All His Critics Are Wrong,
Ricky Hatton is Right!

By Terence "One Punch" Dooley


I include myself in the camp that were patently wrong about Hatton, as soon as the fight ended it became clear just why critics can be so frustrating as immediately my mind started to conjure up excuses for what had just happened; the fact is that Hatton, with no proviso’s, soundly beat a living legend in Tszyu. Hatton promised over and over that come the big occasion he would rise like cream, he was true to his word in the most devastating fashion imaginable.

As the fighters made their way to the ring there seemed to be a nervousness about Ricky which made me feel that the occasion had swallowed him up a little, the first round seemed to bear this out as the Hitman advanced in straight lines with the intention of setting the early, murderous pace, this initially seemed suicidal but in the end was the undoing of Kostya. Make no mistake this was a scrappy clinch filled fight but even this favored Hatton as he was gradually sapping the strength of the champion on the inside, all the pre - fight talk of Hitman having to make major changes proved to be mistaken as he fought his usual fight, he just applied a little more thought to it for this contract. Still, the first round indicated that the occasion had gotten to Ricky a good deal and Tszyu fans must have sat back and waited for the inevitable, especially when the pattern continued in the second round. Hatton was the aggressor and remarkably by this point was landing cleanly with right hand of all punches, true to his reputation as a strategist though the champion came out for the third with what seemed to be the key to the Hatton puzzle.

Already by this the third round too many clinches were ruining the fight as sheer spectacle but Hatton would not have minded, he also did not seem to mind the sharp counters Tszyu now brought to the fight. However Ricky continued to be incessant and the Tszyu weapon of choice was a left - hook counter that did catch Hatton but was being rendered ineffective in close, couple this with the ineffectiveness of the patented Tszyu right and we had the whiff of a huge upset. Tszyu rallied with clear, crisp shots in the fourth but was still fighting at the younger mans pace, clearly this was not in the Tszyu game plan as the champion was now visibly tiring as well as looking confused by the turn of events.

By the fifth round most pre - fight predictions had been proven to be mistaken and yet for a few minutes it seemed Hatton had burned too brightly too soon as he was being countered effectively, the thought began to form that maybe he had gambled and lost. Round six bore out this optimistic suspicion as Tszyu showed his pedigree by landing the quality shots despite some good early round pressure by Hatton, now we started to see that chopping right hand; that Hatton took it so well was unmitigated disaster for the champion and must have tired him mentally as well as physically. Tszyu built on his quality work in the seventh with chopping right hands and lovely counter shots that really showed his class but the challenger was still working through this his only real rough patch in search of his second wind. A borderline body shot from Tszyu gave Hatton a chance to have a break from the torrid action but he just went back into his pressure mode, this would be significant as the different reaction from Tszyu to a low - blow in round nine would show the extent of the champion’s fatigue. Despite the Tszyu quality in these middle rounds it became clear this fight was not for turning as Hatton came out for the eighth like a man just beginning the fight, he had a second wind and Tszyu was undone, now the breaking down process really began in earnest. Tszyu was grimacing under the assault of body shots, head shots and general bullying he was taking, the champion was also breathing heavily at this point, Tszyu had ran out of steam and his punches no longer had any threat to them.

Round eight was really when Hatton won this fight as he relentlessly pursued and punished the older man, Tszyu was finished after this round aside from the occasional quality counter; that he continued to take a shelling from a young, hungry fighter makes a mockery of claims that will no doubt now dog him. Round nine continued in a similar vein as Tszyu was breathing extremely heavily as well as looking somewhat distressed, an accidental low - blow afforded Tszyu the rest that he so desperately needed. By this point though you could have sent Tszyu for a two - hour nap and it would have made no difference, the well had run dry for the gallant champion. Round ten was a breaking down round as Hatton pressed in with all kinds of shots to head and body, Tszyu was already beaten, and like David Barnes on the undercard he was just taking needless, sporadic heavy shots. Tszyu could only seek comfort in clinches but even in close was being thrown around by a resurgent Ricky, Tszyu slump heavily in his corner after this round and looked all but knocked out. Round eleven started off with more relentless pressure but credit must be given to Tszyu as he tried one final time to get some bounce back into his step, he failed in this as punches he did land on the onrushing Hatton simply had no effect whatsoever. Tszyu put what he had left into this round like a true warrior, it was not the case that he simply quit but that he had the quit punched into him by his challenger, he gave what he had left and found it was nothing. No one was greatly surprised when his corner retired Tszyu to set off some jubilant celebrations from the deserving winner. Hatton had achieved his dream and ended Tszyu as a fighter, Hatton may lack the obvious smarts of the Russian but he proved in setting, controlling and dictating the pace that his boxing brain ticks over quite nicely. Youth had been served and linear dominance had been passed, Hatton now is the gatekeeper of his division, non - believers had been converted and the outstanding champion cowed.

In the aftermath there are many questions to be asked, this may not be the place to even attempt to answer them but it remains to be seen if Ricky sees this as the pinnacle of his career or just the start of a new mountain. I hope it as anew beginning and goes out to take everything that this division has to offer in terms of exciting matches, I hope he fulfils his dream of headlining in Vegas of New York; Hatton can now call the shots and he is out of the comfort zone, hopefully he will stay out of it whilst he establishes a legacy. As for Tszyu he has had a distinguished reign encapsulated by his noble acceptance of the passing of the flame, he had ran out of steam and was running on fumes in the end. Critics being critics we will try to denigrate the manner in which he lost, he did not quit ignobly, and he is not a dog; he simply got punched into defeat and had nothing left to offer anymore. Critics can complain and try to smear his legacy but the fact is that Tszyu went out the best way he could, he showed bravery in that last stand in the eleventh, critics may now call him a “Quitter” but critics are not fighters, they do not know the damage these men give and take, that is why they are critics; Tszyu is a legend and should retire as such. Hatton needs to build now, he must not repeat the mistakes of others and spend his career talking about one defining fight, he needs to go out and grab this division by the balls, for a man that dedicated this victory to his “Balls of Steel!” that should not be too great a task.


Questions Or Comments? Please Contact Terence "One Punch" Dooley