FIGHT REVIEW Kostya Tszyu - Ricky Hatton World Jr. Welterweight Championship June 4, 2005       The June 4th Tzsyu - Hatton bout was a tough one for me to watch, and for a variety of reasons. Kostya Tszyu has been my favorite current fighter for the past 8 years, and being a huge fan of Ricky Hatton for the last three, I hate having to watch two guys I like fight. But with all due respect to Ricky, that was nothing short of a mugging. And the ref must have been a relative, cause there is just no other reason that he could have been in there and did nothing about some of the shit that was going on. The first three rounds consisted of ten years junior Ricky jumping in head first behind a series of punches, then holding Tszyu's right arm while he punched to the back of his head. Not once did "Uncle Ref" make Ricky break, nor warn him for his tactics. Around the 5th or 6th, Kostya lands a blow to the stomach that the eight of us watching could have sworn was a knockdown. We were mistaken, as the Ref ruled it a "slip". Soon after, the ref warned kostya for blows that were borderline to the belt, even though Hatton kept grabbing Tszyu and thus giving him no choice but to to go to the body. Questionable? Maybe. Intent? No. Yet after one "warning" by the ref to Tszyu for a punch to the beltline, Hatton strolls in and unloads a left to Kostya's jewels. Flagrant? YES. Point taken away from Hatton? Nope.       Yet people were saying that Tszyu quit in his stool before the 12th. You keep thinking that. But while you are at it, roll this around in your gray matter for a bit. Your in Hatton's hometown, in front of 22,000 drunk Brits who are there to SEE HATTON WIN. I have no doubt the ref knew that, and wanted to get home in one piece, hence his performance. You have been held and hit, wrestled and pushed around. You scored a knockdown they didn't count and got a punch in the balls that drew no penalty. And you have to know that Tszyu was going to have to knock Hatton out TWICE to get credit ONCE. He knew, and his corner knew, that he had no chance of winning. Even with both eyes almost closed, he could still see the writing on the wall. HE WASN'T GOING TO WIN. Not there.       You say he quit, I say welcome to MEN Arena. Cause anywhere else, Ricky doesn't get away with any of that shit, and I for one feel that anywhere else, the outcome is different. Not saying Tszyu would have won, but at least he gets home with his wallet still in his pocket (as I said, it was a mugging) and his nuts the same size as when we got into the ring. If there was anyone Kostya Tzsyu had to lose to in that division, then I had hoped that if he had to pass the torch it would be to Hatton. But not like that. And was it me, or did the Showtime guys call a one-sided fight? It was sad, all the more because one of the sports classiest guys got treated so poorly. I wish nothing but the best for Hatton, but I think it will be a different story if he fights anywhere but his hometown. And Tszyu deserved better. He has been nothing but a credit to the sport, a true gentleman and a class act. He defined the word "champion". If the torch was indeed passed on, somehow it just doesn't seem to burn as brightly. A bittersweet night for boxing.

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