Brick City Boxing

By: Ricky Ray Taylor

It's been two weeks since PACMAN dislodged HATTONS noggin from his torso. Although it's business as usual for the Filipino sensation as he rides a TEN fight win-streak into (hopefully) an upcoming bout versus MAYWEATHER, for Britain’s boy-wonder life should never be the same.

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Since Pacquiao's shot was as deliberate as it was brutal unfortunately, it was also as INTENTIONAL as it was TERMINAL. Hey, for some folks it'd be safe to assume that Hatton just got caught with a lucky hay-maker and he'll live to fight another day. YET, historically speaking ~ we may have witnessed HATTONS "Final Blow". Why do I assume this? When a fighter takes a shot to the head LIKE THAT, they never recover. If only from a psychological drain on ones own invincibility - VICIOUS one-punch-knockouts to the cranium are oftentimes cloaked in WELCOME mats to new careers.

The mere fact that a shot with so much ROAR behind it finally made its way to the newly formed Achilles heel of a fighter is usually a sad precursor of what's to come. This is especially true for RUMBLE-TUMBLE, IN-YOUR-FACE fighters like Ricky Hatton. Case in point (or a few actually): MICHAEL SPINKS spiraled from being a World Champion all the way down to baby-sitting his brother during weekend visitations in just ONE fight with TYSON. Who can forget KEN NORTON eating a series of GERRY COONEY head-shots while relaxing on the bottom rope before becoming relegated to spectator status? Although JOE FRAZIER did fight once more (to a draw) after FOREMAN nearly decapitated him in the 5th round, he should've remained at home after Big George hammered him. The list goes on .... Bottom line is this - sometimes >> not always - but sometimes when a hard-hitting BANGER gets put in their tracks with a single shot to the head, it means their time is up. Something usually weakens in their mannerism, their arsenal - their GAME. Egos are HUGE for fighters and there is nothing more REAL LIFE than a ONE-PUNCH-KNOCKOUT to send a cockstrong warrior plummeting down to earth with us mere mortals. The climb back to HERO STATUS is impossible for most. Nor is their sought out ascension from the ground welcomed by the Boxing public - who is too busy KICKING THEM.