Ricky Hatton faces his toughest test...
Posted: 12 Dec 2003, 09:56
RICKY Hatton makes the 11th and potentially hardest defence of his WBU light-welterweight title against Ben "Wonder" Tackie at The MEN Arena in his home city of Manchester tomorrow (Saturday, December 13).
"Tackie is without doubt the toughest fighter I have faced in my career," said unbeaten Hatton in the build-up, "and I know my future is pinned on this fight.
"Tackie comes to fight, he is a true warrior and a big puncher. But that is what I want, I want to be in good fights because that is what my fans deserve.
"I am not going to take a backward step but I am going to have to be very cute about what I do, use my jab a bit more and work for the openings."
He's right. Tackie, a 30-year-old Ghanaian based in America, is a rugged, big-hitting, persistent adversary, who stalks his opponents and is dangerous right to very end of fights. Both Robert Garcia and Edwin Santana were ahead on points in the 10th and final round of their contests when Tackie's pressure suddenly told and he stopped them both. He also proved too strong for other top class fighters like Terrell Finger, Teddy Reid, Golden Johnson, Freddie Pendleton and Ray Oliveira (the only man to have beaten WBA light-welterweight champion, Vivian Harris).
However, he can be outslicked and outsmarted. Boxers such as Gregorio 'Goyo' Vargas, Juan Molina, the brilliant Kostya Tszyu and, two fights ago, Sharmba Mitchell, all eased to points wins over him. Mitchell put him down for the first time in his career in the 11th of their one-sided encounter in May (scores were 118-109 and 119-108 twice for Mitchell). Tackie also lost comprehensively on the scorecards to Tszyu, but was still winging at the final bell (as he was against Mitchell). He has never been stopped in his nine year career and it says a lot for his durability and strength that Kostya refused to get involved in their undisputed light-welterweight title fight last year in Las Vegas and picked his shots carefully for the whole 12 rounds. If there's no need to get into a war, why do so? That was Tszyu's thinking, and the Aussie-based Russian won every round on two of the judges' cards and 11 on the other.
Whether Hatton can deal with Tackie in the same manner remains to be seen.
He's no slouch in the boxing stakes. He showed that when he climbed off the floor to outbox and outpoint southpaw counterpuncher Eamonn Magee last year. Hatton, floored for the first time as a pro in the first, and stunned in the second, switched to boxing from range for the next 10 rounds with surprising smoothness. He also jabbed effectively against America's Vince Phillips earlier this year. "I have been blowing past the majority of my opponents," he says, "so people get the impression of me as an attacking, body punching, and brawler type. I do like to put the pressure on, but I have very underrated boxing skills. I won nine amateur titles; had 80 amateur fights and won 76. You do not get that kind of record without having talent."
But Ricky's forte is clearly his workrate. He fights at a furious pace, doesn't let up, and none of his 33 opponents to date - 25 of whom have been stopped or knocked out - have found an answer. Magee, as we know, had his moments early in their 12-rounder, but the champion maintained his high workrate from distance and made the Belfast southpaw, never the busiest of fighters, look almost statuesque by the later rounds. And, as well as outjabbing Phillips, Hatton pounded on him for 12 punishing rounds to win unanimously by huge totals of 120-107, 120-108 and 119-109.
Last time out in September, he wore down and became the first man to stop Argentina's Aldo Rios in nine relentless rounds in Manchester.
Always massively popular in this country, a win over Tackie would raise Ricky's stock in the States significantly. They believe over there - perhaps with justification - the Englishman has been protected up to now in a red hot division boasting the likes of Tszyu, Judah, Gatti, Mitchell, Corley, Harris, Bailey, Spadafora, Witter, Cotto and Pinto. But the fight with Tackie, whose big-hitting reputation has been carved in American rings, would go a long way to winning them over (the fight is televised 'delayed' in the States by American-TV giants, Showtime).
