A Few Questions For Ricky Hatton
Posted: 25 Nov 2005, 11:17
http://www.fightacademy.com
'Last week Fight Academy invited all Ricky Hatton fans to join in with an exclusive webchat ahead of 'The Hitman's' huge 'Unification' fight against Colombia's Carlos Maussa this weekend at the Hallam FM Arena in Sheffield.
Ricky's preparations are going well for the bout against the reigning WBA Champ, and he has taken time out to answer as many of your questions as he can.
We had a fantastic response from you all with loads of entries, so Ricky has picked out his favourites and done his best to answer them.
As ever, he is grateful for your continued support and hopes to see as many of you as possible roaring him to victory! '
1. Gareth Dando
Do you think you'll ever fight at the City of Manchester Stadium?
Ricky Says: Yeah, there's a good chance. We're in talks with the club even as we speak about getting a possible fight on there, so I don't see why not. Probably looking at summertime now. It's a big venue so you need to get an opponent who's going to help sell it out, so if I get through this, maybe Miguel Cotto would be ideal.
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2. James Blackwell
Your bout with Carlos is to unify the IBF and WBA World Titles, but do you think boxing would better appeal to the casual fan if there was only one champion per weight limit?
Ricky Says: Of course it would, yeah, but I think that's why it's important to get Unification fights, the more unified champions we get the more chance the public are going to have to tell who the Number One in the division is. In one respect I'm all for all the belts as it gives more opportunities for fighters to make a few quid, but I think the boxing public get cheated out of who is the actual Number One, everyone gets their own belt and avoids everybody, but for me, by taking this fight, that's not the case I want to get all the belts.
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3. Stu Barfoot
What's your favourite meal, when you're not intensively training running up to a fight?
Ricky Says: Full English Breakfast! And Chinese - I love Chinese food!
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4. Rob Clement
What goes through your mind walking to the ring? Heading into a big fight with Tszyu with a crowd like that must have been out of this world. Are you nervous, excited, a mixture of the two or completely in control?
Ricky Says: Nervous and excited, but I always think to myself 'what am I doing here', cos it's my nerves, the television and everything that goes on and think why do I put myself through this everytime, but then when you've got your arm up at the end of the fight you know why - you've got the answer!
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5. Alastair Spratt
Historically, If you could have fought any fighter who would it be and why?
Ricky Says: Well I'd have liked to have fought Roberto Duran, because he's my idol. You always wonder how good your idol actually was and there's no better way of finding out than sharing a ring with him. Probably a little bit foolish as he'd probably knock the shit out of me, but getting in the ring with your idol would be great.
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6. Chris Brazier
How long do you think you can dominate the light welterweight divison and do you think you win all the top titles?
Ricky Says: Well I beat the Number One in the division in the form of Kostya Tszyu, nobody can convince me I won't beat Cotto or Mayweather, so I don't see why I can't go on for as long as I want to. I'd like to think I've got another three years in me and that I'll have achieved everything I want
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7. Katie Bagley
If you could have a choice of Manchester City winning the Champions league or you unifying the division what would it be?
Ricky Says: Me Unifying the division, but City winning the Champions League would come in a nice second!
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8. Tam Ramsay
Ricky, is it in your gameplan to move up a weight(s) in future to become a multiple weight world champ when you unify the titles at light welter?
Ricky Says: I'm a natural light welterweight so I'd be moving out of my division. But if I was offered a fight that really got the juices flowing and the money and name was right I'd consider it and is something I might go for.
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9. Norman Mann
Does fear motivate you during training?
Ricky Says: Yes, very much so, it keeps you sharp. I think the more you're scared of an opponent the more you'll work to keep out of their way, so yeah it makes you a bit sharper.
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10. Vaughn Williams
What do you enjoy most about being a boxer?
Ricky Says: What I like most is the adulation you get from the fans when 22,000 people scream your name, so many people turning out is like winning a world title itself and walking down the street having kids recognise you is a nice feeling. Obviously winning belts and making your living doing it is great, but it's what the fans think that is the main thing.
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11. James Del Priore
When you just started out, did you discover boxing or did boxing discover you?
Ricky Says: Oh, I discovered it as nobody in our family had done it before. Bit of a freak really, normally it's passed down through your parents, so in many ways I found it.
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12. Harry Sampson
Once you have defeated Carlos Maussa in your next battle who would you want to go on and face?
