BoxRec

Ok so bare with me here, i know the Hatton-Maussa fight is long into the distance especially after the thriller that was Harrison-Williams on Saturday but i was watching Hatton's fight again the other night and i was just a bit irked by his interview. I am a Ricky fan of course he is flying the flag for Britain on the world stage but after the fight he said something like "Well i would have preferred an easy one rather than move straight into a unification"...don't quote me exactly but i am sure you know the part i mean.

First of all since when should a genuine world title fight be easy? Of course Ricky could have been referring to wanting a none title fight but "having an easy one" is ridiculous, Sugar Ray Robinson never looked for an easy one, Ali took on all comers with months apart in a fight, i'm sorry but fighting twice in a year and wanting one of them as an easy one takes the piss. Perhaps it was a tongue in cheek comment and i totally missed the point, who knows but anyway.

Secondly he refers to jumping straight into a unification match, let's be fair he could have hand picked a tougher none title holder than Maussa, one of the luckiest and inept excuses for a world title holder! In my eyes Maussa was an "easy one"!! He was no better i would say than some of Hatton's previous scalps such as Tackie, Phillips, Magee. Hatton has had enough easy ones, this is the time to have some tough ones, even if they are one after another, if your fighting only twice a year it's hardly a gruelling schedule is it? Even if you are fighting Cotto, Mayweather etc...hmm rant over just wanted to get that off my chest folks

Pretty much all great champions have easy ones occasionally, but we tend to remember them for their great fights.

Ali and Sugar Ray both had "easy ones" during their careers.... They just didnt admit it like Ricky did!!!

Your right of course but what i was getting at was Ricky has had enough easy ones, bloody hell he has fought some real human punching bags not fit to share the ring, now he is in his prime it is time to have the tough ones. Maussa was an easy one, he knows what it takes to beat a top genuine champion the night he dethroned Tszyu, if he expects every title holder will be a Carlos Maussa then he is in trouble

I never thought Maussa would be an easy one, I am not just saying that with hindsight but the writing was on the wall with his previous battles with Cotto and Harris.

Maybe i'm just being a bit old fashioned with the comments, but we don't want another Samuel Kebede type foe in with Hatton next that's for sure.

I agree with Steve and disagree with tonyevs. I saw Maussa as an easy one, Cotto beat him pretty easily and Harris was useless vs him.

Except for the damage to Hatton's face, it was an easy fight. He never came close to losing a round (something Phillips, Magee, and a few other fighters who we would be dissapointed in seeing Hatton with next) managed.

Still think Gatti is a harder ask than Maussa, and I still would be happy if it is Gatti in the opposite corner. I still see it as a good meaningful match.

Why is his victory over Harris dismissed so quickly?

Much like the nonsense with Junior Witter against Judah, excuses that have no foundation just being repeated again and again.

Vivian Harris didn`t just roll out of bed on the morning of the fight and remember he had a world title defence that evening

This is modern day boxing where the money at the top is serious enough to make sure you prepare.

Manny Steward is experienced enough to not know if his fighter had put the work in before hand.

Lets give Maussa credit, he beat Harris...no excuse.
Sure he looks terrible, but its effectively terrible...

Good post Steve689. He has had 40 fights already and how many have been "easy ones"? All but two or three, yet he wants more?? Its time to suck it up and answer your critics Ricky.

tonyevs wrote:Why is his victory over Harris dismissed so quickly?

Much like the nonsense with Junior Witter against Judah, excuses that have no foundation just being repeated again and again.

Vivian Harris didn`t just roll out of bed on the morning of the fight and remember he had a world title defence that evening

This is modern day boxing where the money at the top is serious enough to make sure you prepare.

Manny Steward is experienced enough to not know if his fighter had put the work in before hand.

Lets give Maussa credit, he beat Harris...no excuse.
Sure he looks terrible, but its effectively terrible...

Can see what your saying, I have no foundation to back up arguements. However, alot of in the know people have been discussing Emmanuel Steward coaching abilities of late - and the fact he is more a celebrity coach than anything else. Stories (from people in the know) that he hadn't seen Harris untill the week lead up to the fight.

Steward has admitted going who? When WBA champion Vivian Harris phoned him about training him - thats how much he follows the game.

Anyway, Harris wasn't exactly mister unstoppable even before that performance. Urkal beat him in the first fight IMO, and Urkal is on the slide.

Harris was shattered after little more than a round of boxing. He CLEARLY was not himself that night. Say what you like but Maussa did not have a whole lot to overcome in the ring and it turned out to be an almost farcical way to pick up a major title.

It's a heck of a difference when compared with fighting someone conditioned to fight 12 world class rounds, like Cotto and Hatton.

Still think Gatti is a harder ask than Maussa, and I still would be happy if it is Gatti in the opposite corner. I still see it as a good meaningful match.

No way.

Gatti had to eat baby food to make 140 and after what Floyd did to him, I'd rather not watch it. WOuld have to be a non title fight at 147.

I cant blame Ricky for taking an easy fight against Maussa, he picked up another genuine world title & must have got a nice pay day, sound Nice to me i would have done the same.

