Hatton doesn't care about IBF belt
by Scott Christ on Sep 17, 2008 9:33 PM EDT
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Ricky Hatton has weighed in on the IBF threatening to not sanction his November 22 bout with IBF junior welterweight titlist Paulie Malignaggi.
"I couldn’t give two hoots about the belt," said Hatton. "I have won five world titles so does six make any difference? Malignaggi and I are the top light-welterweights around so why should we bother chasing the IBF?"
Good for you, Ricky. And good for Paulie if he's on the same page, which he no doubt is if only for the fact that fighting Hatton will give him his biggest payday to date, by far.
The IBF, of course, wants Malignaggi to fight Herman Ngoudjo, which he already did. I think the fight was competitive enough that a rematch would be as warranted as any, really. The IBF also wants Hatton to fight Ngoudjo should Hatton win the title, potentially, and Hatton, as you might expect, has no interest.
Like I said when this story first came up, Hatton has twice vacated the IBF's 140-pound title when he didn't feel like fighting mandatory challengers, and instead chose to go after different fights (Luis Collazo at welterweight, Jose Luis Castillo last year). When he says he doesn't care about the title, I believe him.
If only more fighters didn't care about these purse-stealing trinkets. I understand the appeal of being "world champion," but when there are so many different versions and the majority are meaningless, is it really what they imagined when they were first training to box?
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That comment shows his mind has changed a lot then, I watched an interview with him a few years ago where he was saying it was the belt that he prized the most, because of who he had to beat to get it.
I agree with you on the world titles being a bit false now. Really there should be one ’World title". I just wish some billionaire out there would look at buying the big 4, (WBO WBA WBC IBF) and merging their titles. Any other insignificant organization such as the IBO would fold simply as their titles would be even less worthwhile than they are now.
To me now the Ring title looks the best way of measuring who is the best fighter in any division, although even that isn’t faultless, as for example I would have Pacquiao over Marquez at lightweight, and it seems fairly obvious too that Margarito is the top welter, having beaten Miguel Cotto (god it still feels strange to write that).
Still, all in all their system does reward the best fighters eventually, there is no easy way to the Ring belt, so for me it is now THE title to hold.
Favourite 5 boxers of all time (in no particular order)-
Ricky Hatton
Lennox Lewis
Marvin Hagler
Marco Antonio Barrera
Prince Naseem Hamed
it IS the title to hold
It’s the only legitimate championship in the sport. I’ll acknowledge the body belts because they do have some bearing (not much for me personally, because anyone can hold one), but I follow Dan Rafael’s lead on this: the only people I’m calling “champion” are the guys that hold the Ring belts.
"Yesterday I was lying, today I am telling the truth." -- Bob Arum
by Scott Christ on Sep 18, 2008 11:11 AM EDT up reply actions
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