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A Study in Contrasts Between Hatton and Tszyu
By Frank Maloney
This past weekend saw one of the biggest boxing events to
be staged in Britain since such high profile occasions such as
the Lewis -Bruno, Lewis - Ruddock, Benn - McClellan or
McGuigan - Pedroza fights. The Hatton - Tszyu card had been
the fastest selling fight on record in Britain, with all
22,000 tickets going in just 2 hours. Last week I'd visited
both the Hatton gymnasium and Tszyu's camp at the Arena in
Bolton. The different approach of how these fighters prepare
for fights and relate to the media was similar to the contrast
of doing your shopping in the corner shop or driving to
London's West End and browsing at Harrods.
The City of Manchester had reaped great renown for it's
hosting of the 2002 Commonwealth Games, but has recently
missed out on all major football trophies this year. England's
second largest city is now enjoying the spotlight that local
boy Ricky Hatton brought home to his beloved hometown by
toppling Kostya Tszyu, who had been described as the one of
the current best pound for pound fighters in the world today.
But many British reporters, who in their hearts wanted Ricky
to win, had gone into the event quietly saying that it might
be a step too far for Ricky.
I personally had been in Manchester all week, working
alongside my fighter Scott Harrison. Scott was preparing for a
defense of his WBO Featherweight title against another
Mancunian, Michael Brodie, at the same venue, Manchester
Evening News Arena, the night before Tszyu - Hatton so I was
in a perfect position to witness all the goings on during the
final build up for Hatton - Tszyu and there are many photos of
those events and of all the fights that weekend on my website,
www.frankmaloney.com
Going into last weekend, Ricky has won all 38 of his fights
and was the hottest property in British boxing, but still had
not developed an entourage, rather keeping the same friends
that he had grown up with. Hatton prefers to keep things plain
and simple, with the gym that he trains in, Phoenix Camp,
always having its doors open to the press, the public or just
kids from the street. Ricky's open media day at the gym a few
days before the big fight saw journalists and cameramen
packing the facility.
Everyone was there waiting for the young man to turn up.
When Ricky did enter the gym, it with just him with a bag on
his shoulder, a baseball cap on his head and his cheeky
schoolboy face. He started talking to everyone as if he had
known them all his life. He had time to sign pictures, posters
and nothing was too much for him.
Eventually, he sat on the ring apron and talked to the
media for at least 40 minutes before going through with a
light workout. I must comment on how fit and defined his body
looked. You could obviously see that all the hard work had
been done and this was just a day to chat and see the press.
Even between his working the bag and shadowboxing, Ricky had
time to play a couple of jokes on the press. The whole
environment was media friendly and very laid back.
The comments from the press in attendance were very
favorable and those newsmen weren't totally from Britain, with
many from coming from Australia, Europe and America as well.
You have to say that Ricky is dream for a promotional company
and for the media to work with. The same can't be said of the
former world champion, Kostya Tszyu and his media day that
took place the following afternoon.
That workout was held at Bolton Arena, which was purposely
built for the Commonwealth Games and is situated on the
outskirts of Manchester. As we arrived at the arena, Kostya
Tszyu's stretch limo and three backup cars pulled up. I have
to say that this was the biggest entourage I've seen since
Razor Ruddock paid a visit to our shores in the nineties. The
press were all held in the cafeteria and were issued orders by
a member of Team Tszyu before being allowed to enter the
workout area. Before we could go in however, those seeking to
see Tszyu's workout were scrutinized and some of the press
were denied entry.
No one was allowed to talk to Kostya Tszyu while he went
through an amazing routine of floor exercises and stretching.
Afterwards, the press were all asked to leave the gym. We
didn't know why but we assumed that was when Tszyu would be
working on tactics. This was unexpected and the comments
uttered by some of the British Press are thoroughly
unprintable. After about fifty minutes they were invited back
into the arena to see Tszyu go through a number of additional
stretching exercises. It finally ended with Kostya standing on
his head in the middle of the ring, during which he spoke with
the press.
Tszyu seemed more relaxed than members of his entourage
did. Eventually, he left the arena and we were told that he
would be back after having a shower. The Australian entourage
then went into overdrive, managing the press as to where they
were to sit and ask questions. Tszyu then reappeared and sat
on the ring apron, speaking to the press for about 20 minutes.
He was very respectful and paid compliments to Ricky during
his comments.
Someone had sprayed truckloads of manure on the fields
outside of the arena. The odor was coming though the building
and Tszyu mentioned that someone must be trying to poison him.
He did say this with a smile, the only time that happened
during the media day. He eventually left the arena by the back
exit so no one could follow him or take pictures.
Everything was done in an orderly and clinical fashion. It
was even more clinical and organized than the Lennox Lewis
camps I had been involved in. Tszyu's approach obviously
works, as he was still the world champion at that point,
despite being 35 years of age. The same approach that each
fighter applied at their respective media days was also very
noticeably in effect from both teams at the press conference.
Ricky joked with the press and Kostya Tszyu answered questions
clinically, clearly with great focus.
I was asked by someone to describe Tszyu and I said that he
looked like and sounded like a man preparing to do a clinical
assassination job and then get out without being captured. I
was also asked by the British press as to which approach to
the media was better, Hatton's or Tszyu's. I responded that I
worked that way Tszyu does when I was managing Lennox Lewis
and use a similar approach managing Scott Harrison. You can't
knock how Ricky operates and we found out on Sunday morning
what approach worked better.
All us British fans went in hoping that Ricky would be
successful but on the night I believed that the cold-eye no
nonsense approach of Scott Harrison would certainly work
against Michael Brodie. I had told people that if that fight
had gone past 5 rounds, I would have been surprised.
I don't know much about how Brodie prepared but I do know
that Harrison had reverted back to isolating himself in the
Scottish mountains and he also worked with a sports medicine
team from Glasgow University. People who say Scott has
problems making the weight should have been at the weigh-in.
Brodie had to remove his underpants to make the weight, while
Harrison wore thick wool socks along with a chain and cross
and made the weight the first time. It was a foreshadowing of
the fight to come as Scott knocked out Brodie with tremendous
body shots in the fourth round.
The Hatton way of training and preparing would not suit
Scott Harrison and vice versa. But none of us in boxing know
which is the right and wrong way. It's a unique sport and
managers and trainers have to find what works for the
individuals they work with. But maybe with the Hatton way
proving successful in the early hours of Sunday morning, it
could make the jobs of many managers and trainers much easier
if they adopted Ricky's down to earth approach.
In any case, the whole of Britain celebrated as the boy
next door became the number one light welterweight in the
world. Though many people in the trade may not approve of the
way he trains or approaches a big fight, it certainly works
for Ricky Hatton. The Spartan approach may work for Scott
Harrison but unfortunately for Kostya Tszyu, it didn't work
for him last Saturday night.
- Frank Maloney
6-9-2005
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