Ricky Hatton: Would Hatton have beaten Tszyu on neutral ground?

By Scott Gilfoid: The June 2005 I currently watched bout between Ricky Hatton and then IBF light welterweight champion Kostya Tszyu, and I came away from the fight firmly believing that Tszyu would have beaten Hatton had this fight taken place on neutral territory rather than at the M.E.N. Arena, in Manchester, England. Hatton was 26 at the time, and in the prime of his career, well before his one sided losses to Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao.

In Manchester fighting at home, Hatton was able to hold and wrestle for prolonged periods of time against Tszyu without the referee breaking the action, giving warnings to Hatton or taking off points. Whenever there was any separation between the two fighters, Tszyu would clock Hatton with straight right hands and left hooks to the head. It was painfully obvious that Tszyu had the much better punching and boxing skills on that night, even though he was 35 years old at the time and past his best years of his career.
However, Tszyu wasn’t a wrestler and didn’t know how to pry Hatton off his body to keep him from hitting and holding, and dealing with his rough house tactics. I personally thought Hatton should have been penalized and disqualified by the 6th round for the constant holding, wrestling and holding hitting. By the 10th, I would have disqualified Hatton multiple times for all the fouls, yet he was still able to continue to wrestle like a champion.
I’ve seen this fight many times and I still can’t fathom how Hatton was able to get away with all the holding and wrestling without being disqualified. It’s actually too bad that this fight didn’t take place on neutral ground because I think Tszyu would have easily beaten Hatton on that night. Actually, it likely would have been too easy because Hatton would have likely been disqualified early in the fight for his holding and grappling had the fight taken place in another country which enforces rules against holding and wrestling in fights.
I would have loved to have seen Hatton fight Tszyu in a rematch in Australia or Russia. That would have been nice. The referee would have liked kept Hatton on the outside or at least prevented him from holding. At that point, the fight would come down to whoever the best puncher was between the two. I think Tszyu would have carved Hatton up. But can you imagine what that 35 year old version of Tszyu would have done to the now 31 year old Hatton? I’d put my money on Tszyu for an early knockout win, even if Hatton was able to wrestle and hold nonstop.

'I should've demanded tests', Ricky Hatton also doubts Pacquiao

A year after being knocked out by Manny Pacquiao, Ricky Hatton British pug still swinging.
The National other day in an article that came out, Hatton said his biggest mistake against Pacquiao was not his lousy defense but his failure to demand blood testing.
“I could have had those rules, but I wasn’t bothered. Maybe in hindsight, I should have done,” said Hatton, who went down against Pacquiao like he was never to get up again.
But he did, after laying on the canvas for quite some time, and a year and a month after that night in Las Vegas he’s raising some doubts against the reigning pound for pound champion.
“I must admit, I fancied my chances against Manny,” he told The National.
And it’s only now that he’s claiming that Pacquiao, who had gone undefeated for over five years now, and had jumped five divisions higher, could be into some performance enhancing drugs.
“A few years ago he was getting knocked down by little men like [Juan Manuel] Marquez, then all of a sudden he is knocking out Oscar de la Hoya, myself and [Miguel] Cotto, who are powerhouses in comparison.
Ricky Hatton said,“It is a little bit . He could be on what Floyd (Mayweather) is accusing him of [performance-enhancing substances], or it could be that he is just a great fighter who has improved. We will never know”.
The Mayweathers have aired similar thoughts and was hurled by Pacquiao to court.
Hatton also said that if and when the Pacquiao-Mayweather fight pushed through, the undefeated American, the first one to deal Hatton a loss in the ring, should have the upperhand.
“I think Floyd is too good defensively. He is so hard to hit, and I think he might ultimately just have a few too many tricks up his sleeves for Manny,” said Hatton, who left some nice words for Pacquiao.
“I would like to think Manny would win, because I have a lot of time for him. He is a great man and a great person. I think they are both greats, no matter what they do now. Whoever won a fight between the two of them would become an all time great,” he added.
Hatton said he thinks that the fight everybody wants to see can be done.
“Floyd is of the opinion he may possibly be taking something illegal, and that is why he is asking for certain tests to be done. It is a grey area for people, and they are puzzled as to what is going on. They just want to see the fight.
“Manny will say Floyd is running scared of him, asking him to do certain tests, Floyd will say he is guilty. But I think it will happen eventually,” Hatton was quoted as saying.

Ricky Hatton needs a fight his demons, says CEO of Hatton Promotions

Ricky Hatton “has demons” and wants a scheduled fight to find his discipline, Gareth Williams, CEO of Hatton Promotions, has told Telegraph Sport.
Williams also claimed that if Hatton decides to make a comeback, he is stillness the biggest box office draw in the country, outside of a heavyweight unification contest between David Haye and one of the Klitschko brothers.
“The more time I spend with Ricky, the more I think he will fight again. I never thought I’d say this but I think it is safer for him to fight because he needs the discipline. He’s an ‘all or nothing’ guy,” said Williams.
Williams also disclosed that Hatton has been back in training in the gym, and took part in a charity football match last weekend between a celebrity England team and a Rest Of The World XI. “He was training last week as if he was in the first week of training with a fight coming up in three months’ time,” he said.
Hatton has not fought since he was knocked out in two rounds by Manny Pacquiao in a Las Vegas ring 13 months ago.
“If he had a fight in four months’ time, he’d have five per cent body fat and would be in phenomenal shape. He needs a target, he needs focus," Williams said.
“I would never push Ricky to fight, it makes no difference to me personally - I just get on with promoting his company. Boxing is an all or nothing sport, you do not have the benefit of being substituted or bowling slower, as with football or cricket, you cannot even play at a lower level.
"If you are not 100 per cent fit, the consequences can be devastating. Ricky has always said that only he will know if and when he will fight again. I will support whatever decision he makes.
"There are plenty of demons left there after the Manny Pacquiao fight, and in Ricky’s mind, there is unfinished business. He was definitely not prepared correctly for the Pacquiao fight.
“Michael Katsidis would be a perfect fight for him. He’s a big name and it would be a good fight for Ricky, and it would be a good fight in England that would work on Sky Box Office.”
Williams insisted Hatton is still the biggest box office fighter in England.
"I obviously spend a lot of time with him and this last 12 months we have visited America, South Africa, China and Australia. The amount of recognition and attention he gets is phenomenal," he said.
“Whatever happens he has achieved so much. If he never fights again, he will go down as one of the great British fighters, and the good thing is that he does not have to fight again for financial reasons, and not many boxers can say that.”