With Welshman Nathan Cleverly taking on Juergen Braehmer on May 21 for the WBO Light-Heavyweight World Title the question of when a fighter is ready to challenge for world honours has been a source of debate.
Cleverly is 24-years-old, not long out of university (he studied for a Maths degree), with a record of 21 wins and no defeats. He's won British, European and Commonwealth honours already.
Champion Braehmer is 32-years-old and has 36 wins and two defeats.
It's a leap up for Cleverly, who has cleared up at domestic level. The key to winning this fight is to convert is immediate potential into a performance good enough to prise away the title. For my money, that should involve using his reach to jab and outsmart the hard-hitting and aggresive Braehmer with different angles.
Anyway, the subject of this post has not made an apperance yet. Here he is - Ricky Hatton.
In very different circumstances Hatton took on the brilliant Kostya Tszyu in 2005. By then Ricky had fought 38 times and there was a feeling that his shot for the number one spot at Light-Welterweight should have come much sooner.
Former WBO Cruiserweight World Champion-turned-pundit Johnny Nelson has touched upon this point, going as far to argue that Hatton had already peaked by the time he gained world honours. His article can be read here: http://www1.skysports.com/thisisit/story/21179/6912409
For many, Hatton appeared to be peaking for a world title shot back in 2003 after he expertly dismantled the teak-tough Ben Tackie.
For whatever reason his promoter at the time, Frank Warren, elected to churn out a series of sub-standard opponents (four of them) before Hatton finally got his shot for the crown.
There may, of course, have been reasons that the casual observer was not aware of - promotional problems and boxing politics are an unfortunate but inevitable part of the sport.
Meanwhile, Hatton - while he waited for his world title shot - was packing out the MEN Arena in his hometown of Manchester, making defences of the lightly-regarded WBU title. In fact he made 15 defences in all of this title which was a ludicrous and undeserving legacy. Let's get this straight - the title should have been a stepping-stone to a real one, nothing more and in fact is served to damage the sport with many casual fans assuming Hatton was already a proper world champion.
On the night Hatton was unstoppable as he suffocated and wore down Tszyu. It was one of the most intense and focused performances I have seen from someone so determined to win. It wasn't so much about skill but a will to win and Tszyu - as great as he was - seemed shocked by the pace, being withdrawn at the end of the 11th round. He hasn't fought since.
While there was a school of thought that Hatton should have fought for a proper world title sooner there was also a feeling by some that Tszyu had been caught at the right time as he neared the end of his career. Promoter Warren earned some praise for his match-making here. That latter point of view would suggest Hatton would not have had enough to defeat Tszyu if the Russian-born Australian had been at his 'peak' which is very unfair on Hatton. Tszyu had his moments and used his better boxing ability to sting Hatton and keep the scorecards close. It just wasn't enough against the machine-like engine Hatton turned up with.
Afterwards Ricky Hatton's popularity across the country soared. He was to fight in several more high-profile world title contests but arguably never took a scalp as great as Tszyu.
The initial difficulty for Hatton was a messy break-up with Frank Warren. After winning the world title Hatton was subjected to a legal challenge from Warren which would have surely affected his focus. In the event Hatton had to go to Manchester's rival city Sheffield. He took on the awkward but unsophisticated Columbian Carlos Maussa, who held the WBA belt.
In the opening rounds Hatton was cut badly (with Maussa then raking his gloves across the cut in an effort to make it worse). Maussa had the co-ordination of a puppet on the string and barely seemed able to throw an accurate, straight shot. Hatton looked angry and disjointed (the song"Gonna Get Along Without You Know" had been played before Ricky came to the ring - no prizes for guessing the target of his anger). He rushed his work but eventually in the ninth round scored an explosive one-punch knockout (rare for Hatton, who usually chipped away over time).
So Hatton had the IBF and WBA belts at 140 pounds but he seemed to be struggling to secure decent fights.