Warren alledegedly got a load of flack for Rickys opponents and lack of meaningful challenges but his first 2 fights away from SN are every bit as synical. Maussa the worst P4P belt holder maybe (hes not really a top10 140lb fighter), then Gatti who was easily humiliated by Mayweather, then the piece of piss that is the IBF mandatory

I thought it was laughable when Sky accused Mayweather of been the popstar fighter and Ricky was the real fighter who wanted the real fights. Bollox Rickys a nice lad but hes all about the money and wouldn't even consider a Mayweather fight imo as hes turned him down twice already.

Yes he stepped up to face Kostya Tyuzu but that was a no lose scenario - if he wins he can call himself the champ, if he loses he can fall into the highly profitable Frank Bruno shoes.

Ricky can talk about fighting the best but after Maussa, Gatti followed by the IBF mandatory he will have wasted at least a year of his prime.

Seems everybody's taking the comment at face value. I think there might have been more than a touch of tongue in chek about this one - Hatton pointing out that Haussa was not the walkover many thought he might be.

Kilburn wrote:Harris was shattered after little more than a round of boxing. He CLEARLY was not himself that night. Say what you like but Maussa did not have a whole lot to overcome in the ring and it turned out to be an almost farcical way to pick up a major title.

It's a heck of a difference when compared with fighting someone conditioned to fight 12 world class rounds, like Cotto and Hatton.

Harris went hell for leather twice with Urkal in Germany and also did 12 tough rounds with M'baye who is a good skilled European operator, there must have been something wrong versus Maussa surely. Maussa is worse than Urkal and M'baye and Harris never fell apart in those fights he punched them out until the end and looked strong.

Ricky deserved a semi-easy fight after the Tzsyu battle and with Maussa holding a recognised belt it was ideal and beneficial to Rickys career as well, but now I want Ricky to be looking for the BIG fights (Cotto, PBF and Castillo).

Although if he is going to get paid mega bucks for a fight with Gatti you can see his logic in taking it, the Gatti fight would also get him some massive exposure on his 'real' US debut, but from a fans point of view I want the BIG fights now

Coconut wrote:Seems everybody's taking the comment at face value. I think there might have been more than a touch of tongue in chek about this one - Hatton pointing out that Haussa was not the walkover many thought he might be.

Don't think he was joking - he's looking for an over the hill Gatti, and that's certainly another easy fight.

steve689 wrote:

Kilburn wrote:Harris was shattered after little more than a round of boxing. He CLEARLY was not himself that night. Say what you like but Maussa did not have a whole lot to overcome in the ring and it turned out to be an almost farcical way to pick up a major title.

It's a heck of a difference when compared with fighting someone conditioned to fight 12 world class rounds, like Cotto and Hatton.

Harris went hell for leather twice with Urkal in Germany and also did 12 tough rounds with M'baye who is a good skilled European operator, there must have been something wrong versus Maussa surely. Maussa is worse than Urkal and M'baye and Harris never fell apart in those fights he punched them out until the end and looked strong.

I agree Harris looked good up until the Massau fight, Maybe he overlooked him and was thinking about fights with Hatton ,Mayweather, Tszyu.

Harris so clearly was short of conditioning it's untrue, he was was utterly exhausted after the 2nd.

Chambers2 wrote:Ricky deserved a semi-easy fight after the Tzsyu battle and with Maussa holding a recognised belt it was ideal and beneficial to Rickys career as well, but now I want Ricky to be looking for the BIG fights (Cotto, PBF and Castillo).

Although if he is going to get paid mega bucks for a fight with Gatti you can see his logic in taking it, the Gatti fight would also get him some massive exposure on his 'real' US debut, but from a fans point of view I want the BIG fights now

Agreed :)

stujones wrote:I agree with Steve and disagree with tonyevs. I saw Maussa as an easy one, Cotto beat him pretty easily and Harris was useless vs him.

Except for the damage to Hatton's face, it was an easy fight. He never came close to losing a round (something Phillips, Magee, and a few other fighters who we would be dissapointed in seeing Hatton with next) managed.

Still think Gatti is a harder ask than Maussa, and I still would be happy if it is Gatti in the opposite corner. I still see it as a good meaningful match.

Gatti a meaningful fight?? He was just totally humiliated by Mayweather and frankly, he's never beat a real world class fighter in his career which is almost over. Gatti is a waste of Rickys prime.

Another thing. People think "oh yeah Gatti vs Hatton, what a war". But Gatti doesn't fight wars anymore. He's a boxer, not a great one, but thats what he does now. He would try and box Ricky, get walked down and stopped late. The only reason Ricky wants it is because he knows its easy money...

Lefthookhappy19 wrote:

stujones wrote:I agree with Steve and disagree with tonyevs. I saw Maussa as an easy one, Cotto beat him pretty easily and Harris was useless vs him.

Except for the damage to Hatton's face, it was an easy fight. He never came close to losing a round (something Phillips, Magee, and a few other fighters who we would be dissapointed in seeing Hatton with next) managed.

Still think Gatti is a harder ask than Maussa, and I still would be happy if it is Gatti in the opposite corner. I still see it as a good meaningful match.

Gatti a meaningful fight?? He was just totally humiliated by Mayweather and frankly, he's never beat a real world class fighter in his career which is almost over. Gatti is a waste of Rickys prime.

Another thing. People think "oh yeah Gatti vs Hatton, what a war". But Gatti doesn't fight wars anymore. He's a boxer, not a great one, but thats what he does now. He would try and box Ricky, get walked down and stopped late. The only reason Ricky wants it is because he knows its easy money...

I agree except Hatton would stop him within 5 rounds.