December 7, 2007
\nColumn 310
\nHatton vs. Mayweather, and the Boxing-Darts Connection<\/b><\/p>\n
How can any respectable darts journalist pass up the opportunity to comment on tomorrow night\u2019s mega-reprise of the good old Leonard-Hearns-Hagler days of the 1980s?<\/p>\n
Okay, so I\u2019m not a journalist…<\/p>\n
OKAY, so I\u2019m not particularly respectable, at least according to women.<\/p>\n
But I do know a little something about darts, at least according to me.<\/p>\n
Not long ago, somebody asked why I\u2019m so passionate about our sport. I remember almost exactly what I said: I am captivated by the purity, the \u201csweet science\u201d of darts \u2013 the paradox of simplicity and complexity, the mix of power and precision, strategy and mental strength. The battle \u2013 and make no mistake about it, the sport of darts is nothing less, whether between two professionals on stage, under the lights, in front of the camera, or between two buddies in the back corner of a neighborhood bar \u2013 is exhausting, exhilarating and beautifully addictive.<\/p>\n
Just like boxing.<\/p>\n
So it\u2019s only natural that I offer a word or two on Saturday\u2019s spectacular, called \u201cUndefeated,\u201d featuring America\u2019s Floyd Mayweather and England\u2019s Ricky Hatton at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. It may be a boxing match but it\u2019s\u2026<\/p>\n
Just like darts.<\/p>\n
The hoopla that\u2019s led up to this fight reminds me of the posturing that preceded Phil Taylor\u2019s 21-10 leg drubbing of Raymond van Barneveld in the so-called \u201cMatch of the Century\u201d at Wembley Conference Centre in 1999. My mind harkens back to 2004 when Taylor again stepped to the line for a grudge match, this time against Andy Fordham \u2013 who was unable to meet the bell at the beginning of the eighth set.<\/p>\n
These big time darts confrontations bear more than just a mix of \u201cpower and precision\u201d similarity with the fight game. For example, as most darts insiders know, it wasn\u2019t so long ago that Fordham was the WDC Flyweight Champion.<\/p>\n
Of course, everyone \u2013 including many ballroom dance aficionados who wish they were blind \u2013 knows of \u201cPretty Boy\u201d Mayweather. With a record of 38-0 (24 KOs), the three time national Golden Gloves champion, 1996 Olympic bronze medalist, current Super Welterweight Champion, winner of six world titles in five different divisions and Ring Magazine\u2019s selection for 26 months running as the best pound-for pound boxer on the planet, it comes as no surprise \u2013 particularly to Mayweather \u2013 that he\u2019s who most, but certainly not all, the smart money is on.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe fight won\u2019t go the distance, I can promise you that,\u201d says Mayweather. \u201cI respect what (\u201cSugar\u201d Ray) Robinson and Ali did for the sport, but I am the greatest and this is my time.\u201d Yes, the quiet and unassuming Mayweather is a bit of an Eric Bristow clone \u2013 a \u201cbraggart with bling\u201d wrote FOX Sports\u2019 Mark Kriegel. But also like Bristow in his heyday, and Ali, Mayweather gets the job done, often before he steps into the ring.<\/p>\n
Then there is Manchester\u2019s \u201cHitman\u201d Hatton with his equally untarnished 43-0 (32 KOs) record. Widely hailed as one of the greatest British boxers ever, Hatton was Ring\u2019s 2005 Fighter of the Year (and is also ranked among the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world. Twice he\u2019s held the IBF and IBO Light Welterweight titles and he\u2019s a former WBA Welterweight Champion.<\/p>\n
He\u2019s also a bit of a comedian. When asked to comment on Mayweather\u2019s Dancing with the Stars appearance, Hatton was quick with a quip: \u201cQuite impressive,\u201d he offered, \u201cbut not as good as me on 15 pints of Guinness.\u201d When asked about Mayweather\u2019s arrogance he threw a jab, \u201cIf there was such a thing as re-incarnation, Floyd would come back as himself.\u201d<\/p>\n
Not unlike Mayweather, Hatton also shares something in common with Bristow \u2013 just as Bristow was awarded an MBE for services to sport in 1989, Hatton received the honor earlier this year.<\/p>\n
Considered the biggest welterweight fight since 1999 when Oscar De La Hoya fought with his feet instead of his gloves and lost a majority decision to the straight right hands Felix Trinidad, tickets to \u201cUndefeated\u201d sold out in thirty minutes. Forty-eight hours before the bell VIP floor seats were being auctioned for $3,000 at eBay. This is the short answer to why when yet another darts-boxing connection, three time world champion John Lowe (who damn well ought to be awarded an MBE) contacted me about meeting up at the fight, I begged off and ordered HBO Pay-Per-View instead.<\/p>\n