He only fought once in 2006. Going over to America in the hope of making a big impression nearly backfired when he squeaked past the reasonable but not great southpaw Luis Collazo at Welterweight. This earned Hatton the WBA Welterweight title and technically made him a two-weight champion (even if Collazo was not the accepted number one at the weight).
Wins over the tough, strong and very slow Juan Urango followed, along with a brilliant bodyshot knockout of the faded former champion Jose Luis Castillo.
But later - in his two acid tests, against the number one pound-for-pound fighters of the respective times - Hatton was stopped by both Floyd Mayweather Jr and Manny Pacquiao.
There was a tendency - such was his hype and popularity - to overrate Hatton when he was fighting in his heyday. This manifested itself in the contest against Mayweather, as the media, pundits and screaming fans convinced themselves and others Ricky would win. With hindsight it was of course a level too far.
Yet let's not forget Mayweather and Pacquiao were and are arguably the greatest two fighters of the modern era. The sort of fighters who don't come around too often.
Perhaps there's now a tendency to underrate Ricky Hatton's legacy. His final record (should he stay retired) stands at: 45-2, with 32 knockouts. I think it's fair to say he was the number one at Light-Welterweight for four years. He also picked up a genuine world title belt at Welterweight.
Behind the cheeky, 'man of the people' persona who liked a pint, Hatton was a mean and ferocious body puncher who in his prime combined that intensity with good head movement, decent angles and often showed good ring craft, albeit against less skilled practioners like Ben Tackie and Juan Urango.
Timing is everything though and one wonders how the Hatton that fought Tszyu - before the promotional problems, changed trainers and other distractions - would have fared against other great fighters of his or any other era. Would his will have been enough to grind down other wonderful champions?
Timing is everything as I'm sure Nathan Cleverly will be able to reflect upon whether he wins, loses or draws in his up-and-coming world title challenge.
Whereas Tszyu was in his late 30s and had suffered injuries in the years leading up to the Hatton contest, mean and moody Braehmer has had numerous legal problems and spent time in jail. Apparently another legal case hangs over his head. What's his focus going to be like?
If everything can come together for just 36 minutes of action on one night - good preparation, weight-making, no personal problems, utilising experience, deploying the right tactics - it could be Cleverly's night.
Cleverly is 24-years-old, not long out of university (he studied for a Maths degree), with a record of 21 wins and no defeats. He's won British, European and Commonwealth honours already.
Champion Braehmer is 32-years-old and has 36 wins and two defeats.
It's a leap up for Cleverly, who has cleared up at domestic level. The key to winning this fight is to convert is immediate potential into a performance good enough to prise away the title. For my money, that should involve using his reach to jab and outsmart the hard-hitting and aggresive Braehmer with different angles.
Anyway, the subject of this post has not made an apperance yet. Here he is - Ricky Hatton.
In very different circumstances Hatton took on the brilliant Kostya Tszyu in 2005. By then Ricky had fought 38 times and there was a feeling that his shot for the number one spot at Light-Welterweight should have come much sooner.
Former WBO Cruiserweight World Champion-turned-pundit Johnny Nelson has touched upon this point, going as far to argue that Hatton had already peaked by the time he gained world honours. His article can be read here: http://www1.skysports.com/thisisit/story/21179/6912409
For many, Hatton appeared to be peaking for a world title shot back in 2003 after he expertly dismantled the teak-tough Ben Tackie.
For whatever reason his promoter at the time, Frank Warren, elected to churn out a series of sub-standard opponents (four of them) before Hatton finally got his shot for the crown.
There may, of course, have been reasons that the casual observer was not aware of - promotional problems and boxing politics are an unfortunate but inevitable part of the sport.
Meanwhile, Hatton - while he waited for his world title shot - was packing out the MEN Arena in his hometown of Manchester, making defences of the lightly-regarded WBU title. In fact he made 15 defences in all of this title which was a ludicrous and undeserving legacy. Let's get this straight - the title should have been a stepping-stone to a real one, nothing more and in fact is served to damage the sport with many casual fans assuming Hatton was already a proper world champion.
