Ricky Hatton coming back in 2010, Marquez fight possible
by Scott Christ on Nov 18, 2009 3:54 AM EST
in Boxing News Analysis
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Steve Skerry of the Daily Mail is reporting that Ricky Hatton's ring return in 2010 looks almost definite at this point, and that a summer clash in Manchester with Juan Manuel Marquez is a decent bet.
Hatton Promotions chief executive Gareth Williams said: ‘It would be an ideal fight for Ricky to take on Marquez. He is an elite flighter, just like Ricky, who will want to challenge the best.’
Hatton (45-2, 32 KO) turned 31 in October, and Marquez (50-5-1, 37 KO) turned 36 in August. The fight would be at 140 pounds, five pounds up from the last time we saw Marquez look good. It is Hatton's best weight.
This became a rumor pretty shortly after a bloated Marquez was routed by Floyd Mayweather Jr. in September, and I said I liked the idea then, and I like it just fine now, too. Marquez is still the lineal champion at 135 pounds, a weight where he seems to be pushing it. I don't think he'd be particularly great at 140 pounds, to be quite honest, but I also don't think Ricky Hatton is going to be particularly great in a comeback fight either. Given that he's now in his 30s, this balloon in weight and then crash down to 140 strategy of his is bound to catch up to him in a major way.
What I think makes it interesting is it really could be next summer until this happens, and it's possible neither will fight until then. If they were able to work out an agreement in the near future to hold off until June or July for a big date in Manchester, there'd be little incentive for either to take anything more than a clear tune-up bout against an unqualified challenger. It's not like Marquez would be wise to risk Hatton-level money on a fight with Michael Katsidis or something.
Considering Marquez probably realizes he's near the end of his fighting days, the money is probably very important. He got a great payday against Mayweather, and he'd get a very good one against Hatton. Hatton may fight on for the financial security, but I see a lot of it as pride, too. I think there's something eating at Hatton when he looks at his record. He's got the win over Kostya Tszyu, but it's now pretty well buried in the global image of him, beneath the losses to Mayweather and Pacquiao. Marquez remains a pound-for-pound top ten guy, top five for many. He could look at that as some form of redemption.
Either way, count me in for this one. I still think it's a fun idea. Boxing has plenty of room for fighters as proud, brave and likable as Hatton and Marquez, even if they're past their very best days.
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Coming from England
Im a huge Hatton fan (duhh) but i jus’t can’t see him winning this one. Hatton pre Manny would have had a great shot i think but he will be a year out of the ring by the time this happens and, Ricky looks big even for Ricky in between fights right now. SC you say the ballooning up in weight is to catch up with him, in my eyes it already has
I can see him winning it because I don’t think either of them are going to be all that good. But it’d be worthwhile — sometimes fights where both guys are on the downside wind up being great stuff.
Bad Left Hook
"Well Howie, I think I'm going to stay outside and outjab him." -- Tex Cobb telling Howard Cosell how he would approach Larry Holmes
by Scott Christ on Nov 18, 2009 6:29 AM EST up reply actions
sure they do
Don’t get me wrong it’l be a good fight, both of them will have their good stages, but Ricky will be getting tagged far too often and I think a KO will have to be scored for a Hatton W. Unless There’s a Froch Dirrel descision, but even thats unlikely because JMM won’t be backpeddelin all night and will be looking good
Marquez carried 147 so horribly, and is pushing it so clearly at 135, that I don’t think he’s going to be much real danger at 140. But then who knows, Marquez has certainly surprised me before.
Bad Left Hook
"Well Howie, I think I'm going to stay outside and outjab him." -- Tex Cobb telling Howard Cosell how he would approach Larry Holmes
by Scott Christ on Nov 18, 2009 7:27 AM EST up reply actions
not even 147, either, but 144
Bad Left Hook
"Well Howie, I think I'm going to stay outside and outjab him." -- Tex Cobb telling Howard Cosell how he would approach Larry Holmes
by Scott Christ on Nov 18, 2009 7:27 AM EST up reply actions
marquez at 135 wasn't that bad....
He did lay waste to at worst the world’s 2nd best lightweight at the time…..if he comes in at 137 for Hatton, I can see him doing pretty well.
Larry Merchant IS God...
by El_Mas_Chingon on Nov 18, 2009 8:14 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
He’s good at 135, but he scalped an aging Casamayor and no-power Juan Diaz. I think he always beats Diaz (well not when he’s super old), but the Casamayor of just a couple of years earlier probably gives him terrible fits, and Casa gave him a much harder fight than most remember, anyway. I had it a draw when JMM put him away. Don’t get me wrong, both wins were highly impressive, and honestly made even more impressive by the fact that he looked pretty soft at the weight.
