Hatton-Urango, Castillo-Ngoudjo Pre-fight Press & Predictions

[TKO Tom]

Hatton can be hit, there is no question about that. Kostya Tszyu will end up, in my view, being his career defining performance.

I saw Hatton fight in person against Luis Collazo last year in Boston. Like I say, he can be hit. Collazo did a number on him and had him wobbly. I wasn't as impressed with Hatton as I thought that I would be. He looked nothing like he did against Tszyu or in many of his other dominant performances.

Maybe Hatton just had an off night aganst Collazo to some extent. He was fighting at 147 for the first time and had little time to prepare for a larger foe who was a tricky left-hander. To his credit, Hatton admitted that Collazo hurt him and that 147 was not where he belonged.

Juan Urango is a southpaw like Collazo, but he's much slower than Collazo and he's a flat-footed guy. Urango is a stalker who showed against Ben Rabah that he hasn't learned to cut off the ring against an opponent who moves just a little bit. His entire game is to catch you with a big shot from long range. He doesn't do a lot of work on the inside. He reminds me of an older Mike Tyson who despite his short arms, powerful build and power-punching style never really did a lot of work in the trenches. Urango is strong and he won't have to go looking for Hatton like he did in his last fight against Rabah.

I think this fight will be a rucking and mauling type affair. Hatton will hold and bully on the inside and get in his shots to the body. He'll be busier than Urango. The referee will play a large part in this one and I hope it's not Jay Nady because if it is he will dominate the fight. Tony Weeks would be perfect for this one because he will let them fight. Urango is pretty skilled with his head so that is going to be a factor for Hatton's somewhat sensitive facial skin.

I don't know if Hatton can stop Urango. Again, these two guys are going to do a lot of wrestling and clinching and are going to be punching while one hand is free and the other one is tied up. Hatton is rough and busy and he's a lot quicker with his hands and on his feet than Urango is. His inside game is as good as anyone's and he uses angles very well. If he uses his footwork, which I feel is exceptional, and gets the angles on Urango he will throw the heavy footed Colombian off balance. Urango has a hard time when guys move to the left on him.

If Hatton takes his time and mixes some movement and boxing in with his inside game I think he'll do a job on Urango and really expose him. Hatton can make this fight easy if he wants to. Hatton has great boxing skills as he showed against Ben Tackie. My prediction is that Hatton wins a decision something in the order of 9-3 in rounds.

[KOJOE90]

The weights.

Hatton 139, Urango 139;
Castillo 139, Ngoudjo 140!
By Chris Bronte and Chris Cozzone at the scale
IBF junior welterweight champion Juan Urango (17-0, 13 KOs) and former two-division champion Ricky Hatton (41-0, 30 KOs) both weighed in at 139 lbs. at Friday's official weigh-in for Saturday's big fight card at Paris Las Vegas. Also, former two-time champion Jose Luis Castillo (54-7-1, 47 KOs), who has notoriously had problems making in recent fights (at lightweight), weighed in at 139 lbs. for his WBC 140lb eliminator against Herman Ngoudjo (15-0, 9 KOs) who scaled in at the division limit. All fighters made weight on the first attempt.

[fatcity]

The truth is until Ricky fights and beats Junior Witter he hasnt even shown himself to be the best 140pounder in England, let alone in the world... and talk of him being the best British fighter of all time is really too silly to comment on....

[mrbig1]

Sorry fellow boxing friends, but I still not sold on Ricky Hatton. He may win tonight. But I Don't see what's all the fuss is about.

[wildhawke11]

Hatton is a good gutsy fighter but i could name a good 50 or so British fighters who were far better then Ricky who in fact i do like, and have a lot of respect for. I mean lets get real here. How can anyone who knows even a little about boxing put him above Jimmy Wilde. Ted Kid Lewis and many, many others.

[BDeskins]

Hatton is the best 140 pounder in the world...he earned that claim by beating Tszyu.

[fatcity]

Hatton is the best 140 pounder in the world...he earned that claim by beating Tszyu.

But Tszyu wasnt the giant many try to make out and he was past his best, Hatton beat a good world champion in Tszyu but he's done basically nothing since and he still hasnt proved he's the best in Britain till he's beaten Junior Witter.... I know Witter isnt a huge name in America but hes a very talented boxer and has just the right style to beat Hatton, especially now as Ricky is on the slide...