On the night Hatton was unstoppable as he suffocated and wore down Tszyu. It was one of the most intense and focused performances I have seen from someone so determined to win. It wasn't so much about skill but a will to win and Tszyu - as great as he was - seemed shocked by the pace, being withdrawn at the end of the 11th round. He hasn't fought since.
While there was a school of thought that Hatton should have fought for a proper world title sooner there was also a feeling by some that Tszyu had been caught at the right time as he neared the end of his career. Promoter Warren earned some praise for his match-making here. That latter point of view would suggest Hatton would not have had enough to defeat Tszyu if the Russian-born Australian had been at his 'peak' which is very unfair on Hatton. Tszyu had his moments and used his better boxing ability to sting Hatton and keep the scorecards close. It just wasn't enough against the machine-like engine Hatton turned up with.
Afterwards Ricky Hatton's popularity across the country soared. He was to fight in several more high-profile world title contests but arguably never took a scalp as great as Tszyu.
The initial difficulty for Hatton was a messy break-up with Frank Warren. After winning the world title Hatton was subjected to a legal challenge from Warren which would have surely affected his focus. In the event Hatton had to go to Manchester's rival city Sheffield. He took on the awkward but unsophisticated Columbian Carlos Maussa, who held the WBA belt.
In the opening rounds Hatton was cut badly (with Maussa then raking his gloves across the cut in an effort to make it worse). Maussa had the co-ordination of a puppet on the string and barely seemed able to throw an accurate, straight shot. Hatton looked angry and disjointed (the song"Gonna Get Along Without You Know" had been played before Ricky came to the ring - no prizes for guessing the target of his anger). He rushed his work but eventually in the ninth round scored an explosive one-punch knockout (rare for Hatton, who usually chipped away over time).
So Hatton had the IBF and WBA belts at 140 pounds but he seemed to be struggling to secure decent fights.
He only fought once in 2006. Going over to America in the hope of making a big impression nearly backfired when he squeaked past the reasonable but not great southpaw Luis Collazo at Welterweight. This earned Hatton the WBA Welterweight title and technically made him a two-weight champion (even if Collazo was not the accepted number one at the weight).
Wins over the tough, strong and very slow Juan Urango followed, along with a brilliant bodyshot knockout of the faded former champion Jose Luis Castillo.
But later - in his two acid tests, against the number one pound-for-pound fighters of the respective times - Hatton was stopped by both Floyd Mayweather Jr and Manny Pacquiao.
There was a tendency - such was his hype and popularity - to overrate Hatton when he was fighting in his heyday. This manifested itself in the contest against Mayweather, as the media, pundits and screaming fans convinced themselves and others Ricky would win. With hindsight it was of course a level too far.
Yet let's not forget Mayweather and Pacquiao were and are arguably the greatest two fighters of the modern era. The sort of fighters who don't come around too often.
Perhaps there's now a tendency to underrate Ricky Hatton's legacy. His final record (should he stay retired) stands at: 45-2, with 32 knockouts. I think it's fair to say he was the number one at Light-Welterweight for four years. He also picked up a genuine world title belt at Welterweight.
Behind the cheeky, 'man of the people' persona who liked a pint, Hatton was a mean and ferocious body puncher who in his prime combined that intensity with good head movement, decent angles and often showed good ring craft, albeit against less skilled practioners like Ben Tackie and Juan Urango.
Timing is everything though and one wonders how the Hatton that fought Tszyu - before the promotional problems, changed trainers and other distractions - would have fared against other great fighters of his or any other era. Would his will have been enough to grind down other wonderful champions?
Timing is everything as I'm sure Nathan Cleverly will be able to reflect upon whether he wins, loses or draws in his up-and-coming world title challenge.
Whereas Tszyu was in his late 30s and had suffered injuries in the years leading up to the Hatton contest, mean and moody Braehmer has had numerous legal problems and spent time in jail. Apparently another legal case hangs over his head. What's his focus going to be like?
If everything can come together for just 36 minutes of action on one night - good preparation, weight-making, no personal problems, utilising experience, deploying the right tactics - it could be Cleverly's night.
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