Ricky Says: Well, either Cotto or Mayweather, the only stumbling block if I don't fight either of those two after this fight, which I'm assuming I'll win, would be to have a mandatory IBF challenger. But, I'd like to get one of those, but there's a lot of good fighters still out there in my division
'Last week Fight Academy invited all Ricky Hatton fans to join in with an exclusive webchat ahead of 'The Hitman's' huge 'Unification' fight against Colombia's Carlos Maussa this weekend at the Hallam FM Arena in Sheffield.
Ricky's preparations are going well for the bout against the reigning WBA Champ, and he has taken time out to answer as many of your questions as he can.
We had a fantastic response from you all with loads of entries, so Ricky has picked out his favourites and done his best to answer them.
As ever, he is grateful for your continued support and hopes to see as many of you as possible roaring him to victory! '
1. Gareth Dando
Do you think you'll ever fight at the City of Manchester Stadium?
Ricky Says: Yeah, there's a good chance. We're in talks with the club even as we speak about getting a possible fight on there, so I don't see why not. Probably looking at summertime now. It's a big venue so you need to get an opponent who's going to help sell it out, so if I get through this, maybe Miguel Cotto would be ideal.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
2. James Blackwell
Your bout with Carlos is to unify the IBF and WBA World Titles, but do you think boxing would better appeal to the casual fan if there was only one champion per weight limit?
Ricky Says: Of course it would, yeah, but I think that's why it's important to get Unification fights, the more unified champions we get the more chance the public are going to have to tell who the Number One in the division is. In one respect I'm all for all the belts as it gives more opportunities for fighters to make a few quid, but I think the boxing public get cheated out of who is the actual Number One, everyone gets their own belt and avoids everybody, but for me, by taking this fight, that's not the case I want to get all the belts.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
3. Stu Barfoot
What's your favourite meal, when you're not intensively training running up to a fight?
Ricky Says: Full English Breakfast! And Chinese - I love Chinese food!
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
4. Rob Clement
What goes through your mind walking to the ring? Heading into a big fight with Tszyu with a crowd like that must have been out of this world. Are you nervous, excited, a mixture of the two or completely in control?
Ricky Says: Nervous and excited, but I always think to myself 'what am I doing here', cos it's my nerves, the television and everything that goes on and think why do I put myself through this everytime, but then when you've got your arm up at the end of the fight you know why - you've got the answer!
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
5. Alastair Spratt
Historically, If you could have fought any fighter who would it be and why?
Ricky Says: Well I'd have liked to have fought Roberto Duran, because he's my idol. You always wonder how good your idol actually was and there's no better way of finding out than sharing a ring with him. Probably a little bit foolish as he'd probably knock the shit out of me, but getting in the ring with your idol would be great.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
6. Chris Brazier
How long do you think you can dominate the light welterweight divison and do you think you win all the top titles?
Ricky Says: Well I beat the Number One in the division in the form of Kostya Tszyu, nobody can convince me I won't beat Cotto or Mayweather, so I don't see why I can't go on for as long as I want to. I'd like to think I've got another three years in me and that I'll have achieved everything I want
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
7. Katie Bagley
If you could have a choice of Manchester City winning the Champions league or you unifying the division what would it be?
Ricky Says: Me Unifying the division, but City winning the Champions League would come in a nice second!
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
8. Tam Ramsay
Ricky, is it in your gameplan to move up a weight(s) in future to become a multiple weight world champ when you unify the titles at light welter?
Ricky Says: I'm a natural light welterweight so I'd be moving out of my division. But if I was offered a fight that really got the juices flowing and the money and name was right I'd consider it and is something I might go for.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
9. Norman Mann
Does fear motivate you during training?
Ricky Says: Yes, very much so, it keeps you sharp. I think the more you're scared of an opponent the more you'll work to keep out of their way, so yeah it makes you a bit sharper.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
10. Vaughn Williams
What do you enjoy most about being a boxer?
Ricky Says: What I like most is the adulation you get from the fans when 22,000 people scream your name, so many people turning out is like winning a world title itself and walking down the street having kids recognise you is a nice feeling. Obviously winning belts and making your living doing it is great, but it's what the fans think that is the main thing.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
11. James Del Priore
When you just started out, did you discover boxing or did boxing discover you?
Ricky Says: Oh, I discovered it as nobody in our family had done it before. Bit of a freak really, normally it's passed down through your parents, so in many ways I found it.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
12. Harry Sampson
Once you have defeated Carlos Maussa in your next battle who would you want to go on and face?
Ricky Says: Well, either Cotto or Mayweather, the only stumbling block if I don't fight either of those two after this fight, which I'm assuming I'll win, would be to have a mandatory IBF challenger. But, I'd like to get one of those, but there's a lot of good fighters still out there in my division