Of course, many Americans believed "Cool" Phillips would expose Hatton in their April showdown in Manchester, but after "The Hitman" romped to his decision win, the same pundits dismissed Phillips as a 39-year-old former cocaine addict. Phillips had held Sharmba Mitchell to a majority decision in his previous contest. He remains the only man to have beaten undisputed light-welterweight champion Kostya Tszyu.
It is baffling why America has yet to fully embrace the exciting and aggressive Manchester man, whose stocky build and all-out approach is not dissimilar to a Barry McGuigan or a Ray "Boom Boom" Mancini - two immensely popular fighters in the States in the 80's. It hasn't helped that Hatton has yet to take part in a big fight over there, but when he can sell out the MEN Arena in Manchester for a fight with Stephen Smith, there hasn't seemed much point up to now. But making it big in the States is important to Hatton. "I feel I need to fight in the United States," he admits. "I think the American public will take to me because I wear my heart on my sleeve and go forward and attack all day long.
"I have a fantastic fan base in Britain and, with my style, I think I could have the same success in the U.S. My style is all action. I come forward with a lot of body punches and shots to the head. That is what the fight fans want to see. They want to be entertained."
He continues: "I already achieved my dream by fighting at Madison Square Garden for my second pro fight. Madison Square Garden stands alone as far as boxing venues are concerned and I dream about going back there. I have also boxed in Atlantic City. I went to Detroit. I would like to go to Las Vegas, where all of the top shows and fighters are. It would be a dream come true."
Hatton outpointed Robert Alvarez in Madison Square Garden in 1997, flattened Kevin Carter in one round a year later in Atlantic City, and in June 2000, survived a terrible cut over the left eye (which was also bruised and swollen underneath) to finish off Gilbert Quiros with a brutal body assault in two dramatic rounds in Detroit.
Hatton's body shots are his trademark, and he finds excellent angles to unload them from. They rave about the body punching of Miguel Cotto in the States, but Ricky's body work is arguably the best in current boxing. At European level, his body shots are destructive. At world level, Vince Phillips was able to soak them up in April - but was only dangerous with counters when Hatton went to the head. The body work kept Vince quiet.
Explains Hatton: "When I was about 15 I was training with former British champion Pat Barrett, who put me down with a body shot.
"I had never been hurt so badly from a body punch, and it gave me inspiration to introduce it into my style."
It helps that his idol is Roberto Duran as well, a renowned body puncher. "I suppose you can see why with one look at my style," says Ricky.
None of that will impress Tackie, who will have seen the way Phillips tagged Hatton with right hands in the first of their 12-rounder - and stunned him in the fourth with a right uppercut. Make no mistake, Hatton's chin will also be tested in this one. Tackie managed to jolt Tszyu with a right hand in the third round, and landed a couple of useful-looking left hooks in the 11th (though that was about it). He also knocked out Freddie Pendleton in the first round - a round earlier than Hatton's body punching dismissal of the fomer 'world' champion a year later - and scored an excellent fifth round stoppage of current NABF welterweight champion Teddy Reid.
Tackie, 25-4 (16), turned pro in 1994 and won his first 13 fights in and around his native Ghana, before he switched to California under Joe Goossen in 1997 after the success of fellow Ghanaian Ike "Bazooka" Quartey in the States. He campaigned at lightweight in his early years there, beating the quality likes of Louie Leija, Golden Johnson, Edwin Santana and Robert Garcia, but losing a couple of 10-rounders to former much-touted 'world' champions "Goyo" Vargas (who won widely on points) and Juan Molina (on a split decision). But a first round knockout of Freddie Pendleton in 2000 - a man who had just gone 11 rounds in a WBA welterweight title challenge to James Page, indicated his future was at a higher weight. Sure enough, Tackie moved up and proved an instant hit at light-welter with a sixth round stoppage of the useful Terrell Finger in early 2001, followed by a thrilling - and gruelling - points win over Ray Oliveira for the NABF light-welterweight - a fight in which both men threw a combined 2,729 punches. It was the third most punches ever thrown in a fight under the auspices of CompuBox (amazingly, Oliveira features in the first two as well; his WBO title challenge to Zack Padilla in December 1993 saw 3020 punches thrown between them - the most ever in the 19-year history of Compubox, and his NABF title fight with Vince Phillips in December 2000 produced 2989 punches). Tackie, clearly more comfortable at 10 stone, scored another fine win when in January 2002 he stopped the dangerous Teddy Reid in five rounds in an IBF title eliminator to secure that triple title shot (WBC, WBA & IBF) at Tszyu in May 2002.
