BoxRec

thepocketrocket wrote:Instead of going in with the likes of Mayweather and Pacman at their peak, and then gone on to beating shot or fading fighters at the end of his career, would he get as much respect as Calzaghe?

JLP wrote:

thepocketrocket wrote:Instead of going in with the likes of Mayweather and Pacman at their peak, and then gone on to beating shot or fading fighters at the end of his career, would he get as much respect as Calzaghe?

I respect Ricky as much as I respect Calzaghe but however he'd have played his career cards, I'd never have him down as being equal to, or better than, Joe as a boxer.

Parson Cross wrote:I think his bank balance says he did the right thing.

thepocketrocket wrote:

JLP wrote:

thepocketrocket wrote:Instead of going in with the likes of Mayweather and Pacman at their peak, and then gone on to beating shot or fading fighters at the end of his career, would he get as much respect as Calzaghe?

I respect Ricky as much as I respect Calzaghe but however he'd have played his career cards, I'd never have him down as being equal to, or better than, Joe as a boxer.

But JLP...we have seen Hatton on his backside....Joe never travelled to face a peak Hopkins and Jones due to his 'fear of flying'. Now this gives the Calzaghe lickers a chance to say "Oh, he would have beaten them I think"

If Hatton had refused to fight the best and stayed in his own back yard, Hatton fanatics could make those arguments regarding PBF and Pac

Newport Daz wrote:I have the greatest respect for Ricky's career. He dared to be great but was found wanting at the absolute elite level. Nothing wrong with that. He went as far as his talent would allow him, as good as Joe was, he can't say the same thing.

Parson Cross wrote:Sorry mate - I meant that Ricky did the right thing according to his bank balance.
Aside from "legacies" etc had Ricky just carried on the Manchester meal train no doubt he'd have made a wedge - but nothing compared to the wedge he made by taking on the elite.
I don't think it's fair to compare the two.
Each have their qualities - and I suppose their frailties as far as boxing purists go.
Ricky - not quite good enough for the elite, Joe - we will never know ?
One thig is for sure Ricky made far more money.

fasteddie wrote:

Newport Daz wrote:I have the greatest respect for Ricky's career. He dared to be great but was found wanting at the absolute elite level. Nothing wrong with that. He went as far as his talent would allow him, as good as Joe was, he can't say the same thing.

joe didnt even fight the best in britain at their peak either,he fought a less than best eubank and fought a robin reid in a fight i thought reid won and didnt give him a rematch but gave mario veit a remacth after stopping him in 7 rounds then 4 rounds or the other way round. ricky did fight the best at his peak but take away floyd and pacman and would you say he fought the best in his division? i would say no,cotto was there as was zab judah both would of gave ricky a hard time,he beat tszyu who had been out of action for close to a year with a bad back and suddenly he was the best 140lber in the world? he was struggling against carlos mousar before he knocked him out got beat by collazo but got the decision and struggled against urango,beat an old lightweight in castillo and called out the best fighter on the planet. ricky was a good fighter and took a chance can joe say the same?? id say no,joe was a better boxer but ricky wasnt scared to jump in with the big boys.

fasteddie wrote:

Newport Daz wrote:I have the greatest respect for Ricky's career. He dared to be great but was found wanting at the absolute elite level. Nothing wrong with that. He went as far as his talent would allow him, as good as Joe was, he can't say the same thing.

joe didnt even fight the best in britain at their peak either,he fought a less than best eubank and fought a robin reid in a fight i thought reid won and didnt give him a rematch but gave mario veit a remacth after stopping him in 7 rounds then 4 rounds or the other way round. ricky did fight the best at his peak but take away floyd and pacman and would you say he fought the best in his division? i would say no,cotto was there as was zab judah both would of gave ricky a hard time,he beat tszyu who had been out of action for close to a year with a bad back and suddenly he was the best 140lber in the world? he was struggling against carlos mousar before he knocked him out got beat by collazo but got the decision and struggled against urango,beat an old lightweight in castillo and called out the best fighter on the planet. ricky was a good fighter and took a chance can joe say the same?? id say no,joe was a better boxer but ricky wasnt scared to jump in with the big boys.

greenyox3 wrote:

fasteddie wrote:

Newport Daz wrote:I have the greatest respect for Ricky's career. He dared to be great but was found wanting at the absolute elite level. Nothing wrong with that. He went as far as his talent would allow him, as good as Joe was, he can't say the same thing.

joe didnt even fight the best in britain at their peak either,he fought a less than best eubank and fought a robin reid in a fight i thought reid won and didnt give him a rematch but gave mario veit a remacth after stopping him in 7 rounds then 4 rounds or the other way round. ricky did fight the best at his peak but take away floyd and pacman and would you say he fought the best in his division? i would say no,cotto was there as was zab judah both would of gave ricky a hard time,he beat tszyu who had been out of action for close to a year with a bad back and suddenly he was the best 140lber in the world? he was struggling against carlos mousar before he knocked him out got beat by collazo but got the decision and struggled against urango,beat an old lightweight in castillo and called out the best fighter on the planet. ricky was a good fighter and took a chance can joe say the same?? id say no,joe was a better boxer but ricky wasnt scared to jump in with the big boys.

Tszyu had beaten the crap out of Sharmba Mitchell (who was considered #1 contender) six months prior to the Hatton fight, and was the undisputed 140lb world champion. So when Hatton beat him, he took that title.
so you dont believe cotto was a top contender for ricky to fight but castillo was?

I think it's fair to say he never quite repeated the form he showed that night against Tszyu. But no-one can say he didn't take on all legit challengers at 140lb after that (some might say Witter, but I don't know anyone who'd pay to watch him fight). He had a good reign as champion, but fell just short at elite level.

thepocketrocket wrote:Instead of going in with the likes of Mayweather and Pacman at their peak, and then gone on to beating shot or fading fighters at the end of his career, would he get as much respect as Calzaghe?

mugabi wrote:One of the best threads i have seen on here in a long long time.

Hatton to me went out in a blaze of glory. I give him more credit for losing to pacman and mayweather at their absolute peak and taking on sechenko after so many years out than i do his winning and defending his WBU title early on under the promotion of yknow who. The body of work he ammassed before than says he was a very good fighter one of the best britain has had but just not top 5 pound 4 pound best. No shame there and he made a packet.

Calzaghe is a strange one. The first third of his high level career (1997-2001) was a major disapointment. Not going to the USA, losing in my mind a narrow one to reid and not giving him a rematch, the pull outs , the fights that stunk out the joint, the obnoxious low key profile. The next phase 2002-2005, had 2 decent wins in brewer and mitchell but still disapointing. The last phase 2006-2009 was glorious and this tends to be the one people remember even tho to some of us he lost the hopkins fight, and jones jnr was a 0.50 fighter. But this last phase showed me Joe had the capability to have beaten hopkins and Jones in their prime but not saying he would have.

hitman_hatton1 wrote:to say calzaghe avoided fights is not true.

he didn't do his all to seek em out is a valid criticism.

he was loyal to FW cos he got him a title and paydays.

but he should have been more ruthless when his career started stalling.

in saying that he'll be a 1st ballot hall of famer next year.

thepocketrocket wrote:No Rhino, To say Pacman was past it when he fought Hatton is actually amusing when you consider his career post Hatton.