Bad Left Hook
"Well Howie, I think I'm going to stay outside and outjab him." -- Tex Cobb telling Howard Cosell how he would approach Larry Holmes
by Scott Christ on Nov 18, 2009 9:44 AM EST up reply actions
He was excellent at 135, he wasn’t just good. He climbed up to light weight to take on the best of the division. I wouldn’t say that Pacquiao is simply good just because he beat an aging Oscar and a punching bag at 135. The fight against Casamayor had to be that way because they were both countering thus making the fight very close. That aside, he did what no one had ever done he KO’d Casamayor and that is a difficult thing to do even at Joel’s age. Katsidis couldn’t do it and he’s young and with good power.
Katsidis has good power?
"Honey i forgot to duck" - Jack Dempsey
by Drunken cutman on Nov 18, 2009 11:45 AM EST up reply actions
Good, yes. Great, no. Max Kellerman levels of drooling love, absolutely not.
Bad Left Hook
"Well Howie, I think I'm going to stay outside and outjab him." -- Tex Cobb telling Howard Cosell how he would approach Larry Holmes
by Scott Christ on Nov 18, 2009 12:06 PM EST up reply actions
He was excellent at 135, he wasn’t just good.
Correct, I wasn’t really trying to understate Marquez’s mastery at 135. Clearly fighting heavy, but still a tremendous fighter.
Bad Left Hook
"Well Howie, I think I'm going to stay outside and outjab him." -- Tex Cobb telling Howard Cosell how he would approach Larry Holmes
by Scott Christ on Nov 18, 2009 12:05 PM EST up reply actions
baby bull beats him in a rematch guaranteed
The Dude Abides
by battle axe of doom on Nov 18, 2009 2:30 PM EST up reply actions
Give it up Rick
I don’t know. I know a lot of people love Hatton but I just don’t like his style of fighting and I think he’s overrated. Although he did look pretty good against a washed-up Castillo.
Every fighter has a game plan until he get's punched in the mouth.
-Mike
Saying he IS overrated makes me wonder who you know who rates him so highly.
Saying he WAS overrated would show ignorance to an extent – the bloke owned LWW for around 5 years, and challenged for 6 different belts in a row.
Hatton was a great fighter, not an all time great, just a great. I think he’s a HOFer but time will tell.
Now, to the question in hand, Marquez.
Years of bulking up and slimming down, various wars and general age have massively erroded Ricky’s chin – (I think it STARTED with Luis Collazo and by Juan Lazcano it was all but gone).
I think Marquez will get to him.
With a better trainer, his head movement and jab of old, he could win, and win comfortably, but he’ll train with Lee Beard; lose, and taint his, frankly decent legacy.
He’s challenged the (Worldwide acknowledged) best 2 fighters (and both probably ATGs) and come up short. Absolutely no shame to that.
"Chris Eubank lost his recent comeback fight on points ... the main one being that he's a total git."
Hatton was a great fighter, not an all time great, just a great. I think he’s a HOFer but time will tell.
He’s a Hall of Famer, IMO, because the Hall takes into account more than just the record. He has a quite good record, but he also is the face of British boxing for the decade, made it onto the highest stages, and impacted the sport financially in a pretty big way, too.
Bad Left Hook
"Well Howie, I think I'm going to stay outside and outjab him." -- Tex Cobb telling Howard Cosell how he would approach Larry Holmes
by Scott Christ on Nov 18, 2009 9:45 AM EST up reply actions
Yeah, for a while there he did carry the flag for Britain pretty much single handedly (A certain Mr Joe C from Wales may disagree, but 9/10 people could pick Hatton from a lineup, and I reckon about 1/100 for Calzaghe [A lot higher now mind :P])
Personally I think his record more than stands up against most of his contemporaries, falls underneath Cotto’s due to Cotto’s success at the second weight class, though Hatton’s resume is far superior at LWW (I wish that fight had been made; I think Hatton would have beaten Cotto in a war at LWW and been absolutely demolished at WW for what it’s worth).
He get’s a lot of crap for his style/record and loses, most of which is unfair (IMO):
He was great against Tsyzu, Maussa, Castillo, but I’ll admit he looked horrible against Collazo, Urango and everyone post Mayweather. Still his own fault for the way he lived, but I’ll tell you something, he’ll look back at his career and bank account fondly. I don’t think he’ll have any regrets.
"Chris Eubank lost his recent comeback fight on points ... the main one being that he's a total git."