Tackie, of course, was made to look ponderous by the gifted champion in that one, and was inactive for a year afterwards. It showed against Mitchell in his next fight. The American southpaw won massively on all three scorecards, but that 12-rounder may have sharpened Tackie up for this one. And the challenger also got in a warm-up in Ghana in late October when he stopped countryman Roman "Romeo" Aquaye in four rounds at the National Stadium in Accra.
"Expect a big surprise if you think I'm finished," said Tackie in the build-up to tomorrow's showdown. "You see, I'm still hungry. Ricky has never faced anyone like me before who is fearless and relentless."
"All I am waiting for is the day."
Ominous words indeed, and, as we know, Hatton, for all his crippling body shots, can be hit, hurt and, of course, cut. He underwent surgery on a badly gashed right eyebrow following the Phillips fight, a cut which required 26 stitches ("cuts don't come much worse than that," admitted Hatton) and which scuppered a planned showdown with Junior Witter in the Summer. He underwent a similar procedure on his left eyebrow following his British title victory over Jon Thaxton in October 2000. "I've had no trouble with that eye since," he said, "and I'm expecting this one to be the same."
The eye certainly passed the test against Argentina's Rios last time out.
Cuts have clearly been the 25-year-old's biggest bugbear up to now. "There was a time when I thought my career might be in jeopardy," he reveals. "There were six straight fights when the same cut kept opening up (the left eye). Every time it was tickled it split open. I went to see this specialist in Harley Street after the Thaxton fight and he decided to operate. He found this lump of Vaseline stitched under the skin. He cleaned it out and, since then, I've only one had one or two little cuts under the eye. I've also got better at slipping punches. That always helps."
It also helps having arguably the world's best cutsman in his corner in London's own Mick Williamson (America's Joe Souza is relegated after his lamentable performance in the Vitali Klitschko corner against Lewis), but Hatton keeps his cool regardless of the severity of the cut. "Doesn't bother me at all," he claims. "It won't stop me winning." Despite the truly hideous cut he suffered within 15 seconds of the opening bell against Thaxton, he went on to capture the British title with a points win. Given one more round by the doctor at the end of the first round against Gilbert Quiros in Detroit, Ricky responded by bombing out the lanky southpaw in the second.
"If I cut in the future, so be it," he adds. "I'd be more worried if there was something glaringly wrong with my technique or my stamina."
But Tackie is a worry. "I'll probably need to go under the surgeon's knife again on the Monday," Hatton muses - before explaining succinctly: "I'm fighting Ben Tackie. He fights in America. He's lost to Kostya Tszyu, but nobody has managed to stop him. We both come forward, it will be like two trains colliding.
"Hopefully I can be the first to knock him out."
The latter depends on how much Tackie has left. American rings are tough enough but their gyms are even tougher, and Tackie will have been in plenty of wars in his time. And it's hard to overlook how he was floored and massively outpointed by Sharmba Mitchell in May. Vince Phillips entered the Hatton fight having also been outpointed by Mitchell - but on a tough, majority decision. Yet Hatton routed Phillips.
Turning that around: one of Tackie's best opponents was the American Teddy Reid, who, like Hatton, had beaten Eamonn Magee on points and bombed out Joe Hutchinson! Tackie destroyed Reid in five rounds.
