Boxingtalk:
December 12, 2008
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DMITRY SALITA CALLS OUT RICKY HATTON
By G. Leon
GL: To what do we owe the honor of this phone call?
Dmitriy Salita: "I'm doing good, in the gym, staying in shape. I recently read on Boxingtalk, where dreams happen, and I see that it's very possible that I'm fighting Ricky Hatton. I was watching him when he fought Paulie Malignaggi in Las Vegas. I was checking him out very closely and I would take the fight. I would love nothing more than the opportunity to fight him and to prove that I'm the best."
GL: What did you think about his performance over Paulie [Hatton won by late-round TKO]?
Dmitriy Salita: I was at his fight in Boston, when he fought Louie Collazo, a guy that I grew up with. I've sparred hundreds of rounds with him. I was at his fight when he fought Paulie. I saw that Paulie had what it takes, he had it in him to beat Ricky Hatton. For whatever reason he wasn't able to put it all together. I think that Hatton is a great fighter, but I'm so confident that I have what it takes to beat him. I, at my best, can beat Ricky Hatton, with all due respect to Ricky. I'm undefeated, and to be undefeated you have to have mental strength, and have it for a very long time. I've been undefeated since I was seventeen years old, since I came out of the amateurs. I guarantee that I withstand his fury and stay undefeated when I fight with Hatton.
GL: What weaknesses do you see in Hatton that you feel you can exploit?
DS: I see that Ricky fights in one rhthym, he's a bit reckless with his offense. Paulie had good things going for him, but he wasn't able to maintain that for a long period of time. I know that when he fought Louie, I know Louie's strengths when it comes to it. I know Louie, judging by the fact that Ricky hurt him, and Louie wasn't able to hurt Ricky, I can gauge where he's at. Nermal is Louie's trainer, and I've known him since I was sixteen. Ofter that last few years, before Louie fought Ricky, he always told me, "This is your fight, this is the fight that is going to make you." Now seems to be the prime opportunity, I'm down to 140. I think a fight at Madison Square Garden would be tremendous. I hope it can happen. It's time for me to get my shot, it's time for me to fight the best fighter out there. People say things about me not wanting to fight this guy and that guy, I want to fight the best. When you fight the best, you get the chance to prove how good you are.
GL: Obviously, the critics are going to say, "What makes Dmitriy think he can go from the guys he's been fighting to Ricky Hatton and be successful?
DS: That remains to be seen. I told George Kimball two fights ago, that within two fights I'm going to be fighting Ricky Hatton. I think he criticized me a little bit, but I'm ready to fight Ricky Hatton. Critics will say what they say, but I haven't been given the opportunity to prove myself. I want to tell you something, as a fighter it's much harder to go to camp and try for guys that no one knows. There's no living in that, you don't make a lot of money, and you don't get the positve feedback from the professionals. When it happens over and over again, it takes mental strength and a love for the game to stay in it in those kinds of situations. As you see, throughout time, different prospects are the next Suger Ray Robinson, or the next Muhammed Ali, lose to fighters they were supposed to beat. They're better then them, but they lost to guys that are not supposed to beat them. They don't have the mental strength to stay focused, you have to truely love and respect the sport, and strictly. I've been boxing for thirteen years now, I deserve my shot, I deserve my opportunity.
GL: Have you instructed Square Ring to move forward on this fight?
DS: I told John Wirt, I told him that's the fight that I want. It's not in my hands to make happen, but certainly something is going to happen. I hope for the best.
GL: What message would you like to send to Ricky Hatton, if he's reading this interview?
DS: Ricky Hatton got his shot when he fought and beat one of my favorite fighters, Kostya Tszyu. He never went out of England, kind of stayed at home, and was a great champion. We see in boxing Oscar fought Manny Pacquiao. When Oscar was a young guy growing up, he had a chance to fight all the old fighters. The guys had experience and they gave him the opportunity. All I can ask of Ricky is the opportinity, and see if he gives me the chance to prove myself, like Kostya Tszyu did. We'll get to see who is the best in the 140 pound division. I want to prove myself against the best junior welterweight in the division.
GL: Closing thoughts.
