He wasn’t meant to lose. Ricky Hatton gave another of his trademark valiant and dogged performances, but he wasn’t meant to lose.
He came out all guns blazing, winning four of the first five rounds. But whilst he was catching Vyacheslav Senchenko with many decent shots, he was also missing many more and getting caught by return punches.
As the rounds went by, the Hitman was visibly starting to tire and Senchenko’s ring craft began to take over.
But the devastating body punch that ended the bout was one that would have chopped down most fighters.
Perhaps if he had taken on Senchenko three years ago, five months after his fight against Pacquiao, he would most likely have won.
It was his ring rust, mixed with questionable fight fitness that cost him the bout, two elements he would not have been lacking if it wasn’t for his retirement.
It was crushing to hear him – in his post-match press conference – say: “I am not a failure.”
This sadly showcased the fragile mind state that led so many to adore him, but also left him vulnerable.
Those who have followed Hatton’s career know that he not a failure, he is a champion, a champion that had one of the most Cinderella-like careers his sport has ever seen.
He is also a hero to millions, proof of which lies in the fact that he took 20,000 fans across to Las Vegas for his fights with Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao, taking over the city. It is also more than Amir Khan, Nasim Hamed and Lennox Lewis ever managed.
Another theory is that Hatton could have taken a tune-up fight before taking on a fighter of Senchenko – who was a world champion until his last bout against Paulie Malignaggi – but this is Ricky Hatton, a tune-up fight would not be good enough for him and he would have felt he was doing his beloved fans a disservice if he took the easy way.
He has never taken things the easy way, in or out of the ring, having to lose five stone to make the weight, just as he always used to. Unfortunately on this occasion, it was one bridge too far and Hatton has re-retired saying: “I go the answers I was looking for. I needed to see if I still had it in me, and I don’t.”
He said afterwards that he was “heartbroken”. We knew, our hearts had broken too.
Adam Appleton
No comments:
Post a Comment