There's no doubt Hatton is facing a proven contender in this one, and Ghanaian press reports indicate that Tackie has craved a second 'world' title chance after the Tszyu trouncing, when he really didn't perform on the night and tried, as one Las Vegas headline writer put it, to be 'A one hit Wonder'. (A brief exchange between winner and loser in the ring afterwards said it all: "We meet again," stated Tackie; "I don't think so," responded Tszyu).
Now Tackie gets that second chance - a chance to make amends. "This is my time," he says. "When your time comes, nothing can stop you from achieving your due.
"No-one else wanted to fight me and I respect him for taking me on."
And, yes, Ben might be the hardest puncher Hatton has ever faced. Thankfully, the champion got in an excellent workout in September when he became the first man to stop Argentine lightweight Aldo Rios in nine rounds at the MEN Arena. Tackie had that four-round win at home, too, in October, but could have done with a few more rounds under his belt perhaps. But everyone is aware of the threat Tackie poses to Hatton, though we also know he can be outboxed fairly comfortably. He lost 20 of the 24 completed rounds against Tszyu and Mitchell on the judges' cards (admittedly, Tszyu and Mitchell are number one and two in the world), so the blueprint to beat him is common knowledge. Hatton should avoid being drawn in and look to outbox his man as he did Magee: jab, move, step off, don't allow him to settle. But, then, that's not Hatton's natural style. Danger lies in the fact Hatton, as he did with Rios, wants to become the first man to stop Tackie (which will take some doing: the Ghanaian is the sort of fighter for whom the expression 'teak-tough' is used time and again by reporters). Stocky and short of arm, Hatton will have to take risks in order to attempt that. Tackie, despite a similar reputation to his opponent for being quite hittable, is effective at blocking punches on his forearms and shoulders, cute with the head and, given a target, downright dangerous. Why else would Tszyu refuse to mix it with him! There might be a price to pay for looking to stop him. Of course, Hatton's body shots could also be the key to a spectacular result, but his underrated boxing skills are still the proven way to get past a banger like Tackie.
Either way, if Hatton wants to progress further than the WBU title, this is a must win fight for him. A must win fight is tough. A must win fight against a man who punches as hard in the first round as he does in the 12th is incredibly tough. The champion applies educated pressure, survives a wobble or two, and a cut or two, en route to an incredibly tough points win.
"Tackie is without doubt the toughest fighter I have faced in my career," said unbeaten Hatton in the build-up, "and I know my future is pinned on this fight.
"Tackie comes to fight, he is a true warrior and a big puncher. But that is what I want, I want to be in good fights because that is what my fans deserve.
"I am not going to take a backward step but I am going to have to be very cute about what I do, use my jab a bit more and work for the openings."
He's right. Tackie, a 30-year-old Ghanaian based in America, is a rugged, big-hitting, persistent adversary, who stalks his opponents and is dangerous right to very end of fights. Both Robert Garcia and Edwin Santana were ahead on points in the 10th and final round of their contests when Tackie's pressure suddenly told and he stopped them both. He also proved too strong for other top class fighters like Terrell Finger, Teddy Reid, Golden Johnson, Freddie Pendleton and Ray Oliveira (the only man to have beaten WBA light-welterweight champion, Vivian Harris).
However, he can be outslicked and outsmarted. Boxers such as Gregorio 'Goyo' Vargas, Juan Molina, the brilliant Kostya Tszyu and, two fights ago, Sharmba Mitchell, all eased to points wins over him. Mitchell put him down for the first time in his career in the 11th of their one-sided encounter in May (scores were 118-109 and 119-108 twice for Mitchell). Tackie also lost comprehensively on the scorecards to Tszyu, but was still winging at the final bell (as he was against Mitchell). He has never been stopped in his nine year career and it says a lot for his durability and strength that Kostya refused to get involved in their undisputed light-welterweight title fight last year in Las Vegas and picked his shots carefully for the whole 12 rounds. If there's no need to get into a war, why do so? That was Tszyu's thinking, and the Aussie-based Russian won every round on two of the judges' cards and 11 on the other.
Whether Hatton can deal with Tackie in the same manner remains to be seen.
