COMPUBOX POST-FIGHT ANALYSIS:
RICKY HATTON W12 LUIS COLLAZO

May 16, 2006
- by Bob Canobbio/Compubox

Ricky Hatton came to the United States and narrowly conquered.

Hatton, a former 140-lb champ, moved up to welterweight to challenge the slick, natural 147-lb Collazo. Out on his feet, he survived a 12th round barrage from the light-hitting Collazo (12 ko's in 27 fights), winning a controversial unanimous decision before a crowd of 6,280 at Boston's TD Banknorth Garden.

Hatton started fast, dropping Collazo with a left hook twenty seconds into the fight as they broke from a clinch. "The referee said break, so I stepped back and he threw a punch and knocked me down," said Collazo, who landed 213 of 712 (30%) total punches to 259 of 741 (35%) for Hatton. With Hatton's throw-a-combination, then clinch style, his jab's a rumor and it showed in his stats. He landed just 5 of 104 attempts, but held a 254-167 edge in power connects, throwing 637 to Collazo's 471. Hatton landed 40% of his non-jabs, Collazo 35%.

Speaking of non-jabs, Collazo averaged just 20 jabs per round for the fight, landing 46 of 241 (19%)- a testament to Hatton's overwhelming, swarming style of fighting. When Collazo did jab, the fight was easy for him. He got off 40 jabs in the fifth round and proceeded to outland Hatton 21-7 in total punches. Collazo threw 27 jabs in the sixth round and again outlanded Hatton in total punches for the round (21-17). Not only did Collazo outland Hatton 42-24 in those rounds, his jab prevented Hatton from throwing, as Ricky averaged just 37 punches thrown.

Hatton superior conditioning and will to win was evident over the next three rounds, as he upped his punch count to 70 punches thrown per round. He outlanded Collazo 73-37 in power shots, sweeping those rounds on 2 judges cards and winning two of three on the third card. He slumped to 45 punches thrown in the tenth-why? because Collazo fired off 25 jabs. Collazo's jab count dropped to 16 in the eleventh and Hatton responded by getting off 72 total punches, outlanding Luis 31-13 in power shots.

They went toe-to-toe in the last round, as Collazo got off 76 total punches, 62 of which were power shots, his high totals for the fight, as Hatton was one or two shots away from hitting the canvas.

Novice championship-fight judges Don O'Neil and Paul Driscoll scored it wide at 115-112 Hatton. Judge Leo Gerstel had it 114-113, Hatton, the difference being the first round knockdown.

Hatton's U.S. debut on the big stage showed his got the heart of a champion and the body of a junior welterweight. He walks into too many shots and would have serious issues against a welterweight with more pop than Collazo. Forget Mayweather, who's a small welterweight himself. Oscar, a 154-lber, is too big. Hatton-Cotto would be a shootout, and let's not forget Arturo Gatti. A Hatton-Gatti fight in Madison Square Garden would be Graziano-Zale all over again. Buckle up...