BoxRec

punchers chance wrote:Another excellent piece Terry.

I am pleased to hear this news. With some people, it seems that you are the greatest trainer in the world until one defeat, and then you are the worst.

It's exactly the same in football.

No doubt Enzo Calzaghe will end up with the brickbats as soon as one of his charges loses.

Spud wrote:

Good article of a writer who is dam good - but like what we do on here - you could argue the article is one of opinion albeit well thought out and well written - which incidentally you can always expect of any writer at BBN.

Got a serious amount of time for that site.

But lets not be silly here - the rumours were not only going on in the various boxing websites - they hit the tabloids, they hit the broadsheets and incidentally a lot of people within boxing have spoken about them of that I am sure.

Terry - you know for an absolute FACT - that if you asked for an "Off The Record" chat with Billy he is the sort to give you some home truths about the sport in General and if you were lucky he would also speak about the workings of Team Hatton - you also know you cannot always write what you know - you hinted on another thread Billy for instance had comments concerning the "Ticket Farce" and in addition I am sure if you pressed him on opinions on other matters some of his replies may make your hair curl.

It is fantastic that Billy is staying or Ricky wants to keep his services or however you want to word it - but if you or any fan are deluding themselves there has not been some harsh words between Team Members in the past - then in my opinion you are mistaken - I can think of one particular Team Member who is not the most popular chap in the world.

Terry D wrote:

DavidPayne wrote:Well I heard it on the grapevine so it must be true, but I've been wondering whats going on with all these rumours. Perhaps if he decamped to Newbridge he'd find there aint no mountain high enough. But when all said and done it takes two baby.

Have you seen my friend Martin?

Aye, he's been a Trouble Man for too long now. Wales is a good training location but for that Manchester lad it is a case of River Deep, Mountain High and I think he prefers it Uptown anyway. I did feel, deep down, that you'd need a Maggot Brain to see the two of them breaking up and 'I'll be the Other Woman' is not the philosophy of a boxing trainer. It went from When did you Stop Loving me, when did I stop loving you to a denial that Ricky had Got to Give it Up (pt I).

So all in all no more Friction and the two still give each other the Best of Two Worlds. All in all I guess we'll have to say it never Staxed up (I know, I'll get me coat, I do love the Soul Children).

Spud wrote: I can think of one particular Team Member who is not the most popular chap in the world.

Mario wrote:

Spud wrote: I can think of one particular Team Member who is not the most popular chap in the world.

Ah so thats what everyone meant about Spud's "I know something you don't but im not telling"

StepinFetchit wrote:...break his typing fingers...

Spood Wullatt wrote:jjkkk;lklkwwak...Secret!! pwakowalkowa...Lawyers jkwqjlwqajlwqjlmiok wkwask;wask; iiewieikm c*nt!!.

Ben Carey wrote:You state you'd find it difficult to see Hatton working with a Freddy Roach or Buddy Mcguirt - why did you single out those particular trainers? I'd have been more interested to read your views on how you'd see Hatton working with Oliver Harrison, Brian Hughes or a Bob Shannon - all Manchester-based trainers who wold possibly be in the mix to be Ricky's new trainer IF he ever left Billy.

Sammy Mendelson wrote:

Ben Carey wrote:You state you'd find it difficult to see Hatton working with a Freddy Roach or Buddy Mcguirt - why did you single out those particular trainers? I'd have been more interested to read your views on how you'd see Hatton working with Oliver Harrison, Brian Hughes or a Bob Shannon - all Manchester-based trainers who wold possibly be in the mix to be Ricky's new trainer IF he ever left Billy.

He would not leave Graham to simply move to another Manc trainer. If he were ever to move on, it would be to an American. Anyhow, he's going to stay put.

Sammy Mendelson wrote:Like you say, it's academic. Billy didn't fail him; he got beat by the best fighter in the world. If the ghost of Ray Arcel had trained Ricky, he'd still have lost.

Terry D wrote:

Ben Carey wrote:Well done Terry - very interesting. I'd like to make some constructive comments if I may.