He's no slouch in the boxing stakes. He showed that when he climbed off the floor to outbox and outpoint southpaw counterpuncher Eamonn Magee last year. Hatton, floored for the first time as a pro in the first, and stunned in the second, switched to boxing from range for the next 10 rounds with surprising smoothness. He also jabbed effectively against America's Vince Phillips earlier this year. "I have been blowing past the majority of my opponents," he says, "so people get the impression of me as an attacking, body punching, and brawler type. I do like to put the pressure on, but I have very underrated boxing skills. I won nine amateur titles; had 80 amateur fights and won 76. You do not get that kind of record without having talent."
But Ricky's forte is clearly his workrate. He fights at a furious pace, doesn't let up, and none of his 33 opponents to date - 25 of whom have been stopped or knocked out - have found an answer. Magee, as we know, had his moments early in their 12-rounder, but the champion maintained his high workrate from distance and made the Belfast southpaw, never the busiest of fighters, look almost statuesque by the later rounds. And, as well as outjabbing Phillips, Hatton pounded on him for 12 punishing rounds to win unanimously by huge totals of 120-107, 120-108 and 119-109.
Last time out in September, he wore down and became the first man to stop Argentina's Aldo Rios in nine relentless rounds in Manchester.
Always massively popular in this country, a win over Tackie would raise Ricky's stock in the States significantly. They believe over there - perhaps with justification - the Englishman has been protected up to now in a red hot division boasting the likes of Tszyu, Judah, Gatti, Mitchell, Corley, Harris, Bailey, Spadafora, Witter, Cotto and Pinto. But the fight with Tackie, whose big-hitting reputation has been carved in American rings, would go a long way to winning them over (the fight is televised 'delayed' in the States by American-TV giants, Showtime).
Of course, many Americans believed "Cool" Phillips would expose Hatton in their April showdown in Manchester, but after "The Hitman" romped to his decision win, the same pundits dismissed Phillips as a 39-year-old former cocaine addict. Phillips had held Sharmba Mitchell to a majority decision in his previous contest. He remains the only man to have beaten undisputed light-welterweight champion Kostya Tszyu.
It is baffling why America has yet to fully embrace the exciting and aggressive Manchester man, whose stocky build and all-out approach is not dissimilar to a Barry McGuigan or a Ray "Boom Boom" Mancini - two immensely popular fighters in the States in the 80's. It hasn't helped that Hatton has yet to take part in a big fight over there, but when he can sell out the MEN Arena in Manchester for a fight with Stephen Smith, there hasn't seemed much point up to now. But making it big in the States is important to Hatton. "I feel I need to fight in the United States," he admits. "I think the American public will take to me because I wear my heart on my sleeve and go forward and attack all day long.
"I have a fantastic fan base in Britain and, with my style, I think I could have the same success in the U.S. My style is all action. I come forward with a lot of body punches and shots to the head. That is what the fight fans want to see. They want to be entertained."
He continues: "I already achieved my dream by fighting at Madison Square Garden for my second pro fight. Madison Square Garden stands alone as far as boxing venues are concerned and I dream about going back there. I have also boxed in Atlantic City. I went to Detroit. I would like to go to Las Vegas, where all of the top shows and fighters are. It would be a dream come true."
Hatton outpointed Robert Alvarez in Madison Square Garden in 1997, flattened Kevin Carter in one round a year later in Atlantic City, and in June 2000, survived a terrible cut over the left eye (which was also bruised and swollen underneath) to finish off Gilbert Quiros with a brutal body assault in two dramatic rounds in Detroit.
Hatton's body shots are his trademark, and he finds excellent angles to unload them from. They rave about the body punching of Miguel Cotto in the States, but Ricky's body work is arguably the best in current boxing. At European level, his body shots are destructive. At world level, Vince Phillips was able to soak them up in April - but was only dangerous with counters when Hatton went to the head. The body work kept Vince quiet.
Explains Hatton: "When I was about 15 I was training with former British champion Pat Barrett, who put me down with a body shot.
