Ricky Hatton's 140-lb Homecoming

How sweet it is to come home. There is a healing process requiring family praise for any little triumph that occurs in the process, like small children being applauded for tying their shoes. I imagine Ricky Hatton (43-1, 31 KOs) must have felt somewhat like a child applauded for his exquisite shoe-tying skills in Manchester last Saturday night after defeating Juan Lazcano (37-5-1, 27 KOs) in a fight that was marginally closer than it really needed to be. And while my homecoming after a week of brutal exams isn’t particularly more honorable, a bit of sadness does sink in after watching a champion like Hatton being forced to face the reality of his post-Mayweather career.

A COULDA WOULDA SHOULDA FIGHT!

The Manchester fanatics and the circles around Hatton were so happy to see him that they played along; they know the role of willpower in the success of a fighter and proposed to feed it with their acapella versions of items hot of the presses of the Miscellaneous Stereotypical British Chant Songbook. Hatton responded in kind, winning a unanimous decision with wide margins over Lazcano, who managed to make the fight more competitive than anyone ever expected, but still a bit of a pointless mismatch. While the hyperbolized comparisons to a washed-up Arturo Gatti (40-9, 31 KOs) by certain overzealous boxing reporters are unwarranted, Lazcano managed to get in a few embarrassing hits for Hatton, enough to steal the prospect of a glossy finish. Even Hatton himself admitted post-fight that the match was difficult. For anyone else, this confession makes the match merely competitive, but Hatton as higher standards to live by, unfortunately for him.

A SERIES OF HAPPY COINCIDENCES

Ricky Hatton may be world class and a bag of chips, but it would be highly unfair to think of his career outside of the scope of what created it: a series of happy coincidences. He faced the legendary Kostya Tszyu (31-2, 25 KOs) just as he was waning, and the combination of Hatton’s youth and Tszyu’s many battles made the champion retire in the latter’s first major title fight. Against Jose Luis Castillo (56-8-1, 48 KOs) he reaped the benefits of a finished career, the blueprint of which had been laid down by an army of champions before him. Even on the recovery, he is fortunate enough to have super featherweight cash cow Manny Pacquiao (46-3-2, 35 KOs) nipping at his toes for attention as if the 10-pound disparity doesn’t make the prospect ridiculous. Hatton knows how to be in the right place at the right time.

As I mentioned in my first piece, I am a boxing correspondent for online magazine Ringtalk.com. I'll be posting previews to my weekly articles here, as well as links. For the complete article this week, click here.