good doing it or not, and I think this attitude will see him through against the willing Harris.

If i was Hatton, id give Urkal a wide berth, I amagine Tackie, coming off 2 losses is considerably cheaper than WBA "World" Champ Harris

bennie wrote:Germany's Oktay Urkal challenges for the WBA light-welterweight title in Berlin on January 10 against Vivian Harris. This raises the inevitable question: why couldn't Harris have been brought over to defend against Hatton!

Echoes of the Ottke-Calzaghe 'era' if you ask me.

All these fighters that Wawwen claimed wanted too much money kept on going over to Germany to face Ottke, with JC sometimes getting Sven's leftovers and sometimes not.

So Urkal beats Harris on points in January, I see Hatton defending his WBU title against Harris sometime in 2005.

bennie wrote:Germany's Oktay Urkal challenges for the WBA light-welterweight title in Berlin on January 10 against Vivian Harris. This raises the inevitable question: why couldn't Harris have been brought over to defend against Hatton!

Why should he? he has a legit title and Hatton has a kinder egg toy. None of these Warren boys seem to like fighting overseas, that's why they never get the opportunities.
Win a proper title lads, then you can have big fights in your back yard.

exactly thats been a lot of calzaghe's problems, he has a title no one really cares about so no one wants to risk it against a guy who is a very good fighter and most of the other fighters know it

if you've got a good title good fighters will travel over and fight for it cos the risk is worth the reward when the risk isn't worth the reward u won't get the big name fighters.

if franky boy just got his ship in order we wouldn't need to keep criticising him, the sad thing is he used to be an excellent promoter remember all those gr8 nights in the mid 90's they kicked arse.

Urkal fighting Harris in Berlin? Urkal W PTS.

I'm not complaining about Tackie at all, infact it shows the faith Mr Warren has in his fighter. Its a big risk fight, with relatively little reward. Hatton has got loads of time to develop further.... Its a good match up and besides Graham, Hatton and Warren have all said 2004 will be his year.

Okay, we've heard that before - put at least Ricky is ending 2003 on a good note.

Isn't travelling to Germany to face a man whose only loss was a close one to Kostya Tszyu a risky assignment! The point I am trying to make is this. Harris is having managerial problems at the moment and is clearly unsettled. He's accepted a huge purse to fight Urkal in Berlin rather rashly in my opinion - and probably off his own back. allegedly, who won't have anything to do with the WBC at present, has missed a golden opportunity to secure a big WBA title fight for Ricky in my opinion. To compound that, Hatton-Tackie is just as risky a fight as Hatton-Harris would be. And if Hatton wins. Where next? The WBA...?

tackie is a tough test for hatton cos of his style, there both sluggers so there's going to be lots of leather flying and what with hatton's proneness to cuts i fear this could be a tricky night for hatton, why the hell didn't warren get hatton a european title shot which is the title urkal held.

mind u the one good part of not going for the wba title no cotto fight

bennie wrote:Isn't travelling to Germany to face a man whose only loss was a close one to Kostya Tszyu a risky assignment! The point I am trying to make is this. Harris is having managerial problems at the moment and is clearly unsettled. He's accepted a huge purse to fight Urkal in Berlin rather rashly in my opinion - and probably off his own back. allegedly, who won't have anything to do with the WBC at present, has missed a golden opportunity to secure a big WBA title fight for Ricky in my opinion. To compound that, Hatton-Tackie is just as risky a fight as Hatton-Harris would be. And if Hatton wins. Where next? The WBA...?

Then we get to the second prob, Warren offers name fighters peanuts which they turn down (look no further than Ottke) so he can make out his fighters are being ducked.