There Was Only One: Remembering Ricky Hatton

The Boxing world was hit with a significant blow on Sunday, September 14th when it was revealed that former two-division world champion and Hall of Famer Ricky Hatton had passed away at the age of 46. For those who followed the Jr. Welterweight and Welterweight divisions in the late 1990s and early 2000s, it was hard to not notice and like a fighter like Ricky Hatton.

A fighter with an aggressive, yet tactical style with an emphasis on applying constant pressure and often overwhelming his opponents with volume punching, it did not take long for Hatton to not only make a name for himself, but also develop a fan following that was truly unique. In an era that predated the advent of global digital streaming that we all enjoy today, this observer first became aware of Hatton thanks to the now defunct ShoBox: The New Generation Boxing series that was a cornerstone of United States premium cable network Showtime for many years before the network opted to exit the sport and shutter its sports division at the end of 2023. 

It was on the ShoBox series, which was developed to be and quickly became a proving ground for prospects on the rise, however, that Hatton was able to make his presence known to American Boxing fans. It was during this period, which was around the same time as the legendary trilogy of fights between Arturo Gatti and Micky Ward, that Hatton impressed me as having a similar style as those legends, a come forward fighter that did not take a backwards step and was more than willing to walk through whatever an opponent was able to dish out. After watching his fight against Eamonn Magee in 2002, my first time seeing Hatton in action, a fight that he won in an eighth round stoppage, I immediately began dreaming up a scenario where Hatton would potentially face either Ward or Gatti seeing as not only all three having similar styles, but also all three coincidentally being in the same 140lb. Jr. Welterweight division. As mouth watering as those potential fights were, unfortunately they were not to be as Ward retired after the conclusion of the three fights with Gatti, and Gatti though going onto win a world title in the division chose to go in a different direction in the final years of his career rather than face a fighter like Hatton.

Hatton would prove to be the fighter that would become the central figure of the Jr. Welterweight division a few years later. It was on June 4, 2005 before a sold out crowd at the M.E.N Arena in Manchester, England, Hatton’s hometown, where the unbeaten star, who was viewed as an underdog, forced the legendary longtime Jr. Welterweight world champion Kostya Tszyu into quitting on his stool prior to the twelfth and final round of a grueling back and forth battle, which were the type of fights that Hatton specialized in. 

As one who covered that fight for a now defunct outlet twenty years ago, I remember how those I spoke about the fight with did not view it with much interest, primarily with regard to the casual sports fan here in the United States. From my perspective, as great a fighter as Kostya Tszyu had proven to be throughout his career, he was at a point going into that fight where both injuries and inactivity seemed to be catching up with him and I openly questioned whether or not at that stage, he could physically deal with a younger, more aggressive fighter who set a non-stop pace. It would be that pace that broke the great champion down not just into retiring on his stool, but retiring from the sport as well. What I will always remember about that fight other than how classy Tszyu was in defeat was essentially passing the torch to Hatton as the number one fighter in the Jr. Welterweight division, but the eruption of the crowd in attendance when the fight was stopped in what was an emotional scene as Hatton, who won the IBF and Ring Magazine World Jr. Welterweight titles from Tszyu, celebrated his triumph with his corner and his family who were sitting ringside. It truly gave one an appreciation for the atmosphere that can be felt in combat sports and remains one of my favorite fights that I have covered in my 30 years writing about combat sports with Boxing as my primary sport.

The atmosphere that made a Ricky Hatton fight unique was not just the energy in knowing that regardless of who he was fighting, it would likely be fan-friendly, but Hatton’s following, which would eventually follow him here to the United States in the thousands for his fights here, would often include a band that would play and chant “There's Only One Ricky Hatton!" not just before a fight,but during the entire pre-fight build up, during the undercard bouts and finally during his bout. A uniqueness that I cannot recall seeing before I began covering Hatton’s fights or since. Perhaps what drew fans in beyond an entertaining crowd pleasing style was Hatton, was also one of the most classy individuals in the entire sport and the friendly demeanor he had along with that class was very endearing and in my view, a throwback to many of the great fighters of previous eras in the way he represented the sport.

Despite a lengthy reign atop the Jr. Welterweight division in which he fought and defeated several of the top fighters of his era, Hatton will be remembered by some for being on the losing end of two fights in which he came up against the best pound for pound fighters of his era in Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao, despite being stopped by both, it did not diminish a Hall of Fame career where he also went on to win a world title in the Welterweight division as well. 

It would be those losses, however, that would send Hatton into a three year retirement in which he struggled with his mental health. A subject that in addition to other struggles he faced outside the ring, he spoke openly about.In what would prove to be his final fight in November 2012, Hatton put forth a valiant effort in losing via stoppage to former Welterweight world champion Vyacheslav Senchenko, bringing an illustrious career to a close having only lost three of forty-eight professional fights with thirty-two knockouts registering a career knockout percentage of over 71%.

