Hatton v. Mayweather Fight

Tidbits, teasers surrounding Hatton, Mayweather fight
editorials and opinion

By JEFF HANEY
Las Vegas Sun
Thursday, December 06, 2007

FIGHT FACTS

Principals: Floyd Mayweather Jr. (38-0, 24 KOs) vs. Ricky Hatton (43-0, 31 KOs), 12 scheduled rounds

At stake: Welterweight world championship

Date/site: Saturday night at the MGM Grand Garden Arena

Tickets: Sold out

Closed circuit: $50, MGM Mirage properties

TV: HBO Pay-Per-View, $54.95

Promoters: Golden Boy Promotions, Mayweather Promotions

Referee: Joe Cortez

KEY FIGHTS

A sampling of key fights and commentary by and about Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Ricky Hatton:

FLOYD MAYWEATHER JR.

Dec. 7, 2002: Unanimous decision vs. Jose Luis Castillo (rematch)

Hatton: "(Castillo) was able to bully him to the ropes a lot and ... I don't think Castillo has got as good or faster footwork as me."

April 8, 2006: Unanimous decision vs. Zab Judah

Hatton: "Zab opened up with his punches but he could not sustain his attack. I think Zab let (Mayweather) back into the fight. Zab lost it as much as Floyd won it."

May 5, 2007: Split decision vs. Oscar De La Hoya

Hatton: "Oscar nearly did it but I think he tired a little bit. Oscar is a little more of a tactician than a pressure fighter. I won't let up over the final six (rounds)."

RICKY HATTON

June 4, 2005: 11th-round TKO vs. Kostya Tszyu

Mayweather: "It looked like a wrestling match to me. Punch and hold, punch and hold."

Hatton: "Pain and tiredness didn't even come into the equation that night. I didn't feel any of it."

May 13, 2006: Unanimous decision vs. Luis Collazo

Billy Graham, Hatton's trainer: "(Hatton) put on far too much weight from the scales to the actual contest, which made him sluggish."

Mayweather: "Hatton lost to Collazo. He got a gift (in the scoring)."

June 23, 2007: 4th-round KO vs. Jose Luis Castillo

Mayweather: "He fights Castillo five years after I fought him. Castillo doesn't want to go 12 rounds. He punches Castillo to the body, Castillo turns around, walks away and goes to a knee."

Hatton: "A lot of people said I did a better job than Floyd did (in his most recent fight). Then again, a lot of people said Castillo was past his prime."

HATTON'S HOME KNOWN FOR ROCK, PUNK AS WELL AS BOXING:

The hardscrabble way of life in Manchester, England, hometown of Ricky Hatton and his trainer, Billy Graham, makes it a fertile breeding ground for fighters.

"Manchester is the boxing capital of Britain," Graham said. "Without boxing, I would be nothing."

But Manchester is known for more than boxing. A traditionally industrial city, it gave rise to several waves of rock and punk music, including bands such as the Hollies, the Smiths, the Buzzcocks and the Happy Mondays.

Decades before their music inspired Manchester brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher to form Oasis, the Beatles famously played several concerts in Manchester.

Morrissey, leader of the Smiths, immortalized the city in song with the great opening line of "The Headmaster Ritual": "Belligerent ghouls run Manchester schools."

On a more somber note, a 1996 Provisional Irish Republican Army bomb detonation in the city left 200 people injured and devastated local businesses.

Two football clubs -- soccer teams, to us -- divide the loyalty of Mancunians, or "Mancs." Hatton supports Manchester City, the team for which his father played, rather than the more famous Manchester United. Hatton also was a "footballer" as a youngster before making his mark in boxing.

"Ricky has influenced more young British boxers than anybody in the country," Graham said.

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Hatton v. Mayweather Fight