BoxRec

So, Hatton is rated number one a few years back, but wants nothing to do with Champ Chop Chop and passes on a title shot. As a result he plummets out of the top ten.

Zab takes over, and Warren and Co decide they want nothing to do with him either, and take another rain check. Ricky remains unranked with the WBO.

Then, Judah moves up to 147. A phone rings in the night, and suddenly Hatton is blessed with a top five rating - setting himself up for a vacant shot with the unknown Brazilian Pinto.

Could even Don King himself have done a better job?

And where's Pinto by the way, anyone seen him? It's a little over a week away and he's still in Brazil - is he even going to turn up?

depends what other boxers do

What if Judah keeps the WBO, will hatton fight Jubah (more likely fight mitchell)

What if Kostya comes back and hes the IBF champ then,

What if Mayweather wins the WBC

Well, there's nothing new in what you say, the WBO have been at it for bloody years, all they want is a nice fat sanctioning fee.

I haven't heard a sniff of Pinto myself...whoops mixed metaphor or what!

So they're fighting for the interim WBO title? Is that right??

Yes interim last I heard. I think Zab will beat Spinks and stay at 147.

Then look for winner of Hatton/Pinto to be declared champ mid-April.

MightyWarrior wrote:Yes interim last I heard. I think Zab will beat Spinks and stay at 147.

Then look for winner of Hatton/Pinto to be declared champ mid-April.

Don't write off Cory Spinks. Zab has never liked it against slick boxers. He couldn't adapt against Witter, and I thought it was a similar performance against Corely. I think Spinks will just be too awkard, remember he's got gorilla arms.

Yeh I pick Spinks by easy decision in that one.

yeah typical of any sanctioning body. IBF have done a similar thing with Golota, moved him into the top 15 just so that he can fight Byrd.

No I wouldn't write him off either Stu, but bookies have Zab a favorite at 4/6 last time I looked.
Zab's real weakness surfaces against big hitters, which Spinks aint. So I'm going for Zab in this one.

Pinto will be here. If he lets Warren down at this late stage, there'll be hell to pay.

I think Zab v Spinks will be a dull affair, and it's a pickem fight. Spinks is the naturally bigger man, so despite not being a puncher, could pose problems, we saw how easily Winky Handled Mosley at light middle, and Winky is a sharp but not hurtful puncher...

I'm starting to get an uneasy feeling about this fight. It seems no-one in Hatton's camp wanted it, apart from Ricky himself.
Great to see him that confident, but has he maybe made a mistake here?

Pinto only lost about 4 fights in 90 during his amateur days, with around 60 ko's. He beat Cotto twice - this guy can obviously fight.

Witter took Judah on short notice, but looked at a tape of Pinto and said "This guy's shit hot" then pulled out..

Pinto will likely come out blasting and I've got a feeling we could be in for a big shock next week.

I'm going to have a look at those odds again.

you guys are seriously starting to cause me major conern here, Im trekking all the way to Manc to see this one and if Hatton loses, ill have to get even more pissed haha
In seriousness at least it seems a competetive fight but if Hatton is as good as many think then he should come through, and it sends a message out to the other contenders / top five.
So credit where credit is due, nothing ventured and all that....

Witter took Judah on short notice, because he would have been well paid for what was after all a world title shot.

He pulled out of the fight with Pinto because he had better options fighting for the EBU title, rather than the possibility of getting stiffed by Pinto and kissing any world title aspirations goodbye.

The difference is, that if Ricky Loses, he has a high enough profile now to bounce back, though it would be some way back.

MightyWarrior wrote:Then, Judah moves up to 147. A phone rings in the night, and suddenly Hatton is blessed with a top five rating

Is Hatton number four, MW?