Earlier this year when I was informed that Hatton would be looking to get in the ring one more time, I was naturally curious, but at the same time not surprised because there have been many fighters that have reentered the sport in recent years, and, despite how long it had been since he last competed, I was nonetheless intrigued, as I was always appreciative of that relentless pressure style, that had an emphasis on both attacking an opponent's body as well as volume punching. Unfortunately, it was not meant to be. As disappointing as the prospect of a comeback that will not happen might be for some fans, the loss of not only a great fighter and champion, but also a man who was a credit to a sport that needs to be represented well hurts even more.

I join the rest of the Boxing community in mourning the loss of Ricky “Hitman" Hatton. There truly was only one. God bless you.

“And That's The Boxing Truth." 

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Has Tszyu Put The Jr. Middleweight Division On Notice?

 

The career of undefeated Jr. Middleweight contender Tim Tszyu has seen him quickly progress from a prospect following in the footsteps of his father the longtime former Jr. Welterweight world champion and Hall of Famer Kostya Tszyu, to a contender, who appears to be on the cusp of challenging for a world championship of his own. In just eighteen professional bouts over nearly five years as a professional, the twenty-six year old Tszyu has developed a reputation as a “Knockout Artist.” Much like his father, the twenty-six year old Tszyu has the ability and punching power to end a fight at any time with either hand. Tszyu’s progression in his career thus far has largely been highlighted by victories over former WBO Welterweight world champion Jeff Horn and former world title challenger Dennis Hogan. Two fights, which Tszyu scored knockout wins.

 

Recently however, Tszyu had a question asked of him that in some ways is one that is asked of many fighters regardless of their standing in the sport. How would he adapt to a change in opposition on relatively limited notice? This observer is referring to the recent circumstances Tszyu found himself in when his scheduled bout against Michael Zerafa on July 7^th was changed when Zerafa pulled out of the fight in the week prior due to concerns over the ongoing global COVID-19 epidemic and newly enacted restrictions in Australia. Although promoters did have the go ahead to stage the fight at the Newcastle Entertainment Centre in Newcastle, Australia, Zerafa citing concerns opted to withdraw from the bout leaving Tszyu in need of an opponent or to postpone the bout until such time that the circumstances of the ongoing COVID-19 crisis could improve and the bout with Zerafa could presumably be rescheduled.

 

While circumstances like this in a fighter being in need of an opponent on short notice is not new throughout all of combat sports when such instances occur, the situation is certainly not ideal for a fighter or the fighter’s team. It is those circumstances however, that could provide an opportunity for an opponent to step in. Although the fighter who is in the position of having to step into a fight with a limited window of time to prepare is almost always at a disadvantage, there remains the element of the unknown that makes a fight intriguing. Fortunately for Tszyu, he would find an opponent on one week’s notice, enter Steve Spark.

 

Even though Spark had faced limited opposition going into this fight with Tszyu, what made his introduction into this equation interesting was that in his thirteen previous professional bouts, Spark had scored knockouts in eleven of his twelve career victories having lost one bout in his second pro bout via majority decision. Any time a fighter registers a career knockout percentage of over 80%, it does give an impression that they could at minimum provide a test even under circumstances of taking a fight on short notice.

 

In some ways however, what occurred when the two fighters squared off resembled Tszyu’s fight with Dennis Hogan earlier this year. A systematic attack where Tszyu gradually walked his opponent down getting in close and not allowing Spark space to maneuver. As was the case in his bout with Hogan, the focal point of Tszyu’s attack was to his opponent’s body. What should not be overlooked however, is while this process for Tszyu was relatively straightforward in its execution, he also took some punches from a “Game “ Spark who did try to make a fight of it. Even though the offense Spark was able to land was not able to hurt Tszyu nor discourage him from coming forward, it did show Tszyu’s ability to take a punch while sticking to his fight plan.

 

Ultimately, it would be Tszyu’s steady pressure and body attack that broke Spark down as two knockdowns in round three, both as a result of left hooks to the body would bring an end to the fight. While this amounted to a “Stay Busy” fight both in regard to the circumstances that led to it as well as what occurred inside the ring for Tszyu, he did show the ability to adapt as well as the ability to take a punch. Under circumstances which could give a fighter more pressure and circumstances where some fighters have been caught off guard, Tszyu’s performance in this fight is really all one could ask for if you’re on Tszyu’s management team and are trying to position him for a world championship bout.

