Ricky Hatton urges the Gypsy King to stop bickering about money and fight Joshua or Usyk, defends Ngannou exhibition and Fury’s legacy but admits he will be remembered for the fights he hasn’t had

British boxing legend Ricky Hatton has been discussing Tyson Fury’s decision to fight MMA star Francis Ngannou in an exhibition boxing match in October.

Speaking to Genting Casino, The Hitman claimed that “boxing is ultimately the loser – not because Fury is fighting Ngannou – because we can’t seem to make the big fights happen at the moment between AJ and Tyson or Usyk and Tyson”.

In a wide-ranging exclusive interview, Hatton also pondered the impact exhibition fights have on the sport of boxing, jumped to the defence of Tyson Fury for fighting Ngannou and discussed the Gypsy King’s legacy. He also offered him some advice for the remaining years of his career.

Boxing the big loser in exhibition fights: I think that boxing is ultimately the loser – not because Fury is fighting Ngannou – because we can’t seem to make the big fights happen at the moment between AJ and Tyson or Usyk and Tyson.
Don’t blame Tyson for Ngannou exhibition – he didn’t have many other options: You can’t blame Tyson for taking the fight or begrudge him the money that he will make from it. Look at his options. Tyson vs Usyk hasn’t happened. Tyson vs AJ hasn’t happened. Usyk has to fight Dubios as he is the mandatory contender, so that rules out a fight with Fury. The fight with Ngannou might be the only fight that is available for him. At least there’s quite a good story to the fight, Ngannou is such a big puncher….Usyk isn’t available. AJ isn’t available. Whyte isn’t available. Dubois isn’t available. What can Tyson do?
Hatton says that Fury wants to fight the best: I don’t think anyone can point their finger at Tyson and say that he doesn’t want to fight the best. He’s fought the best and he’s beat the best. I know that he wants the AJ fight, the Usyk fight. Those fights aren’t there for him at the moment so what’s the man to do? Although these fights aren’t necessarily good for the sport of boxing, I think this could have been the best move that Tyson could have made.
Hatton admits he’s worried about a Fury vs AJ fight ever happening: The fact that we’ve been waiting for so long for AJ vs Fury is very, very worrying. You know, Dillian Whyte can knock AJ out. Daniel Dubois can knock Usyk out. We’ve been waiting for years for AJ and Fury to find an agreement, come October, all the boxing fans will be sat on the edge of their seats hopeful that the fight can happen between AJ and Fury, but the fact is that if it goes tits up for AJ or Usyk in the fights they have scheduled, then it won’t happen. If Dubois beats Usyk and Dillian beats AJ, then the fight that we’ve been waiting for all these years, still hoping that it could happen, then it will never happen!
Hatton admits that Fury will be remembered for the fights he hasn’t had: I think Tyson will be remembered for the fights that he hasn’t had, but that doesn’t mean he won’t be remembered as a great or an all-time great boxer. The fights that we want haven’t happened over the last few years, but look at his record. His fights with Deontay Wilder, his fights with Klitschko. Going into the lion’s den in Germany and becoming the Heavyweight Champion. Look at his story – we all know about his problems – he was massively overweight, he was suicidal. He had major problems. He overcame those. He had two comeback fights and then went into the ring with one of the biggest punchers in the history of boxing in Deontay Wilder and put in a magical performance. Even after that performance, where he was knocked down in the eleventh and we were all worried if he was going to be able to get back up. Not only did he get up, he got up started knocking Wilder all over the ring! Then he beat him in the second fight and the third fight.
Hatton issues Tyson Fury some career advice: I’m not sure how that is going to happen to be honest. I think it will take one of AJ, Usyk or Tyson to swallow their pride and agree to the fight. The money is irrelevant. None of these guys will be wanting to think what if when they retire from the sport. There is no way I could have done that (not attempted to make the fight). I would be thinking about it all the time. It would do my head in. Hopefully Tyson can make it happen.
Hatton urges Fury, Joshua and Usyk to stop bickering over money: Forget about the money on offer. What’s the point in bickering over three or four million – which is a hell of a lot of money – but what difference does it make when you’ve got 60 or 80 (laughs), you know what I mean? Its dead easy for me to sit here on my fat are not being in that position. At the end of the day, I know Tyson wants those fights. I am sure that AJ and Usyk feel exactly the same way. It’s a shame that they haven’t happened because of squabbles over money and who gets the bigger percentage. Come on guys, let’s get it done!

