BoxRec

Hello again after a long break..

Ricky could be in a nasty situation here due to "promotional problems".

What I mean is there is no one eligable for him to fight besides Harris.

Mitchell has signed with Zoo so they are tied up till November.
Gatti has his heart set on Mayweather and why not, it's a dream match up not to mention a huge payday.
Cotto & Pinto are fighting it out for the WBO crown so who does this leave..?

Witter....Please, talk about a step back. IMO...Witter has fought no-one with any credentials.

Urkal....already lost twice at world level...don't see the point in this one.

N'dou...could be a dangerous fight for Ricky and what recognition would he get for winning?

Leija....A possibility but would leija want to fight Ricky after beating the hot prospect Bojado?? He himself fancies a title shot. (This does not mean the WBU)

Spadafora...Although this would be a nice feather in Ricky hat should he win but surely the "Blown up lightweight" card would be shown and all the critics would dismiss the win.

There are others but these are the only ones worth mentioning.

I don't mean to sound pesimistic but Ricky might be in the poop if something isn't sorted.

Take a fight with N'Dou and the winner is the IBF #1 to face the winner of Mitchell v Zoo ..

Very possible

As a Hatton fan I find it quite depressing when comparing Hattons current situation to his 'rival' Miguel Ángel Cotto.

Hatton is anout 2 years older than Cotto and tuned Pro about 4 YEARS!!! earlier, yet it now seems Cotto may be about to overtake Ricky in his career acheivement, some may say he has already.

2001 will be the year of Ricky Hatton
2002 will be the year of Ricky Hatton
2003 will be the year of Ricky Hatton
2004 will be the year of Ricky Hatton............................................

I can really see happeneing, if nothing changes soon Hatton going into a fight against a B or C list fighter, undermotivated getting beaten.

KOJOE90 wrote:As a Hatton fan I find it quite depressing when comparing Hattons current situation to his 'rival' Miguel Ángel Cotto.

Hatton is anout 2 years older than Cotto and tuned Pro about 4 YEARS!!! earlier, yet it now seems Cotto may be about to overtake Ricky in his career acheivement, some may say he has already.

2001 will be the year of Ricky Hatton
2002 will be the year of Ricky Hatton
2003 will be the year of Ricky Hatton
2004 will be the year of Ricky Hatton............................................

I can really see happeneing, if nothing changes soon Hatton going into a fight against a B or C list fighter, undermotivated getting beaten.

Don't matter, all he has to do is fight at the MEN"S, he will always have a following there, Just ask FW.

Hatton is thought of as a joke by most American boxing fans. I grew tired of his shit years ago and I can't wait to see him brutally KO'd to be honest. He's continued to shamlessly duck a number of fighters. Yes we can all blame Warren, but for me Hatton takes more stick b/c he's the one who lets it happen. It's completely ridiculous.

Jedi Knight wrote:Hello again after a long break..

Ricky could be in a nasty situation here due to "promotional problems".

What I mean is there is no one eligable for him to fight besides Harris.

Mitchell has signed with Zoo so they are tied up till November.
Gatti has his heart set on Mayweather and why not, it's a dream match up not to mention a huge payday.
Cotto & Pinto are fighting it out for the WBO crown so who does this leave..?

Witter....Please, talk about a step back. IMO...Witter has fought no-one with any credentials.

Urkal....already lost twice at world level...don't see the point in this one.

N'dou...could be a dangerous fight for Ricky and what recognition would he get for winning?

Leija....A possibility but would leija want to fight Ricky after beating the hot prospect Bojado?? He himself fancies a title shot. (This does not mean the WBU)

Spadafora...Although this would be a nice feather in Ricky hat should he win but surely the "Blown up lightweight" card would be shown and all the critics would dismiss the win.

There are others but these are the only ones worth mentioning.

I don't mean to sound pesimistic but Ricky might be in the poop if something isn't sorted.