 

Although a fight with Michael Zerafa could still happen, the question is whether Tim Tszyu should be in line to challenge for a world championship? With a unification bout between Jermell Charlo, the IBF/WBA/WBC Jr. Middleweight world champion and WBO world champion Brian Castano scheduled to take place on July 17^th and Tszyu being rated number one currently in the World Boxing Organization’s (WBO) Jr. Middleweight ratings and rated number three by both the International Boxing Federation (IBF) and World Boxing Council (WBC) respectively, it may be a question of whether Tszyu will be next in line amongst the rotation of mandatory challengers for the winner of that fight, which will further unify the 154lb. Jr. Middleweight division.

 

While current International Boxing Organization (IBO) world champion Erislandy Lara for now is on the outside of this unification process and even though some do not hold the IBO in high regard and see the Charlo-Castano as a bout for the Undisputed Jr. Middleweight world championship, if a showdown between the winner of that fight and Lara is not in the immediate plans to fully unify the division, it will be interesting to see if Tszyu can upset any potential plans when he does get his opportunity. An opportunity that this observer feels he has earned.

 

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

 

The Boxing Truth®️ is a registered trademark of Beau Denison All Rights Reserved.

 

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After Stopping Hogan, Will Tszyu Get A World Championship Bout?

The 154lb. Jr. Middleweight division has been one that has seen many notable battles through the years. In recent times, it has seen Jermell Charlo emerge as the division’s central figure after scoring a knockout of Jeison Rosario last September to unify the WBC, WBA, and IBF world championships. Although Charlo has yet to become undisputed world champion in the division, as the only unified champion currently at 154lbs., the natural question that usually is asked after a fighter emerges victorious from a unification bout is who might be the next challenger.

 

A potential candidate that has made a strong argument for himself is undefeated top contender Tim Tszyu. Tszyu, the son of former longtime Jr. Welterweight world champion and Hall of Famer Kostya Tszyu, has emerged as a fast-rising contender in the division. Much like his father, Tszyu has also developed a reputation for having an ability to score knockouts. The marquee victory for Tszyu thus far came in August of last year when he stopped former WBO Welterweight world champion Jeff Horn in eight rounds.

 

Tszyu’s victory over Horn moved him into position as a top ten rated contender in the WBO, IBF, and WBO. Although Tszyu is currently the top contender in the WBO Jr. Middleweight ratings, a world championship currently held by Brian Castano, his number three rating in the IBF and number seven rating in the WBA could make him a potential opponent for Charlo. After defeating Horn, Tszyu scored a first round knockout of Bowyn Morgen in December of last year.

 

This led to what some felt would be another potential test in the form of former two-time world title challenger Dennis Hogan on March 31^st in Newcastle, Australia. Hogan, who entered the bout with a record of 28-3-1, with 7 Knockouts compared to Tszyu’s 17-0, with 13 Knockouts, had previously lost in world championship bouts to former Jr. Middleweight world champion Jaime Mungia and Jermell Charlo’s brother Jermall at Middleweight. 

 

Even though it is insulting to give any fighter the label of a “Gatekeeper” because anything can happen when two fighters get into the ring, Hogan’s experience as a fighter who came up short in two world title bouts did make him in some ways an ideal opponent for a fighter in Tszyu’s position.  The type of fighter that can be used by a contender’s handlers to gage how close their charge might be to challenging for a world championship.

 

Tszyu’s approach in this fight can be described as one that was systematic as he applied consistent pressure on Hogan from the outset. An offensive output that seemed to have an emphasis on hooks to the body, gradually broke through Hogan’s defense as he was never really able to find his rhythm due to Tszyu’s pressure. This ultimately created an opening for Tszyu to land a flush left uppercut to the head of Hogan that sent him down in round five. Hogan’s corner elected to throw towel in shortly after Hogan got up from the knockdown as Tszyu pressed forward with follow up punches.

 

The ending of this fight was somewhat anti-climatic and can simply be described as a fighter showing patience and taking advantage of an opening once it presented itself. Tszyu’s performance however, was as good as one could expect from a fighter that has built the momentum he has and appears to be on the verge of fighting for a world championship. There was not much that one could point to as a potential reason why Tszyu should be held back in terms of what took place in the ring.

 

In terms of what might be a potential roadblock outside of the ring, in this observer’s view it will likely come down to whether or not promoters on opposite sides of the spectrum can work together to make a fight for a world championship happen for Tszyu. With a record that now stands at 18-0, with 14 Knockouts and having established a career knockout percentage of nearly 78%, it may be hard to say Tszyu hasn’t earned a chance at either Jermell Charlo or Brian Castano. The only questions that might remain are which world champion is available and whether or not a deal can be made that will determine whether or not Tim Tszyu will challenge for a world championship in his next fight.

 

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

 

The Boxing Truth®️ is a registered trademark of Beau Denison All Rights Reserved.

 

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