Hitman Hatton wants Urango, Castillo and Mayweather
What about it?
If Ricky Hatton beat Juan Urango, Jose Luis Castillo and Floyd Mayweather in the span of a year, would you nominate him as boxing’s best pound-for-pound practitioner?
I’m thinking he’d garner some votes…
Hatton (41-0) is hoping for three title fights in 2007, with the aim of being regarded as the P4P king, according to the UK Mirror.
Little Ricky, who turns 28 on Friday, will challenge 17-0-1 Colombian Juan Urango for his old IBF junior welterweight crown in Atlanta on January 13.
Then, the Mirror reports, he has agreed to face 54-7-1 Mexican Jose Luis Castillo in his first defense in June. If that goes smoothly, he will challenge Floyd Mayweather at the end of 2007 at 147 pounds.
“That’s my aim now, to climb the pound-for-pound ratings and be regarded as the No.1 in the world,” Hatton said.
“I’m disappointed I won’t fight again this year, but HBO have guaranteed me three fights in 2007.
“I’m going back down to 140 pounds and I don’t think anybody can live with me at that weight from a physical strength point of view. First up is Urango and my old IBF belt. That’s no foregone conclusion and he’s a southpaw, who’s like a mini-Mike Tyson.
“But I expect to win and should I win, then I’ll make my first defense against Castillo. He’s above me in the pound-for-pound ratings so that would boost me if I could beat him.
“Then the obvious step forward for me will be Mayweather, who is recognized as the best operator in the world pound for pound.”
“Although I accept that Mayweather is massively talented, he’s never been tested by someone like me,” he said to the Mirror.
“If he’s going to beat me, he’s got to have some serious firepower to keep me off and I don’t think he could do that for all his talent. Mayweather wouldn’t like my body shots, no-one in the world does, and they are what I would have to bring into play.
“He’s got some great hand speed and some brilliant combinations, but I stand by my belief that if anyone can beat him, it’s me. He may be ranked by all the best judges as the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world, but when I beat him they will have to think again. Maybe it will be the Hitman at the top of the pile!”
So much of Hatton’s itinerary is theory, as he first has to get past the bullish Urango. Also, Castillo is slated to take on 27-2-1 Vivian Harris in January, and that fight is a 50-50 proposition. As we know, Carlos Baldomir is on a severe tear, and we’d be foolish not to at least entertain the possibility, slim as we feel it is, that he upsets 36-0 Mayweather on Nov. 4.
But, at least Hatton’s planning on taking on large scale challenges.
That’s a start…
Hatton talks a great game, but we’ve heard grand plans from him before. After beating Kotsya, he was going to talk America and HBO by storm and what happened, one fight with him hanging on at the end, and we don’t see him for the rest of the year.
I love watching him fight. He has all the grit and determination in the world, but I’ll wait to see how his plan plays out. You’ve talked the talk, Ricky. It’s time to walk the walk.
Ricky Hatton’s punch’s didn’t have too much effect on Luis Collazo. I doubt Hatton’s punch would bother Margarito or Paul Williams both being huge welterweights.Against those two I don’t see Hatton being very effective so moving back down to 140 is a great move. Hatton can beat everyone at 140.
Ricky,
Lets get it on in 2007, be someone we talk about not someone we remember,
HATTON IS A GREAT FIGHTER. HE WILL RUN THROUGH URANGO WITH EASE. HE WILL MORE THAN LIKELY HAVE A CHALENGE IN MARGARITO. WHOEVER THE WINNER OF THAT FIGHT IS SHOULD FIGHT MAYWEATHER. BOTH OF THESE FIGHTERS WILL GIVE FLOYD A SERIOUS RUN FOR HIS MONEY. MARGARITO FOR HIS AMAZING SPEED AND ACCURACY AND HATTON FOR HIS BRUTE ANIMALISTIC FIGHTING STYLE. NO DOUBT ABOUT IT, HATTON WILL TRY TO RIP FLOYDS HEAD OFF WITHOUT BACKING DOWN. AND MARGARITO WILL HAVE SO MUCH TO PROVE TO FLOYD THAT HIS HEART AND DETERMINATION MIGHT GIVE HIM A VICTORY. FLOYD BETTER WATCH OUT, HES COMING UP AGAINST THE CREAM OF THE CROP VERY SOON. EVERYONE LOSES ONCE AND THESE TWO GUYS MIGHT BE THE ONES TO FINALLY KNOCK HIM OFF THAT HIGH HORSE THAT HES BEEN RIDING ON FOR SO LONG.
Whenever Floyd has been really challenged, he brings his serious A game. I’m not exactly a Floyd fan, but I believe that he will beat both Hatton and Margarito. Many thought that Diego Corrales would hurt Floyd, and Floyd made him look like a fighter from the Contender show. He is an intelligent fighter that is able to adjust quickly. He does need to work on his charisma though. He is not as well thought of as he believes himself to be.
Hatton is one of the dirtest fighters in the world. The rabbit punches _ hitting in back of the head_ and the below the belt shots_ he used against Kotsya and others were pitiful. However allowing him to get away with these cheating tactics should not be celebrated ! They should be condemed; and he should be punished ! Boxing has been called a SCIENCE and Mayweather a SCIENTIST. THE WINNER IS___.
I totally agree with Lawrence P Vaughn. Hatton is a thug. If he is prevented (by a decent referee) from all his dirty tactics, he is only an average ‘club fighter’. Mayweather and his crew would ensure they got a referee that would not let Hatton get away with the stuff he did in previous fights. I do not know what all the hype is about Hatton. He will disappear back to England very quickly after he is dismantled by Margarito,Mayweather or a few other good fighters. Hatton is a flash in the pan in America. He should stick to grappling with nobodies in Britain . He and Naseem Hameed can have their own television show there …called ‘ Reality Egoes aand has beens’
Ricky Hatton will as he states dominate p4p rankings. As for him been a dirty fighter I disagree, bear in mind one piece of your evidence, the low blow against tszyu. This low blow came after he took 2 low blows in 2 rounds off tszyu so I think he was well within his rights to bite back. Mayweather, as Hatton stated, simply cannot handle the bllish, never say die aggresive style of hatton. Mayweather will see this when he hits hatton with his best and hatton just walks through it, just as he did agains Tszyu. Keep under-estimating him then you’d better be ready to eat your words!
watch out for jack grady moving up on the charts bitch, hatton and mayweather better be ready bitch!