Witter is a very credible opponent, when compared to Rickys last two especially, the European champ, did you see his last fight.

They would never put Ricky in with Urkal, that fight would be a nightmare for Ricky without massive rewards even if he won.

N'Dou is a good journeyman, nothing more. He's already fought Tackie, he doesn't need another tough African, he should be past that stage after 35 fights. Definately not Leija, Ricky would run through him at this stage of Leija's career.

Spadafora's a lightweight, he will get zero credit for beating him and rightly so. Harris is the fight, but he's afraid (Ricky that is).

Witter has Urkal as his mandatory for the european title. Witter could even take over Hatton if this farce carries on. How sick would Warren be if Witter got all the american attention? Saying that i do think Warren really tried for that Harris fight

I think he did too, it seems that Harris was advised not to take the fight, but it is questionable whether or not there are any bigger fights out there for him, that's the question. He's not a draw, and won't be until he beats a name that American fight fans are big on, association with Stewart cannot hurt him though.

Neri1983 wrote:Witter has Urkal as his mandatory for the european title. Witter could even take over Hatton if this farce carries on. How sick would Warren be if Witter got all the american attention? Saying that i do think Warren really tried for that Harris fight

How could Witter get any American attention when American TV won't touch him with a bargepole?

bennie wrote:

Neri1983 wrote:Witter has Urkal as his mandatory for the european title. Witter could even take over Hatton if this farce carries on. How sick would Warren be if Witter got all the american attention? Saying that i do think Warren really tried for that Harris fight

How could Witter get any American attention when American TV won't touch him with a bargepole?

By KO'ing Urkal
Then they'd atleast have to sit up and take note.

Hatton has got one very obvious option. leave warren and find someone who can get him the fights he says hes desperate for. frankies not delivering

He's had that option for the past few years...

lirva33 wrote:He's had that option for the past few years...

exactly livra. so you have to wonder, despite his bleating in the press, if he really wants these fights as much as he claims. prove he does, leave warren

Jedi Knight wrote:Hello again after a long break..

N'dou...could be a dangerous fight for Ricky and what recognition would he get for winning?

i disagree. this will be a harder fight than spadafora and Harris. Urkal is a top fighter.

jamesmcdonnell perpetuates the wankie myths when he states;
I think he did too, it seems that Harris was advised not to take the fight,

NOT TRUE- Harris was advised to go to BIDS,
It is Hatton that did not take the fight.

but it is questionable whether or not there are any bigger fights out there for him, that's the question.
Since they’re both still under contract to Main Events, Harris could go for a unification fight with Gatti and then follow up with the Coto-Pinto winner for a another unification fight. The winner surely would have a strong case for a unification fight with the Tyzu-Mitchell winner for a big super fight.
Mayweather is looking for a title and would take a WBA shot in a heartbeat.

He's not a draw, and won't be until he beats a name that American fight fans are big on, association with Stewart cannot hurt him though.

U underestimate the knowledge of Americans and expose your own naive ness. Harris is well known as a fearless fighter who has worked his way up the latter fighting quite often on television. His win over Diosbelys Hurtado and challenge to Hatton was televised over Showtime. Most Americans have noticed Ricky’s avoidance of most the top fighters and consider him to be overrated & protected.
His walking away from TWO mandatories & an WBC elimination oprtunity bears them out.

KOJOE90 has it right in his post…
if nothing changes soon Hatton going into a fight against a B or C list fighter, undermotivated getting beaten.

When that happens I hope U, knightshadeau & Jedi Knight have rinside seats at the M.E.N.
Then U can all sing “Blue Moon” together.

Quality post.

Harris does have options.

He's unlikely to earn the money he would facing Hatton but he has opportunities. And if there is collusion with the WBC, Mayweather v Harris is a distinct possibility as Floyd is ranked higher than Ricky with the WBA and Floyd could then win a belt and unify with Arturo next year after Gatti has another money spinner with SPadafora. I said this two weeks ago.

