BoxRec

In terms of importance and excitment where would you rate Hatton vs Tszyu with other big fights involving a UK fighter that took place IN the UK over the last 25 years?

Other cadidates that I can think off.

Benn vs Eubank 1
McGuigan vs Pedroza
Bruno vs Witherspoon
Bruno vs McCall
Benn vs McClellan
Eubank vs Watson 2
Hamed vs Robinson

I'm thinking in terms of excitement, hype and general debate etc these fights caused BEFORE the first bell. Where would you put the Hatton vs Tszyu fight in the above list, or with others I may have forgotten?

IMO it is the best fight in Britain since 1966 when Cooper boxed Ali (and later Patterson). Kostya is in his division comparable with Ali, Hatton with Cooper, maybe even better.

It´s also one of the most important fights in Europe of the last decades. Maybe the result, a Hatton-win, goes into the history books and i will be there!!!!!

I would say in terms of excitement / hype.

1) Lewis vs Bruno
2) Tyson vs Francis - hype, although not much debates about who will win.
3) Eubank vs Benn II - Eubank was a relative unkown prior to their first bout.
4) Benn vs McClellan
5) Ali vs Cooper
6) Robinson vs Turpin 1
7) Eubank vs Watson II
8) Bruno vs McCall
9) McGuigan vs Pedroza
10) Robinson vs Hamed
11) Harrison vs Middleton - loads of hype on this debut.

stujones wrote:I would say in terms of excitement / hype.

1) Lewis vs Bruno
2) Tyson vs Francis - hype, although not much debates about who will win.
3) Eubank vs Benn II - Eubank was a relative unkown prior to their first bout.
4) Benn vs McClellan
5) Ali vs Cooper
6) Robinson vs Turpin 1
7) Eubank vs Watson II
8) Bruno vs McCall
9) McGuigan vs Pedroza
10) Robinson vs Hamed
11) Harrison vs Middleton - loads of hype on this debut.

Strange list Stu, the Tyson fight ranks right up there with Bruno/Bugner in terms of a meaningless farce that got the red top papers hype.

Lewis/Bruno and Bruno/McCall - well it was all getting a bit boring by then - Frank was just going to keep getting shots until he damn well won one.

Not many outside the UK were paying much attention to those two.

I'd say this is the biggest one since McGuigen/Pedroza, in terms of anticipation. And the whole world is watching too.

Benn/McClelan was huge as well ( most people saw it as a one rounder in the run up - almost was as well )
And Lewis / Ruddock was a major fight, bigger than any of his other UK appearances I'd say.


But this weekend's fight is right up there with the best.

Here's hoping Ricky does a number on Tszyu...

Hamed vs Hardy.

Naz walking around with the huge ears!

This is by far the most significant fight featuring a British fighter on home soil since McGuigan beat Pedroza, outside of the hype filled heavyweight fights featuring Bruno. Just like that occasion, a long established champ, takes a big money bout against a relatively unfancied challenger.

McGuigan was far from being favourite going into his bout with Pedroza, and most of the contemporary accounts I've read, had him an underdog.