RICKY HATTON fought the best of his generation against Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao.
But neither gave the Manchester hero as much trouble as Luis Collazo.
Ricky Hatton lost to Floyd Mayweather in 2007
Ricky Hatton was knocked out by Manny Pacquiao in 2009
The year was 2006 and Hatton had moved up to welterweight in pursuit of a super-fight against pound-for-pound king Mayweather.
And welcoming him to 147lb was the rugged Collazo, from New York with Puerto Rican descent.
Hatton looked on track for his easiest night’s work after scoring a knockdown in the opening round.
But Collazo came on strong down the stretch and pushed the fight so close that the knockdown was actually the deciding factor.
So despite the dazzling skills of Mayweather and one-punch power of Pacquiao, it was that night in Boston which sticks out the most for Hatton.
He said on talkSPORT: “That was my toughest fight.
“I mean, getting beat by Pacquiao like I did was very tough to come to terms with and Floyd Mayweather was just technically so good.
“From a physical point of view [Collazo was tougher]. I never made fights easy for myself. I was always going to have it out with someone.”
Ricky Hatton beat Luis Collazo in 2006
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Hatton was a career light-welterweight – where in 2005 he beat the great Kostya Tszyu – but he moved up to become a two-division champ.
He said: “I’m 5ft 6in. I’m not tall for junior welterweight. So, to move up to welterweight…
“Billy Graham, my trainer, said, ‘No, don’t do it, Rick. Don’t do it.’ But I wanted to do what my heroes had done.
“I wanted to try to become a world champion in two weight divisions. I took it, and I knocked him down in the first ten seconds.
“I thought, ‘I’ll be in the bar in half an hour at this rate.’ But he got up and I won it on a unanimous decision, but only by one point.
“I think it was only the knockdown that won it. The people that I could bully at 10 stone. When I got close, I could push them, shove them all.
“I couldn’t do it at 10st 7lbs. I hit him, and the shots just bounced off him. I went to shove him back and he didn’t move.
“I thought, ‘Oh this is going to be a long night.’”
Hatton, now 44 and over a decade retired, won Collazo’s WBA title that night but paid the price for it.
He said: “It was the worst after I’ve felt. I had hot sweats, shaky, shivering and I couldn’t even go to the afterparty I was in such a bad way.
“Every time he hit me – Floyd Mayweather wasn’t a big puncher, he was technically unreal – but [Collazo] was a big punching southpaw, and every time he hit me, oh my lord!”
Collazo, 42, fought as recently as March, losing to Angel Ruiz Astorga.
Hatton would go on to lose in ten rounds to Mayweather and then be brutally KO’d by Pacquiao two years later.
He retired in 2012 after defeat to Vyacheslav Senchenko but he did make a comeback last year for an exhibition with Juan Manuel Marquez, 49.
Juan Manuel Marquez and Ricky Hatton
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average time it takes to become a professional fighter?
Professional boxing requires years of dedication and hard work. You will need to train at least 10 hours per semaine if you want to be a professional boxer.
What is Boxing and how does it work?
Boxing is a sport where two people try to knock out each other by hitting them in their head and faces. The objective of boxing involves hitting your opponent as hard, but not causing any injury. Both boxers need to be able throw punches at high speeds in order to achieve this. They must also have good hand-eye coordination.
Can I box without fighting?
Training boxing requires fighting. It takes hard work to improve your boxing technique. If you put in the work, you will see improvements in your boxing technique, speed and endurance as well as strength and stamina.
Watching good boxers fight is the first step to improving your boxing technique. It is important to observe their movements, their defenses, and how well they use punches. Try to imitate their movements.
Next, you’ll need to spar against another boxer. This is where you will see if your boxing technique has improved. It’s important to observe how fast you can punch, the strength of your punches and how well you block any incoming punches while sparring.
Finally, practice your skills by performing drills. Practice makes perfect, so be patient and persistent.
How much weight should you lift while working out?
If you are looking to increase your strength, weight lifting is a must. Lifting weights should be done with care. You should not overdo it. Try to lift heavier weights every day. Third, complete each exercise 8 times. Fourth, you should rest for two minutes between sets. Fifth, perform all exercises without using momentum. And lastly, put more emphasis on form than speed.
What are some of the benefits of learning how to box
If you want to learn how to box, then you should consider the following reasons:
- It builds confidence. Being able to box will help you face bullies and other bullies.
- It improves your overall health. Boxing increases muscle mass. Muscle mass is what makes you stronger.
- It helps you to learn self-defense skills. You learn how fight and how to protect yourself.
- It develops your mental toughness. You need mental toughness to face difficult situations.
- This gives you an incredible sense of achievement. Once you’ve mastered a certain technique, you’ll feel like a real boxer.
- It’s fun! Nothing is more fun than being punched in a stomach.
- It’s cheap. All you need are a pair of punching bags and boxing gloves.
