BoxRec

We all know exactly what to expect from Castillo on Saturday night. He will be looking to stand and trade all night long. There's no way he could out-box Hatton, so he has to rough him up and make a scrap out of it. Being that is the only way he knows how to fight anyway, working his tactics out is a no brainer. Hatton, on the other hand, is the interesting one here. All the promises are that he is going to meet Castillo head on (just like Corralles did) and go to war, last man left standing and all that. I just dont see him fighting that way. Given both there styles they are sure to be mixing it up often making for a very entertaining fight, but Hatton would be a fool not to box Castillo when he can and bag the rounds. I dont expect to see him do a 180 turnabout and re-invent himself like Barrera did in the Naz fight, but i do expect to see him playing more of the boxer's role and Castillo playing the scrappers role.

I think if Hatton fights a smart fight, boxes on the outside and plans his attacks, he can pick up the rounds and win a UD or mid to late KO. If he elects to stand and trade for as long as the fight lasts, its all in the balance in my opinion!

Start fast, take the play away from Castillo, command the centre of the ring, and make him pay when he tries to take the fight to the inside.

Use footwork to hit him from angles, to frustrate him, and try and grind him down with body shots when he closes before moving again, try and weaken him and make him hesitant about coming in.

Mid round, try and get Castillo to fight on his back foot, then start ramping up the pressure.

I believe the fight will be won or lost in the first four rounds. If Castillo is able to get close and start taking the fight to the inside early, then Hatton is in for a rough night, if Castillo is hesitating about coming in by the mid rounds, then the fight is his.

Sounds good James..... i'd actually prefer to see Hatton win the fight this way. Its the Hatton we know best and it will be a classic performance if he can pull it off like you say.

I have two fears with this fight.
The first is Ricky's punch resistance. The second is Ricky getting cut.
The first point I make because I cannot see in any way shape or form Castillo not connecting in the first three rounds. I expect Ricky to absorb it, and smile sweetly and take over the fight. But what if ........
Secondly, I am really worried about Ricky's old problem resurfacing in this bout and we all know what the Yanks are like with cuts ....... they've not got the tolerance of Micky Vann.
I'm desperate for Ricky to put in the performance of his life - one that will cement his place over the pond.

Totally agree with Ali's take on the fight, if he gets into a scrap early he could come off second best.

Castillo is no mug....

Hasn't Castillo had problems with cuts in the past, too? My concern is that Castillo is actually technically better on the inside, and if Ricky has t fight there, he'll lose.

I always felt Castillo would be a fight Ricky would struggle with, because of Castillo is better at certain things -- body punch resistance being one -- but after Castillo's last fight, the general mileage on his clock, and the step up in weight, I see Ricky edging this.

But he'll need to be far better than in his last 3.

I think they are right to go for these tactics. Castillo is a very good inside fighter, he has chopping efficient hooks which are going to be dangerous early on.

Hatton's workrate is the key, and if he can frustrate Castillo early on all the better.

However, I am not suggesting he do what he did in the Tackie fight, what is called for here is aggresive boxing, using the angles, and throwing shots not just to keep Castillo off him, but wear him out also.

Against Tszyu, those tactics worked because Tszyu's best weapons were long range, whereas Castillo's best tools are inside.

Ricky is I think more versatile than Castillo, and he is going to be, no matter what anyone says, the bigger, stronger and more physicaly able guy at 140, Castillo has never impressed against anyone decent above 135.

I think Hatton is going to shine here. I predict he wins inside 9 rounds.

A Ben Takie type performance would do the job, but with all the talk about El Ricky giving the Mex fans the type of fight they love, he's going to find it hard to resist a tear up.

First few rounds will be interesting, as each taste the other's hitting power - one of them could be in for a surprise if the old legs don't hold up like they used to...and that could be either of them really.

