Ricky Hatton is adamant that with a few alterations, he would’ve had a good shot at emerging victorious against Floyd Mayweather.
On December 8, 2007, at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, ‘The Hitman’ and ‘Money’ went toe-to-toe in one of the biggest fights of the 21st century.
Alas, for UK fans, Mayweather, who’s even branded Manny Pacquiao an ‘easy fight’, proved to be too much for the Manchester City fan, securing a tenth-round TKO.
Now, Hatton has opened up about how different things could’ve been.
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Ricky Hatton says the version of himself that fought Kosta Tszyu would’ve defeated Floyd Mayweather
In his esteemed career, Ricky Hatton made a reputation for indulging in English Breakfasts and drinking beer, before giving it all up for training camps, which more often than not, culminated in him pulverizing his opponents.
He was so naturally gifted, that despite his lifestyle, on June 4, 2005, he was able to defeat the almighty Kosta Tszyu, in what has gone down as one of the greatest victories in British boxing history.
Hatton was so good in that fight, the warrior believes had he shared the ring with Floyd Mayweather that night, and had the referee done a better job, he could’ve produced the upset.
In an interview with Sky Sports, the Englishman said: “I think I’d have done better against Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao if I hadn’t burnt the candle at both ends.
“People always said to me, you keep getting away with it, but one day your lifestyle will catch up to you. When it came to those two fights, I think it had caught up to me.
“Against Kostya Tszyu, with a referee who let the fight flow at a distance and up close, I would have beaten anyone that night, including Floyd.
“I’m not saying I was a better fighter than Floyd. But the right tactics on the right night at the right time? Even the best can be beaten.
“If I fought him on that night, I think I might have beaten him.”
Oscar De La Hoya makes shocking claim about the financial split for his fight with Floyd Mayweather
When Mayweather fought Hatton, he was undoubtedly the money man in boxing.
However, when the American shared the ring with Oscar De La Hoya, that wasn’t in the case.
A few months earlier, it was ‘The Golden Boy’ who was making the most cash from fighting inside the squared circle.
Now, De La Hoya has revealed the surprising financial split for the Mayweather fight.