"I had never been hurt so badly from a body punch, and it gave me inspiration to introduce it into my style."
It helps that his idol is Roberto Duran as well, a renowned body puncher. "I suppose you can see why with one look at my style," says Ricky.
None of that will impress Tackie, who will have seen the way Phillips tagged Hatton with right hands in the first of their 12-rounder - and stunned him in the fourth with a right uppercut. Make no mistake, Hatton's chin will also be tested in this one. Tackie managed to jolt Tszyu with a right hand in the third round, and landed a couple of useful-looking left hooks in the 11th (though that was about it). He also knocked out Freddie Pendleton in the first round - a round earlier than Hatton's body punching dismissal of the fomer 'world' champion a year later - and scored an excellent fifth round stoppage of current NABF welterweight champion Teddy Reid.
Tackie, 25-4 (16), turned pro in 1994 and won his first 13 fights in and around his native Ghana, before he switched to California under Joe Goossen in 1997 after the success of fellow Ghanaian Ike "Bazooka" Quartey in the States. He campaigned at lightweight in his early years there, beating the quality likes of Louie Leija, Golden Johnson, Edwin Santana and Robert Garcia, but losing a couple of 10-rounders to former much-touted 'world' champions "Goyo" Vargas (who won widely on points) and Juan Molina (on a split decision). But a first round knockout of Freddie Pendleton in 2000 - a man who had just gone 11 rounds in a WBA welterweight title challenge to James Page, indicated his future was at a higher weight. Sure enough, Tackie moved up and proved an instant hit at light-welter with a sixth round stoppage of the useful Terrell Finger in early 2001, followed by a thrilling - and gruelling - points win over Ray Oliveira for the NABF light-welterweight - a fight in which both men threw a combined 2,729 punches. It was the third most punches ever thrown in a fight under the auspices of CompuBox (amazingly, Oliveira features in the first two as well; his WBO title challenge to Zack Padilla in December 1993 saw 3020 punches thrown between them - the most ever in the 19-year history of Compubox, and his NABF title fight with Vince Phillips in December 2000 produced 2989 punches). Tackie, clearly more comfortable at 10 stone, scored another fine win when in January 2002 he stopped the dangerous Teddy Reid in five rounds in an IBF title eliminator to secure that triple title shot (WBC, WBA & IBF) at Tszyu in May 2002.
Tackie, of course, was made to look ponderous by the gifted champion in that one, and was inactive for a year afterwards. It showed against Mitchell in his next fight. The American southpaw won massively on all three scorecards, but that 12-rounder may have sharpened Tackie up for this one. And the challenger also got in a warm-up in Ghana in late October when he stopped countryman Roman "Romeo" Aquaye in four rounds at the National Stadium in Accra.
"Expect a big surprise if you think I'm finished," said Tackie in the build-up to tomorrow's showdown. "You see, I'm still hungry. Ricky has never faced anyone like me before who is fearless and relentless."
"All I am waiting for is the day."
Ominous words indeed, and, as we know, Hatton, for all his crippling body shots, can be hit, hurt and, of course, cut. He underwent surgery on a badly gashed right eyebrow following the Phillips fight, a cut which required 26 stitches ("cuts don't come much worse than that," admitted Hatton) and which scuppered a planned showdown with Junior Witter in the Summer. He underwent a similar procedure on his left eyebrow following his British title victory over Jon Thaxton in October 2000. "I've had no trouble with that eye since," he said, "and I'm expecting this one to be the same."
The eye certainly passed the test against Argentina's Rios last time out.
Cuts have clearly been the 25-year-old's biggest bugbear up to now. "There was a time when I thought my career might be in jeopardy," he reveals. "There were six straight fights when the same cut kept opening up (the left eye). Every time it was tickled it split open. I went to see this specialist in Harley Street after the Thaxton fight and he decided to operate. He found this lump of Vaseline stitched under the skin. He cleaned it out and, since then, I've only one had one or two little cuts under the eye. I've also got better at slipping punches. That always helps."
