by James Slater – It is now official. Former two-weight world champion Zab “Super” Judah will fight Matthew “Magic” Hatton on the under-card of the big Floyd Mayweather Junior Vs. Juan Manuel Marquez bout in Las Vegas on July 18th. There has been talk of the less famous of the Hatton brothers taking a big step up in class and boxing the Brooklyn southpaw for a while now, and the intriguing contest is sure to provide good supporting action to the big one in July.
Nowhere near as famous as big brother Ricky, 28-year-old Matthew Hatton is a good enough fighter in his own right. Make no mistake though, this fight is a risky one for the man with the 37-4-1(14) pro record. 31-year-old Judah, a former light-welterweight and welterweight world champion, will be the betting favourite to win on July 18th. Holding a huge edge in experience, Zab will also feel confident due to the fact that Hatton is no big puncher..
Matthew will likely have to win this one on work-rate and sheer desire, and his chances of doing this cannot be written off. Amazingly, though he has operated only at British and Commonwealth level thus far in his nine year pro career, Hatton has had almost as many fights as Judah. Zab, who has won just once since his TD loss to Joshua Clottey, is now 37-6(25) and it’s not clear exactly how much he has left.
Like his brother, Hatton is a good body puncher and he is sure to attempt to work Zab’s midsection when the two meet. Also, in recent times, Judah has been somewhat prone to cuts and facial injuries. Might “Magic” win by that route? Scheduled for ten rounds at welterweight as the bout is, this too may prove to be advantageous for Hatton. Many fans have said a number of times that 140 is the ideal weight for Zab, yet he continues to fight as a welterweight. Will Matthew, who is an inch the taller fighter, prove to be the stronger man in the ring?
When it comes to speed and power, Zab is the clear favourite. Although he’s not a monster puncher himself, Judah hits a whole lot harder than does Hatton. Another factor has to be Zab’s southpaw stance. The last time Hatton faced a lefty he lost – on points to Craig Watson in a Commonwealth title bout in May of last year. Will Zab’s flashy, hard to read style give Matthew fits?
All in all, this fight has a number of interesting questions attached to it, and usually this is the sign of a good piece of matchmaking. The pick has to be Judah – based on his world class experience, his edge in speed and power and his fast-handed approach from the southpaw stance.
Hatton’s strength and sheer will might make things tough for Judah at times, though, and a distance fight looks a good bet (Hatton has only been stopped once).
Judah on points for me.