Quote:
Originally Posted by
Busyman™
Dude, you just said what I did but nitpicked the piece of quote you wanted.
To answer a specific point isn't "nit-picking". It's answering a specific point.
Hatton didn't become a good fighter when he fought an American. He spent years becoming a good fighter before that. He dedicated his life to it and worked really hard to become a good fighter.
The people he fought to become a good fighter did the same, tho' perhaps not reaching the same heights.
The same goes for American boxers, they work their way through the ranks, gradually becoming better and better until they get to the top of their profession. A tiny minority of them.
The disrespect comes when people say "who has he fought". The answer being "decent fighters who you just happen not to have heard of".
Hatton, Calzaghe etc have no more need to prove themselves than some American fighter who has worked his way up thro' the ranks fighting other American fighters. They are unbeaten World Champions. It's up to someone else to prove they aren't up to it.
That's kind of the point of being unbeaten as a World champion. No-one has had the bottle, or ability, or work ethic to step into the ring with you and take your title.
Ali didn't do it. Haggler didn't do it. Hearns didn't do it. Frazier didn't do it. De La Hoya didn't do it. Tyson didn't do it. Leonard didn't do it. Duran didn't do it. The list goes on and on.
So far Hatton has done it. He has beaten everyone put in front of him. That doesn't make him one of the all time great fighters. Just someone who no-one else has been able to beat, at different weights.
Joe Calzaghe is the same. Just someone who no-one else put in front of him has been able to beat.
That's the disrespect issue.
Q - Who have you beaten?
A - So far, everybody.