It also helps having arguably the world's best cutsman in his corner in London's own Mick Williamson (America's Joe Souza is relegated after his lamentable performance in the Vitali Klitschko corner against Lewis), but Hatton keeps his cool regardless of the severity of the cut. "Doesn't bother me at all," he claims. "It won't stop me winning." Despite the truly hideous cut he suffered within 15 seconds of the opening bell against Thaxton, he went on to capture the British title with a points win. Given one more round by the doctor at the end of the first round against Gilbert Quiros in Detroit, Ricky responded by bombing out the lanky southpaw in the second.
"If I cut in the future, so be it," he adds. "I'd be more worried if there was something glaringly wrong with my technique or my stamina."
But Tackie is a worry. "I'll probably need to go under the surgeon's knife again on the Monday," Hatton muses - before explaining succinctly: "I'm fighting Ben Tackie. He fights in America. He's lost to Kostya Tszyu, but nobody has managed to stop him. We both come forward, it will be like two trains colliding.
"Hopefully I can be the first to knock him out."
The latter depends on how much Tackie has left. American rings are tough enough but their gyms are even tougher, and Tackie will have been in plenty of wars in his time. And it's hard to overlook how he was floored and massively outpointed by Sharmba Mitchell in May. Vince Phillips entered the Hatton fight having also been outpointed by Mitchell - but on a tough, majority decision. Yet Hatton routed Phillips.
Turning that around: one of Tackie's best opponents was the American Teddy Reid, who, like Hatton, had beaten Eamonn Magee on points and bombed out Joe Hutchinson! Tackie destroyed Reid in five rounds.
There's no doubt Hatton is facing a proven contender in this one, and Ghanaian press reports indicate that Tackie has craved a second 'world' title chance after the Tszyu trouncing, when he really didn't perform on the night and tried, as one Las Vegas headline writer put it, to be 'A one hit Wonder'. (A brief exchange between winner and loser in the ring afterwards said it all: "We meet again," stated Tackie; "I don't think so," responded Tszyu).
Now Tackie gets that second chance - a chance to make amends. "This is my time," he says. "When your time comes, nothing can stop you from achieving your due.
"No-one else wanted to fight me and I respect him for taking me on."
And, yes, Ben might be the hardest puncher Hatton has ever faced. Thankfully, the champion got in an excellent workout in September when he became the first man to stop Argentine lightweight Aldo Rios in nine rounds at the MEN Arena. Tackie had that four-round win at home, too, in October, but could have done with a few more rounds under his belt perhaps. But everyone is aware of the threat Tackie poses to Hatton, though we also know he can be outboxed fairly comfortably. He lost 20 of the 24 completed rounds against Tszyu and Mitchell on the judges' cards (admittedly, Tszyu and Mitchell are number one and two in the world), so the blueprint to beat him is common knowledge. Hatton should avoid being drawn in and look to outbox his man as he did Magee: jab, move, step off, don't allow him to settle. But, then, that's not Hatton's natural style. Danger lies in the fact Hatton, as he did with Rios, wants to become the first man to stop Tackie (which will take some doing: the Ghanaian is the sort of fighter for whom the expression 'teak-tough' is used time and again by reporters). Stocky and short of arm, Hatton will have to take risks in order to attempt that. Tackie, despite a similar reputation to his opponent for being quite hittable, is effective at blocking punches on his forearms and shoulders, cute with the head and, given a target, downright dangerous. Why else would Tszyu refuse to mix it with him! There might be a price to pay for looking to stop him. Of course, Hatton's body shots could also be the key to a spectacular result, but his underrated boxing skills are still the proven way to get past a banger like Tackie.
Either way, if Hatton wants to progress further than the WBU title, this is a must win fight for him. A must win fight is tough. A must win fight against a man who punches as hard in the first round as he does in the 12th is incredibly tough. The champion applies educated pressure, survives a wobble or two, and a cut or two, en route to an incredibly tough points win.
