04.02.09 – by James Slater – In many cases, a pro fighter’s pride sees to it that the first loss he suffers in the ring is a result that simply has to be avenged. In some cases, the need to redeem themselves becomes a thing of obsession for prize fighters. Imagine the great Muhammad Ali, for example, if he’d not been able to get revenge over “Smokin'” Joe Frazier? Or how about if he’d not even been given the chance to do so?
Ricky Hatton, the number-one right now at light-welterweight, has admitted he thinks about his sole career loss a lot. Losing via 10th round stoppage to the superb Floyd Mayweather Junior as he did, Hatton craves nothing more than the chance to redeem himself in a rematch. But with “Money” all but retired (maybe for good), the rematch looks a pretty distant possibility. Speaking of Hatton, there is a fighter who is currently going through the exact same thing as he is – due to losing his perfect record to “The Hitman” himself.
Juan Urango, who lost his IBF 140-pound belt and the zero at the end of his record when he met Hatton in January of 2007, has come out and said his points loss to the 30-year-old is something he “can’t accept.” A fighter’s pride, once again, has spoken. But as with Ricky and his own need to at least try to do something about the maiden loss that proves so bothersome for many a fighter, “The Iron Twin” appears to have at best a long shot of a chance to get his conqueror back in the ring with him.
Though he is now the IBF world champion once again, it is unlikely Urango has anything Hatton would be tempted to want to fight him a second time for. The chiselled Colombian, who knocked down Herman Ngoudjo twice on Jan. 31st to take the title that had been stripped from Paulie Malignaggi for TAKING a fight with Hatton, has said he would love to face Ricky after his big May 2nd fight against Manny Pacquiao – whether Hatton wins it or loses it. It is not the lure of the big money that drives Urango, it is not the desire to become the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world (although both these factors may be of minor importance to the 28-year-old) – it is the need for revenge and revenge only that makes Urango want so badly to fight Hatton again.
Some would say that a win over a Hatton that has just been beaten by “Pac-Man” would no longer mean as much as it would have done had he kept his status as one of the very best, but the reigning IBF champ is not concerned about any thoughts along those lines. Whether he wins or loses in May, Hatton is the man Urango would give anything to fight for a second time.
Will Hatton-Urango II happen? Probably not. Will fight fans be at all bothered if this is the case? Again, probably not. But spare a thought for what Juan Urango is going through today, and what he will continue to go through until his fighting days are over.
Also take the time to give Urango credit for being a fighter with the sufficient pride to make him more than willing (read desperate) to get back in the ring with the only man to have ever proven superior to him. If every fighter in the sport had the same attitude, boxing would be in better shape than it is.