Hatton v N'Dou for the IBF seems very plausible to me.

When I said he was advised not to take it, I meant he was advised not to take it on those terms.

I'm sorry, but Harris is NOT a draw. I don't care if he is champion or not, he isn't a draw, if he were, he would not for a second have considered going to the challengers home town to defend his title. Being respected amongst boxing fans, and being a draw are two different things, as you well know.

Harris has options, but he hasn't got any big paydays in the offing.

I am not blaming Harris for not taking the fight, I can understand his reasoning, just pointing out that he is not a major attraction.

Do you think I'm not disenchanted with Hatton, you must be mad. At the end of the day, had Ricky agreed to let it go to purse bids, he was in line for a shot at the title, as it is, he's let it slip because he won't get enough money, which is extremely dissapointing.

I'm not talking about Hatton anymore until he has a big fight. Totally fed up. It seems that if he wanted the Harris fight via purse bids, he could have had it.

I know what you mean. I considered writing a piece on the whole situation for maxboxing, but I'm sick of it all.

Interesting points by all.

I think the general concencus is that most of us a are sick to the back teeth of talking about the same issues.
We know Ricky has talent but is way over due for a genuine world title fight and as we all know boxing is a business and if the business is not working for you then you have to change something...?

I don't have to spell out what those changes should be but I think we can guess.

As I said earlier I think, at the end of the day, it is incumbent on Hatton to say to his promoter.

"You know what Frank, fornicate the money, I wanna go over there and bring the title back to Manchester, make the fight

I think it's a little silly to blame Warren for this, Hatton obviously was not prepared to take the lower end of the purse, or at least that is how it seems to me from the statements which have been made.

I've had enough of all this bollocks, Hatton has to decide which is more important, money or respect. He's got plenty of the former by now, but seems to be losing the latter, at least outside of Manchester.

jamesmcdonnell wrote:I've had enough of all this bollocks, Hatton has to decide which is more important, money or respect. He's got plenty of the former by now, but seems to be losing the latter, at least outside of Manchester.

Spot on, Even as a Hatton fan I feel it is time for Hatton to make the choice, money or glory?

I am a Hatton fan too, and I am frankly a little embarrassed having defended him against criticism so often, only to find that when push comes to shove that

After all, wasn't it Hatton who slagged his own promoter off for not making the big fights, and yet when the opportunity comes for purse bids, he isn't interested?

jamesmcdonnell wrote:I am a Hatton fan too, and I am frankly a little embarrassed having defended him against criticism so often, only to find that when push comes to shove that

After all, wasn't it Hatton who slagged his own promoter off for not making the big fights, and yet when the opportunity comes for purse bids, he isn't interested?

Me to, I've said here and other places that I believe Hatton is class and seems the type of fighter who wants to fight the best out there. I also believe he can beat most/all of them on a given night.

Please don't prove me (and many others) wrong Ricky.

OCT: Hatton v N'Dou HATTON UD - IBF Eliminator
SEP: Cotto v Pinto COTTO TKO5 - WBO
NOV: Mitchell v Tszyu TSZYU WPTS (not sure tho) - IBF
NOV: Mayweather v Harris MAYWTHR WPTS - WBA
NOV: Gatti v Spadafora GATTI TKO9 - WBC
OCT: Witter v Urkal WITTER SD12 - EBU

FEB: Tsyzu v Cotto COTTO WPTS unifies WBO-IBF
FEB: Mayweather v Gatti MAYWTHER WPTS unifies WBC/WBA
MAR: Hatton v LEIJA Hatton TKO6
MAR: Witter v

MAY: COTTO v MYWTHER UNDISPUTED BELT PPV MASSIVE
MAY: TSYZU V JUDAH II @ 147

Cotto or Mayweather opt for easy defence or relinquish, COTTO defo moves to Welter....leaving a vacant picture.

Just one hastily conceived sequence.