DS: There's only one Dmitriy Salita, talking the talk, and walking the walk. [link]
Dmitriy Salita: "I'm doing good, in the gym, staying in shape. I recently read on Boxingtalk, where dreams happen, and I see that it's very possible that I'm fighting Ricky Hatton. I was watching him when he fought Paulie Malignaggi in Las Vegas. I was checking him out very closely and I would take the fight. I would love nothing more than the opportunity to fight him and to prove that I'm the best."
GL: What did you think about his performance over Paulie [Hatton won by late-round TKO]?
Dmitriy Salita: I was at his fight in Boston, when he fought Louie Collazo, a guy that I grew up with. I've sparred hundreds of rounds with him. I was at his fight when he fought Paulie. I saw that Paulie had what it takes, he had it in him to beat Ricky Hatton. For whatever reason he wasn't able to put it all together. I think that Hatton is a great fighter, but I'm so confident that I have what it takes to beat him. I, at my best, can beat Ricky Hatton, with all due respect to Ricky. I'm undefeated, and to be undefeated you have to have mental strength, and have it for a very long time. I've been undefeated since I was seventeen years old, since I came out of the amateurs. I guarantee that I withstand his fury and stay undefeated when I fight with Hatton.
GL: What weaknesses do you see in Hatton that you feel you can exploit?
DS: I see that Ricky fights in one rhthym, he's a bit reckless with his offense. Paulie had good things going for him, but he wasn't able to maintain that for a long period of time. I know that when he fought Louie, I know Louie's strengths when it comes to it. I know Louie, judging by the fact that Ricky hurt him, and Louie wasn't able to hurt Ricky, I can gauge where he's at. Nermal is Louie's trainer, and I've known him since I was sixteen. Ofter that last few years, before Louie fought Ricky, he always told me, "This is your fight, this is the fight that is going to make you." Now seems to be the prime opportunity, I'm down to 140. I think a fight at Madison Square Garden would be tremendous. I hope it can happen. It's time for me to get my shot, it's time for me to fight the best fighter out there. People say things about me not wanting to fight this guy and that guy, I want to fight the best. When you fight the best, you get the chance to prove how good you are.
GL: Obviously, the critics are going to say, "What makes Dmitriy think he can go from the guys he's been fighting to Ricky Hatton and be successful?
DS: That remains to be seen. I told George Kimball two fights ago, that within two fights I'm going to be fighting Ricky Hatton. I think he criticized me a little bit, but I'm ready to fight Ricky Hatton. Critics will say what they say, but I haven't been given the opportunity to prove myself. I want to tell you something, as a fighter it's much harder to go to camp and try for guys that no one knows. There's no living in that, you don't make a lot of money, and you don't get the positve feedback from the professionals. When it happens over and over again, it takes mental strength and a love for the game to stay in it in those kinds of situations. As you see, throughout time, different prospects are the next Suger Ray Robinson, or the next Muhammed Ali, lose to fighters they were supposed to beat. They're better then them, but they lost to guys that are not supposed to beat them. They don't have the mental strength to stay focused, you have to truely love and respect the sport, and strictly. I've been boxing for thirteen years now, I deserve my shot, I deserve my opportunity.
GL: Have you instructed Square Ring to move forward on this fight?
DS: I told John Wirt, I told him that's the fight that I want. It's not in my hands to make happen, but certainly something is going to happen. I hope for the best.
GL: What message would you like to send to Ricky Hatton, if he's reading this interview?
DS: Ricky Hatton got his shot when he fought and beat one of my favorite fighters, Kostya Tszyu. He never went out of England, kind of stayed at home, and was a great champion. We see in boxing Oscar fought Manny Pacquiao. When Oscar was a young guy growing up, he had a chance to fight all the old fighters. The guys had experience and they gave him the opportunity. All I can ask of Ricky is the opportinity, and see if he gives me the chance to prove myself, like Kostya Tszyu did. We'll get to see who is the best in the 140 pound division. I want to prove myself against the best junior welterweight in the division.
GL: Closing thoughts.
DS: There's only one Dmitriy Salita, talking the talk, and walking the walk. [link]
posted by: jrtelegraph
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