WBO

Zab Judah
1. Kelson Pinto
2. Miguel Cotto
3. Junior Witter
4. Ricky Hatton
5. David Diaz
6. Michael Stewart
7. Henry Bruseles
8. Alex Trujillo
9. Paul Spadafora
10. DeMarcus Corley
11. Andrea Kotelnik
12. Ricardo Torres
13. Juan Valenzuela
14. Omar Weis
15. Billy Irwin

REAL_DEAL wrote:WBO

Zab Judah
1. Kelson Pinto
2. Miguel Cotto
3. Junior Witter
4. Ricky Hatton
5. David Diaz
6. Michael Stewart
7. Henry Bruseles
8. Alex Trujillo
9. Paul Spadafora
10. DeMarcus Corley
11. Andrea Kotelnik
12. Ricardo Torres
13. Juan Valenzuela
14. Omar Weis
15. Billy Irwin

Poor Junior Witter. Ranked above him and yet still on the outside looking in.
Cheers, Chris.

Hatton is WBA 2

Kostya Tszyu
Vivian Harris
1. Miguel Cotto
2. Richard Hatton
3. Sharmba Mitchell
4. Oktay Urkal Tur
5. Masakazu Satake
6. Francisco Bojado
7. Andreas Kotelnik
8. Diobelis Hurtado
9. Souleyman Mbaye
10. Terrence Cauthen
11. Demarcus Corley
12. Kelson Pinto
13. Michael Stewart
14. Daudy Bahari
15. Abdullev Mahamat

i dont underatand how the hell witter is ranked above hatton in the first place, guy has been fighting no hopers for over a year?
usual politics I suppose.

this is something that often makes me laugh, Hatton got a hell of alot of shit for his quality of opposition...

In the meantime, Witter bowls over the likes of the midget Fred Kinuthia, and his supporters talk him up like he's the second coming of Aaron Pryor...

i know total bollocks in my view
witter's career has been in free fall for some time now, most of it by his own doing, judah, then pinto..... Hatton has moved onto bigger and better things while Junior has stagnated so how the frigg can he be ranked higher than hatton? bullsheeet!

J wrote:you guys are seriously starting to cause me major conern here, Im trekking all the way to Manc to see this one and if Hatton loses, :

Great fight to go to J, wish I was gonna be there. Will be one hell of a atmosphere when Blue Moon strikes up.

I just looked at Box Monthly and they're saying Showtime are so psyched up by this fight they want to show it live, which would mean a 2am start UK time - first I've heard of this??

surely not, jesus I wont remember a thing by then. Cheers mate to be honest its my first big one, taking my bro for the weekend as its his bday. (im a freakin united fan as well but hey i'll be singing blue moon along with the rest) Didnt shirk on the seats niether 3 rows back according to the seating plan (how sad and or excited am i?).
my mates cant wait for it to be over sick of hearing bout it hahaha
i cant see that happening tho, surely showtime would have to broadcast earlier, i mean they may push the hatton fight back to 10 ish start time but 2 am I cant see it, tickets say 5.30 doors open as does the site i got them off still......

J



Joined: 17 Feb 2004
Posts: 432
Location: London

Makes sense you being a Man U fan, then.

I was going to combine a trip to see either this or the Brodie/Chi fight with a trip to Lancaster to see a mate, but decided that I've got too mcuh running around to do in April as it is. Ah well. I'll be going to see some live boxing on the 2nd, but Scott Dann Vs Eugene Monteiro at the Marjons Leisure Centre isn't quite as attractive a main event.

well i say fan ive been to old trafford once in my life which is more than most but not a huge football fan all in all really. Supported united b4 the glory years as steve coppell was my favourite player in the late seventies, early eighties and it kinda went from there , armchair fan if you like, but by the time im done watching rugby, cricket (playing also) and boxing, i dont have the time or energy to go to football games. its a distant fourth on my sporting list in fact fifth if you count rugby league, one above underwater rat catching hahaha
in fact, notice you are from plymouth mate, used to play rugby against you lot for exmouth in my teenage years played in the final of the south west under 18s in a thrill a minute 12-6 victory haha! oh the rolling hills of the west country! always will hold a special place in my heart
getting back to boxing I see aud is planning on fighting in bristol still a bit of a trek for you but could be worthwhile may 8th I believe