But there are more darts connections. It\u2019s well known that thirteen time world champion Phil Taylor and Hatton are mates. Less well known is that Hatton is more than just a fan of Taylor\u2019s and darts. Hatton actually throws in a league back home out of the New Inn in Stockport, Manchester. Between training sessions in Las Vegas he and his entourage have been spotted at the Crown & Anchor Pub \u2013 and Hatton\u2019s been pounding the sisal. Yes, he\u2019s more than just a fan of our sport; he\u2019s a player and he takes it seriously.<\/p>\n
Tomorrow night\u2019s fight is a classic match-up right out of the Ali-Frazier mold…<\/p>\n
Mayweather, like Ali, has the longer reach and is a smart and tactical fighter with the \u201cfastest hands in boxing\u201d and \u201cunusual\u201d defensive skills. He\u2019s a boxer who dances and uses the ring. He ain\u2019t easy to hit. Heralded more for his accuracy than his power, I think of him as a doubles man. Give him a shot at the d20 and you\u2019re not likely to get another trip to the line.<\/p>\n
Hatton, like Frazier, is a worker, a fighter with a devastating left hook who bores in, plants his head on his opponent\u2019s shoulder and mauls them, brawls them, tires them and then drops them. From the opening \u201cgame on\u201d bell he\u2019s a relentless \u201cone-hundred-and-eighty\u201d man who not once in his career has given his opponent a shot at the double.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s gonna be a hell of a fight. I\u2019ll be watching with my dog and a six-pack.<\/p>\n
The \u201csmart\u201d money may be on Mayweather but mine is on the arrows man.<\/p>\n
From the Field,<\/p>\n
Dartoid<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
How can any respectable darts journalist pass up the opportunity to comment on tomorrow night\u2019s mega-reprise of the good old Leonard-Hearns-Hagler days of the 1980s?<\/p>\n
Okay, so I\u2019m not a journalist…<\/p>\n
OKAY, so I\u2019m not particularly respectable, at least according to women.<\/p>\n
But I do know a little something about darts, at least according to me.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":6498,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_eb_attr":"","_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center 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can any respectable darts journalist pass up the opportunity to comment on tomorrow night\u2019s mega-reprise of the good old Leonard-Hearns-Hagler days of the 1980s? Okay, so I\u2019m not a journalist... OKAY, so I\u2019m not particularly respectable, at least according to women. But I do know a little something about darts, at least according to…","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"authors":[{"term_id":15,"user_id":2,"is_guest":0,"slug":"dartoid","display_name":"Dartoid","avatar_url":{"url":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/2024-02-13-12_01_31-Dartoids-World-_-The-most-widely-read-column-about-darts-in-the-world.png","url2x":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/2024-02-13-12_01_31-Dartoids-World-_-The-most-widely-read-column-about-darts-in-the-world.png"},"first_name":"Paul","last_name":"Seigel","user_url":"http:\/\/www.dartoidsworld.com","job_title":"","description":"\"Dartoid\" is the pseudonym of Paul Seigel, a prominent chronicler of darts for over 35 years. His columns are celebrated for their wit and insight, often detailing his quest for a game in exotic locales worldwide. His writing offers vibrant commentary on the competitive darts landscape, including players, organizations, tournaments and the sport's unique culture. Dartoid's articles are highly regarded among darts enthusiasts, solidifying his role as a pivotal figure in promoting and documenting darts as both a recreational pastime and professional sport."}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7179","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7179"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7179\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6498"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7179"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7179"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7179"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dartoidsworld.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=7179"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}