Ricky Hatton has denounced criticism from Chris Eubank Jr and Conor Benn, insisting that the children of famous fighters do not deserve to be held to higher standards than any other boxer.
On Saturday night, despite looking in danger as things stand, Chris Eubank Jr, Chris Eubank Sr’s son, and Conor Benn, Nigel Benn’s son, are set to face off in the ring.
It’s a huge fight due to the fact that Nigel and Chris Sr engaged in an epic duo of fights in the early 1990s and now their sons are hoping to continue their legacy.
Both Conor and Chris Jr have faced tremendous pressure since turning pro, and one man who knows that feeling all too well is Campbell Hatton, Ricky’s son.
Campbell is currently 8-0 with 2 knockouts in his fledgling professional boxing career, but he has already come under scrutiny and had to fight on some of boxing’s biggest stages.
There will always be those who draw comparisons between fathers and sons in boxing, but Ricky had some strong words for those who go overboard.
“The three of them should be out of their father’s shadow just for trying,” Ricky told Boxing Social.
“You know you’re in the toughest game of all. Campbell having me as a father, Chris having Chris as a father and Conor having Nigel as a father, and they didn’t need it.
“We’ve worked hard so our kids don’t have to and it pisses me off when you see, except a few, it’s gonna turn around and say, ‘you’re not as good as your dad ‘ or ‘you are not this’ or ‘you are not that’.
“I think they want their head banging, to be honest.
“How can you not look back, with the pressure they’re under and just step back and say, ‘fair play to you guys’.”
That being said, it looks like Conor and Chris Jr needn’t worry about stepping out of their father’s shadow on Saturday night, as their fight appears to be off the table after ‘The Destroyer’ tested positive at the prohibited substance. clomiphene.
As it stands, Conor, Chris Jr and their respective promotional teams want the fight to go ahead and are taking legal action to circumvent the British Boxing Board of Control. [BBBoC] who said the fight was “banned”.
About this question, Ricky also shared his thoughts with Boxing Socialsaying, “I know Conor would have worked very hard and I know Chris would have worked very hard. This is a great fight that the fans have been looking forward to.
“It’s a travesty to hear the news that Saturday’s main event might not happen, but everything has to be done for the right reasons and the safety of the boxers.
“I’m sure whatever decision is made will be the right decision, but it’s just a shame because everyone on the bill, including the main event, has worked so hard, so let’s watch this space.”
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