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Ricky Hatton transcript

Recently, it was the three-year anniversary of Tyson Fury announcing a two-fight deal with Anthony Joshua. Obviously, neither fight happened. Now Tyson will be fighting MMA star Francis Ngannou in October while Joshua is fighting Dillian Whyte and Oleksandr Usyk — the WBA, IBF and WBO champion — faces a mandatory challenger, Britain’s Daniel Dubois next month. What are your thoughts on that?

I think that boxing is ultimately the loser – not because Fury is fighting Ngannou – because we can’t seem to make the big fights happen at the moment between AJ and Tyson or Usyk and Tyson.

What we need to realise when these exhibition fights happen, like when Floyd fought McGregor, the debate is always around if it’s hurting the sport of boxing. I think there’s a lot more to it. You can’t blame Tyson for taking the fight or begrudge him the money that he will make from it.

Look at his options. Tyson vs Usyk hasn’t happened. Tyson vs AJ hasn’t happened. Usyk has to fight Dubios as he is the mandatory contender, so that rules out a fight with Fury. The fight with Ngannou might be the only fight that is available for him. At least there’s quite a good story to the fight, Ngannou is such a big puncher….Usyk isn’t available. AJ isn’t available. Whyte isn’t available. Dubois isn’t available. What can Tyson do?

I don’t think anyone can point their finger at Tyson and say that he doesn’t want to fight the best. He’s fought the best and he’s beat the best. I know that he wants the AJ fight, the Usyk fight. Those fights aren’t there for him at the moment so what’s the man to do? Although these fights aren’t necessarily good for the sport of boxing, I think this could have been the best move that Tyson could have made.

It’s hard to predict the future, but after this fight in October, we’ll have a clearer picture of where the land lies at the top of the heavyweight division. Do you think that there could be the route for Fury to fight one of AJ, Usyk or potentially even a Dubois?

The fact that we’ve been waiting for so long for AJ vs Fury is very, very worrying. You know, Dillian Whyte can knock AJ out. Daniel Dubois can knock Usyk out. We’ve been waiting for years for AJ and Fury to find an agreement, come October, all the boxing fans will be sat on the edge of their seats hopeful that the fight can happen between AJ and Fury, but the fact is that if it goes tits up for AJ or Usyk in the fights they have scheduled, then it won’t happen.

If Dubois beats Usyk and Dillian beats AJ, then the fight that we’ve been waiting for all these years, still hoping that it could happen, then it will never happen!

Is there a danger that Tyson may be remembered for the fights that he hasn’t had?

I think Tyson will be remembered for the fights that he hasn’t had, but that doesn’t mean he won’t be remembered as a great or an all-time great boxer. The fights that we want haven’t happened over the last few years, but look at his record. His fights with Deontay Wilder, his fights with Klitschko. Going into the lion’s den in Germany and becoming the Heavyweight Champion. Look at his story – we all know about his problems – he was massively overweight, he was suicidal. He had major problems. He overcame those. He had two comeback fights and then went into the ring with one of the biggest punchers in the history of boxing in Deontay Wilder and put in a magical performance. Even after that performance, where he was knocked down in the eleventh and we were all worried if he was going to be able to get back up. Not only did he get up, he got up started knocking Wilder all over the ring! Then he beat him in the second fight and the third fight.

Tyson has already established a brilliant legacy in the sport of boxing, it’s just a shame that his legacy could be even greater if he fights AJ or Usyk. People are always opinionated. My advice to Tyson is, as well as he did in the Wilder fights and for how proud we all are of him for overcoming his demons outside of the ring and turning his life around, don’t be sat on the sofa in a few years’ time wondering what if I could have beaten AJ. What if I could have beaten Usyk. Rather than wondering, before it’s too late, get one of these fights in.

I’m not sure how that is going to happen to be honest. I think it will take one of AJ, Usyk or Tyson to swallow their pride and agree to the fight. The money is irrelevant. None of these guys will be wanting to think what if when they retire from the sport. There is no way I could have done that (not attempted to make the fight). I would be thinking about it all the time. It would do my head in. Hopefully Tyson can make it happen.

Forget about the money on offer. What’s the point in bickering over three or four million – which is a hell of a lot of money – but what difference does it make when you’ve got 60 or 80 (laughs), you know what I mean? Its dead easy for me to sit here on my fat are not being in that position. At the end of the day, I know Tyson wants those fights. I am sure that AJ and Usyk feel exactly the same way. It’s a shame that they haven’t happened because of squabbles over money and who gets the bigger percentage. Come on guys, let’s get it done!