Rickys got a better front foot for movement, I feel this is the difference

Hatton continues his American odyssey in a showdown with Mexican warrior Jose Luis Castillo in the legendary fight base of Las Vegas. The Hitman, still only 28, has fought twice in the States since rocketing to world prominence in 2005 from his Manchester launching pad: hard-landing decisions over Luis Collazo and Juan Urango for major world titles (since relinquished). The one-time carpet-fitter is chasing his dream of big fights in the USA.
But living it?
The Collazo war in Boston in May last year was up at welterweight and we could forgive Ricky for struggling desperately with the slick southpaw New Yorker - especially in the last round, when he copped too many left crosses and copped them flush. But back down at light-welter, he was fancied to do a number on unheralded Urango in January in Las Vegas (the Paris Hotel) and started aggressively enough, only to slow alarmingly from the Colombian's middle-round body attack and spend the closing rounds holding unashamedly.
OK, Hatton is unbeaten (42-0) and you can't knock an unbeaten fighter, but he raised his bar forcing the exhausted Kostya Tszyu to sit it out after 11 relentless rounds on that unforgettable night in Manchester in June 2005 and to see him cut within twenty seconds next time out against Puerto Rican beanpole Carlos Maussa in Sheffield (eventually winning a scrappy affair in the ninth), horribly banged up against Collazo, stinking the joint out against Urango - well, where's the Hatton who walked through Tszyu?
Hatton has a lot to prove tonight against a man who represents his biggest test in the States so far. Castillo gave pound for pound No. 1 Floyd Mayweather Jnr a real scare, scored victories over iron men Diego Corrales, Joel Casamayor and Julio Diaz and featured in a classic with Corrales - all in Las Vegas.
Corrales, killed tragically in this Tinsel Town last month in a 100mph motorcycle smash, climbed up from two heavy 10-round knockdowns at the Mandalay Bay in May 2005 to stop Castillo in the very same round. It was one of the greatest boxing turnarounds ever, but "Chico" bought time removing his gumshield after both knockdowns (which needed washing and replacing) and the mandated rematch in October 2005 proved just as controversial when Castillo came in well over the lightweight limit and sparked Corrales with a huge left hook in the fourth round of an uneven catchweight affair. A third meeting was inevitable - scheduled for last June. Castillo shook up the world coming in over the lightweight limit again: he came in at light-welterweight.
Everyone packed at the Thomas & Mack.
So 33-year-old Castillo, like Hatton, is due a big performance. In his one fight since, he scraped home against Cameroon Herman Ngoudjo in his official light-welterweight debut on the Hatton-Urango bill. He fought old. He turned pro at 16 in his native Mexicali and learned his trade lifting Mexican featherweight and super-featherweight titles (and sparring Julio Cesar Chavez) as he developed into a full lightweight and a real 'sleeper'. In June 2000, he ventured out of Mexico to shock Denver's long-serving WBC lightweight champion Stevie Johnston on a majority decision in California.
Ring magazine called it the upset of the year.
Castillo, who speaks no English, made three defences before Mayweather Jnr nicked a disputed decision in April 2002. Mayweather was moving up after eight defences of his WBC super-featherweight title, including a five-knockdown massacre of Corrales. Already he was a superstar but fought 'scared' and allowed Castillo to back him to the ropes and work away. In many ways it was like Mayweather's recent close win over Oscar De La Hoya. Floyd's defensive genius and potshotting probably kept him in front - but Castillo wanted it more and threw more punches and 7,000 fans at the MGM Grand jeered the unanimous scores for the new champion, so much so, the fighters met again eight months later at Mandalay Bay. This time Mayweather stayed off the ropes and darted in and out to secure a more deserving unanimous decision.
Castillo just couldn't get close.
But "El Temible" (The Frightful One) was now firmly established, and when Mayweather moved up to light-welterweight, he won back the WBC title with a unanimous decision over Juan Lazcano in 2004 (Lazcano goes by the superb nickname of "Hispanic Causing Panic") and defended with a split decision over Cuban star Casamayor and stoppages of fellow Mexicans Diaz and Cesar Bazan.
Then Corrales took his title and in many ways his reputation.
After twice not even trying to get down for Corrales, you wonder about Castillo's current appetite for boxing. You wonder if he spent too many years making lightweight and got sick of it (ala Scott Harrison at featherweight). You wonder if he will be so effective at light-welterweight, after the shaky Ngoudjo performance.
After 63 fights and 17 years as a pro, you wonder if he is plain worn.
But the fact remains, many thought he beat Mayweather in their first fight and his level of competition is a cut above Hatton's (Tszyu apart). Castillo poses an obvious threat to the Brit if there is petrol still in the tank. At his best, he has a solid chin, bucketloads of stamina, underrated boxing skills (relatively unmarked) and 47 wins inside the distance - more than Hatton has had fights. He will almost certainly target the Hitman's body. He will almost certainly target Hatton's pale skin (though Castillo also cuts).
For his part, Ricky will look to 'young man' Castillo with the incredible pace he sets and (usually) maintains - and his own body punching is not be sneezed at. Moreover, he has a big edge in natural strength, boiling down to meet a man moving up. That strength should get Hatton home in the home of boxing.

Stoppage or points win for you Bennie? I think Hatton might just stop him.

jamesmcdonnell wrote:Stoppage or points win for you Bennie? I think Hatton might just stop him.

Can't really say. I don't trust Hatton these days.

I know what you mean, but my gut instinct is that he isn't washed up at 28, and that he is still young enough to recover from what he has put his body through between fights, and he seems to have had a long training camp.

I'm sticking my neck out, and saying he mauls Castillo, whether he wins inside the distance or not.

Tough one to call - 12 rounds contraversial split decision with no outright winner - Not a good result for Ricky win or lose.

am guessing he'll be looking to box like the early rounds against Urango. plenty of lateral movement, giving angles, popping shots in and getting back out again.

Uppercut should score nicely against Castillo I think.

Something I noticed in a few fights which is a concern IMO is when on the ropes Ricky can drop his right hand way low when he's leaning left to unload his left to the ribs, Castillo has a good left and can throw it short with power, if he times Ricky setting up his body attack he'll drop him easy (coz Ricky will be off-balance).

IMO, we get a great start, Hatton wearies a bit allowing Castillo to get back in, and we get a close and controversial split D....

If Hatton can box for 12 rounds he will beat Castillo - he does not need to go inside early IMO, if he can punish Castillo when JLC tries it, that will put a range into the fight that Hatton can exploit.... dream result for Hatton is KO-7-10, good result is ko in 11 or 12, as i said aboce, I expect a decision