The IBF and WBA light welterweight champ's promoters are expected to announce the fight officially next week, just three weeks after the Hatton camp initially turned down Collazo as an opponent because of his spoiling, southpaw style.
Hatton's championship debut in the States has also been switched from Foxwoods Casino to the Boston Gardens, home of ice hockey team Boston Bruins, which holds around 14,000 fans.
A rumour swept the fight game yesterday that Collazo was the latest victim of a jinx which seems to have hit Hatton's bid to conquer the States.
Revealed
The story went that he had broken a hand in training, just a week after Juan Lazcano broke a finger and pulled out of his match-up with Hatton, hours before it was due to be announced.
But Hatton's US promoter Art Pelullo made a panicky phone call to Collazo's promoter Don King and was assured the fight would be going ahead.
Last week, Hatton's UK promoter Dennis Hobson revealed that Hatton's trainer Billy Graham felt Collazo, who has won 26 and lost one, would not be suitable for a fight in which Hatton hopes to woo an American audience.
"Billy had reservations about Collazo's style," admitted Hobson. "He felt that Collazo would play the spoiler and try to put a dampener on what we believe will be an explosive championship debut for Ricky in America." Tweet
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WELL DONE RICK ,REALY GLAD YOUR FIGHTING A CREDIBLE OPPONENT ,THIS GUY COLLAZO IS NO MUG I,VE LOOKED HIS RECORD UP AND I SUSPECT HE,S THE BEST BOXER RICK HAS SO FAR FACED ,YEAH WE ALL KNOW BOUT THE KOSTYA TZYU FIGHT BUT THIS GUY AIN,T PAST HIS SELL BY DATE BELIEVE ME , IF RICKY COMES THROUGH THIS ONE THE WORLDS HIS OYSTER AND HE CAN LOOK FORWARD TO A MEGA MONEY FIGHT WITH THE WINNER OF THE MAYWEATHER JUDAH FIGHT ,AS FAR AS RICKS LT WELTER BELTS GO I TRULY FEEL HE,LL MOVE UP A DIVISION IF HE COMES THROUGH THE COLLAZO FIGHT OK.
Not sure about this one for our Ricky.Might be another Manning Galloway(the spoiler)type.He could frustrate Hatton,force him to make some bad mistakes,but if he comes ontop with a late stoppage,more power to him.More reason for Floyd Mayweather to keep running away from him.
Hatton is the biggest name in the world at the moment for all the right reasons, he is master of the ring and will conquer america like he did England, only difference being he will find it eaiser to beat the Americans....Also does anyone know if his fight on May13th will be shown on British Television
HI JOHN FROM CHORLTON ,I,VE ALWAYS ENJOYED YOUR WELL INFORMED COMMENTS BUT I DON,T THINK FOR ONE MOMENT FLOYDS DOING A RUNNER FROM RICKY,AS YOU ARE WELL AWARE ITS ALL DOWN TO THE MONEY AIN,T IT ,AND IF THEY BOTH COME THROUGH THERE RESPECTIVE FIGHTS I,M DEAD SURE THEY WILL GET IT ON ,I THINK RICKS HAVING WEIGHT PROBLEMS SO HE MAY HAVE STICK TO THE WELTER DIV WHICH AT THIS MOMENT IN TIME IS CHOCK FULL OF TALENT ,JOEL JULIO AND ANTONIO MARGARITO SPRING READILY TO MIND I,VE SEEN BOTH THESE KIDS AND THEY LOOK SOMETHING SPECIAL ,ANYWAY RICKS GOT TO GET THROUGH THE COLLAZO FIGHT FIRST BEFORE EVEN THINKING ABOUT MAYWEATHER .
Hello everyone and I just want everyone to know that this is going to be a good fight whether you believe in my cousin or not... Collazo is good and he is Don King's best kept secret thats why alot of people don't really know who he is. But after this fight everyone will know.............Good luck to both fighters..............
Colin from thailand,I`m no expert boxing critic,it`s only presumptions,thats all.I see your point about Mayweather not duckin Hatton,after all,it is all about money and boxing politics and all that.But I still think Hatton wants to fight him quicker than he does,but then again I`m probably wrong.
YEAH JOHN YOUR BANG ON WITH YOUR THOUGHTS ,THE GAME IS ALL ABOUT POLITICS AND MONEY ,I,VE ALWAYS THOUGHT THAT RICK DODGED JUNIOR WITTER FOR YONKS BUT LIKE YOU I COULD BE WRONG TOO !,I LOST A FEW QUID ON THE LACY CALZAGHE FIGHT SO NOBODYS PERFECT EH,THIS FIGHT WITH CALLAZO IS NO CAKEWALK FOR RICK BELIEVE ME ,BUT RICKS GETTING A REPORTED 2.9 MILLION $ SO HE,LL COME OUT WELL WIN LOSE OR DRAW ,I,VE THOUGHT FOR AGES THAT RICKS BEEN HAVING WEIGHT PROBLEMS MOVING UP TO WELTER CONFIRMS MY THOUGHTS ,THE REAL MONEY IS IN AMERICA THATS A FACT SO IF RICK COMES THROUGH THIS FIGHT OK HE CAN NAME HIS PRICE FOR THE NEXT 2 BEFORE LAUGHING ALL THE WAY TO THE BANK AND RETIREMENT .
I am very interested to see what Hatton does in his States debut. I have noticed in fights in England the referee calls for a lot LESS breaks during the action than they do in fights over here. The lack of breaks is very condusive to Hatton's inside style and short arms. If there are more breaks Hatton is open to a lot more punches from taller fighters. Hatton is one of my favorites but so is Tszyu. I think Tszyu would have won the fight, had it been in the States because of style of refereeing. Hindsight though, so I can't complain. Should be a great fight. I don't know much about Callazo myself, but I don't think DK would be around if he sucked. Or maybe King is just there to recruit Hatton? Good luck to both fighters.
SOLDIER IN IRAQ CUT OFF FROM HIS MATES IN THE DESERT, FOR TWO DAYS HE,S LOOKING FOR THEM TOTALY LOST AND NO WATER ,ALL OF A SUDDEN HE STEPS ON A LANDMINE ,BANG!! BLOWS HIS LEGS CLEAN OFF,HE CUTS HIS BELT OFF IN TWO PIECES AND TIES THEM ROUND HIS STUMPS ,FOR 3 MORE DAYS HE,S CRAWLING ROUND THE DESERT DIEING OF THIRST WHEN HE SEE,S A BIG GREEN BOTTLE IN THE SAND ,HE THINKS WATER AT LAST ,CRAWLS TO THE BOTTLE AND TAKES THE CORK OFF ,OUT COMES A GENIE 10 FT TALL STANDING OVER HIM ,GENIE SAYS I,VE BEEN INSIDE THAT FOR A 1000 YEARS SO BEFORE I GO YOU CAN HAVE A WISH ,SOLDIER LOOKS UP AND SAYS YOU CAN SEE HOW I,M FIXED I WANT A NEW PAIR OF LEGS ,GENIE LOOKS DOWN AND SAYS SORRY SON BUT YOU,VE GOT GANGRENE YOUR GOING TO DIE TOTALY IMPOSSIBLE IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE ? SOLDIER SAYS HE COMES FROM MANCHESTER AND IS A RICKY HATTON FAN AND SAYS BEFORE HE SNUFFS IT HE,D LIKE TO SEE RICKY KNOCK FLOYD MAYWEATHER OUT AND TAKE HIS TITLE ,GENIE SAYS I,D BETTER HAVE A LOOK AT THEM LEGS AGAIN .