I have no issue with how he looked against Urango. He pretty well dominated Urango, just didn’t bust him up any, but the only time I’ve seen Urango so much as buzzed really is against Randall Bailey, who cannons one of the most powerful right hands in boxing.
Bad Left Hook
"Well Howie, I think I'm going to stay outside and outjab him." -- Tex Cobb telling Howard Cosell how he would approach Larry Holmes
by Scott Christ on Nov 18, 2009 10:11 AM EST up reply actions
I also thought Ricky looked VERY good against Malignaggi
And that was post-Floyd.
Bad Left Hook
"Well Howie, I think I'm going to stay outside and outjab him." -- Tex Cobb telling Howard Cosell how he would approach Larry Holmes
by Scott Christ on Nov 18, 2009 10:11 AM EST up reply actions
Hatton did look very good against Malignaggi, and to a lesser extent against Urango, but Malignaggi had no way of testing his chin (which at that stage I think had long departed) and against Urango, he was very hit and hold – nothing wrong with that, especially if the “flu” excuse was valid, but again, the head movement had all but gone.
Who you got then SC? I’m going Hatton pts if he gets a new trainer, or Marquez KO if he doesn’t.
"Chris Eubank lost his recent comeback fight on points ... the main one being that he's a total git."
lots of "ifs"
If Hatton’s in shape…
If Marquez can carry 140 pounds…
If Lee Beard is worth a damn as a trainer…
If Marquez isn’t too old…
If Hatton’s chin isn’t totally shot…
I don’t know. Gut feeling early is a disputed Hatton decision.
Bad Left Hook
"Well Howie, I think I'm going to stay outside and outjab him." -- Tex Cobb telling Howard Cosell how he would approach Larry Holmes
by Scott Christ on Nov 18, 2009 10:20 AM EST up reply actions
I know one of those “ifs” isn’t in question.
(If you can’t tell by now I can’t stand “non” trainers getting training gigs.)
Top level fighters (by now I’d say Hatton is a HBO level fighter in the US [and still a PPV fighter over here]) need top level trainers, it’s as simple as that.
I’m going to presume Hatton sticks with Beard, and I’m going with Marquez KO.
(On a side point, this site should have some kind of betting system [Start with x amount of points and bet against your fellow reader] complex, but would be awesome :D )
"Chris Eubank lost his recent comeback fight on points ... the main one being that he's a total git."
yeah a betting system like that would be fun
"Honey i forgot to duck" - Jack Dempsey
by Drunken cutman on Nov 18, 2009 11:52 AM EST up reply actions
I wouldn't be surprised if Hatton can't make weight anymore
at 140 anyway. I mean, he’s REALLY let himself go this time, and he’s at that age where the metabolism slows down enough and bone density increases enough that it becomes really tough for guys to make weight.
I suppose it could be an interesting enough fight, but I’m guessing it will probably look a lot like Hatton-Castillo.
Bad Left Hook - The SB Nation boxing blog
"Baseball is played on the field, not on a calculator."
Marquez is hooked
After the fanfare of the Mayweather fight, with its huge purse and HBO 24/7 exposure, I think Marquez is getting a little addicted to exposure. He might be the very best 135 pounder in the world, but he wants big names and big money. And he knows that the big names and big money are at welterweight, especially with Pacquiao out o the lightweight division.
I think he feels that maybe he’s done all he can in terms of title fights, fights with meaning with Pacman, Barrera, Diaz, and Casamayor. The man has earned the right to make some money and a fight with Hatton sounds pretty good actually and should do well.
a few months ago i would have said JMM via easy KO, but JMM was beyond awful at 144 i just don’t think JMM has anything beyond 135
The Dude Abides
by battle axe of doom on Nov 18, 2009 2:33 PM EST reply actions
Yeah dude he looked horrible. Really slow and weak, but take into consideration that Mayweather was way heavier than Marquez during the fight. Not many can pull the stunts Pacquiao does. I think Marquez has a good chance beating Hatton at 140(can he even make 140 comfortably? He looks a bit fat now)
Hatton has been decoded. Marquez is the type of fighter who figures out how to beat a guy with his own limitations and skills.
He looks a bit fat now
There’s an understatement. He’s as fat as he’s ever gotten between fights, and dude’s between bouts nickname is Ricky Fatton.
Bad Left Hook
"Well Howie, I think I'm going to stay outside and outjab him." -- Tex Cobb telling Howard Cosell how he would approach Larry Holmes
by Scott Christ on Nov 18, 2009 5:42 PM EST up reply actions
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