1. You state you'd find it difficult to see Hatton working with a Freddy Roach or Buddy Mcguirt - why did you single out those particular trainers? I'd have been more interested to read your views on how you'd see Hatton working with Oliver Harrison, Brian Hughes or a Bob Shannon - all Manchester-based trainers who wold possibly be in the mix to be Ricky's new trainer IF he ever left Billy.

2. You state that there has been no rift directly between Ricky and Billy - which I totally accept - but hint that there may have been some divisions between others in Team Hatton so not everything appears to be rosy in the garden. I appreciate you why you can't elaborate, however.

3. I would have liked (and would welcome) an insightful piece by you focusing on Hatton's promotional status. It would appear that Ricky may be prepared to work with allegedly allegedly allegedly again. If so, where does that leave Billy Graham? It is widely believed that Graham and Warren's relationship is poor. Can it be mended? If it can't what will Ricky do then? Paul Smith ultimately had to change trainer and leave Graham in the aftermath of Billy's rift with Warren.

Well done with the article and I'll look out for the next one. Cheers.

Cheers Ben, I'm now taking some time off from interviews, they became the rule so I'm going to make them the exception and do very few (a few last things left on Billy and there is one more Manchester trainer I arranged something with) as they re quite time consuming, often three sets of the same questions (to get the third answer tight) spread over 2-hour tapes.

As for the comments. I discounted Bob, who was overlooked by all but your comment as far as I can see, as I did not think it would be an option. Partially because Hatton and Graham have known one another for a long time and there is a lot of respect between Shannon and Graham, uniquely in Manchester there is no bad blood at all between them. I could not see Hatton pissing on Graham's feet in this way in the case of a split.

Similar reasons for Oliver, plus Mooresy gave reasons against Oliver in another thread and I agree with those reasons.

I never saw Brian Hughes as a possibility, no offence to Brian. I also ruled another trainer out on the basis that Hatton raves about Kayes and would keep his services in an ideal world, although Kayes is also loyal to Graham.

Point 2, I don't know much about. I was just speculating.

On point 3 as you know I prefer not to talk about promoters or write about the speculative aspects to that extent. Twice bitten and all that. I don't read many articles on boxing so what I know is based on the ring records, fights and training of the fighter, plus speaking to people.

It is the type of thing that you would need to speak to the particulars about. Again, I prefer not to do this type of article.

I once did one for Ringside Report.com, this lead me into meeting, and interviewing, a certain ex-boxer with an awesome first name and that lead into areas that I don't care to re-visit.

Sorry if I could only answer 1, I just saw it as a clean break or no break at all.

Terry D wrote:

Spud wrote:

Good article of a writer who is dam good - but like what we do on here - you could argue the article is one of opinion albeit well thought out and well written - which incidentally you can always expect of any writer at BBN.

Got a serious amount of time for that site.

But lets not be silly here - the rumours were not only going on in the various boxing websites - they hit the tabloids, they hit the broadsheets and incidentally a lot of people within boxing have spoken about them of that I am sure.

Terry - you know for an absolute FACT - that if you asked for an "Off The Record" chat with Billy he is the sort to give you some home truths about the sport in General and if you were lucky he would also speak about the workings of Team Hatton - you also know you cannot always write what you know - you hinted on another thread Billy for instance had comments concerning the "Ticket Farce" and in addition I am sure if you pressed him on opinions on other matters some of his replies may make your hair curl.

It is fantastic that Billy is staying or Ricky wants to keep his services or however you want to word it - but if you or any fan are deluding themselves there has not been some harsh words between Team Members in the past - then in my opinion you are mistaken - I can think of one particular Team Member who is not the most popular chap in the world.

Opinion underpinned by fact provided by one of the players in the story. Cheers though.

As for harsh words, gossip and the like. You know what I do Spud. I sit in the office with Billy and when the tape recorder is off we talk about fluffy clouds, cute puppies and the harmony in the boxing world. I see, hear and speak no evil.