- It doesn’t require much space
How to protect yourself
Always defend your head when you’re being attacked. The goal is to avoid getting punched. You must know how to stop an incoming punch. Here’s what you need to do:
- Elevate your shoulders high and straighten your shoulders.
- Keep your elbows in line with your sides.
- Block the incoming punch with your forearm.
- Counterattack immediately.
- Continue blocking the attacker until he runs away.
- Don’t let your defense slip.
How can a beginner start boxing at home?
Boxing is one our oldest sports. Boxing was originally developed during ancient times to train warriors to fight against enemies. Boxing is still a popular sport all over the globe. Boxing does not require that you go to a gym. A pair of gloves, punching bags and a few sparring buddies are all you need.
You can also find local amateur boxing clubs where you can join and get trained by professional coaches. Once you master basic punches & combinations, you will be ready for competition in tournaments.
Statistics
- This article received 39 testimonials and 89% of readers who voted found it helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. (wikihow.com)
- You want to be running at roughly 75-80% of your top speed..5 mile slow, easy recovery jog at the end.[6]X Research source 2Mix in long runs, shadow boxing, and short sprints on non-interval days. (wikihow.com)
External Links
expertboxing.com
boxandflow.com
How To
Here are some basic skills in boxing
How to box effectively
Boxing is one the most well-known sports in the world. Two opponents fight each other to the death. There are different rules for boxing, and they vary from one country to the next. There are three main types of boxing: Amateur boxing, Professional boxing, and Olympic boxing.
Amateur boxing is often practiced at school, college, or university. This type includes sparring sessions using padded gloves, but without protection. Usually amateur boxing competitions consist of three rounds of five minutes each. Amateur boxing can be done in many styles, including Kickboxing and Muay Thai, Taekwondo or Karate, Judo, Wrestling, and Muay Thai.
Professional boxing is usually practiced in gyms, clubs or stadiums. They are protected by protective equipment like a mouthpiece, nose protector, shinguards, elbow pads and knee pads, waist belt, and groin protection. Professional boxing contests last six rounds and last for four minutes each. There are many styles of professional boxing: Boxing, MMA (Mixed Martial Arts), Kickboxing and Muay Thai.
Olympic boxing is practiced at the Olympics. Boxers are required to wear international standards-compliant protective gear. Each round lasts three minutes and is made up of eight rounds. Olympic boxing has only two styles, Light Flyweight vs Heavyweight.
The basics of boxing are:
- Techniques for punching
- Guarding techniques
- Footwork
- Stance
- Movement of the body
- Defense
- Combination
- Rotation
- Spare parts
Punching Techniques
There are seven types. Each punch comes with its own technique. Some punches need more power than others. An uppercut, for instance, requires tremendous strength. A straight punch, on the other hand requires less power and is quicker than other punches.
There are also different combinations. These are combinations made up of several punches that can be used together to achieve one goal. A combination may have multiple parts. A left hook followed with a right-cross will cause injury to the opponent’s jaw.
Guard Techniques
Boxers use their bodies to defend themselves against attack. He does this by using his legs.
Legs
A boxer must use his legs to defend against kicks. After receiving a kick, he will raise his leg and move away from the attacker. To avoid being kicked on his side, he will bend his knees if the attack is from the front. If the attack comes from behind, however, he can stand straight up and block the kick by his foot.
Elbows
Elbow strikes are very powerful because they inflict great pain. An elbow strike can be delivered directly or indirectly. Directly means that you hit your opponent with your forearm while indirectly means that you hit him with another part of your arm.
Hands
Boxers use their hands as a shield against incoming punches. Boxers use their hands to stop incoming punches. They raise their fists up above their heads and move towards the attack. The attacker’s fist is then in their face.
Knees
Boxers should bend their knees when receiving blows to the abdomen, stomach, or chest. Knee strikes can be used to defend yourself.
Feet
Boxers should respond to being attacked by their opponent by standing back and delivering counter-attacks. This will allow him to gain distance from his opponent. Additionally, boxers need to maintain their balance when they counter-attack.
Stances
To box effectively, a boxer must establish a stance. The way he defends himself will be determined by his stance. It is how he positions himself and where he faces the opponent. Boxers have many options for stances. These are the most popular:
- Low stance
- High stance
- Southpaw stance
- Western stance
Body Movement
A boxer must be able to move around his opponent in order to win a fight. This includes changing speed, position and rhythm.
Rotation
A boxer will rotate his arm when he is throwing a punch. You can rotate at different speeds depending upon the punch.
Combinations
The timing of each punch determines the effectiveness of a combination. A combination that is effective starts with a strong punch, and ends with one that is weak.
Spares
Sparring is a form of boxing that aims to improve your skills. During sparring sessions, a boxer trains his mind as well as his body. In conclusion, the purpose of sparring is to learn how to fight and not get hurt.
Learning to box takes dedication and patience. To be a better boxer you need to train hard.
