By Mark Vester
Undefeated Ricky Hatton feels inspiration from his idol Roberto Duran, and plans to beat Floyd Mayweather Jr. in the same manner as Duran's upset win over Sugar Ray Leonard in 1980. Many have compared the Dec. 8 battle between Hatton and Mayweather to the first legendary battle between Duran and Leonard.
In 1980, Duran, a pressure fighter like Hatton, pulled off a major upset by winning a decision over Leonard, who possessed blazing speed, superb boxing ability, good looks, an unbeaten record and the ability to talk trash - the exact attributes of Mayweather. Leonard and Mayweather are consistently compared by boxing experts for their similar traits and abilities.
Hatton sees a lot of common traits with his boxing idol, which includes their known habit of putting on a lot of weight between fights.
"Me and Roberto Duran are similar in our styles. I have a lot in common with my hero. We both put on a lot of weight between fights. People have always said it will affect your longevity but it did not affect Roberto's longevity."
"For so many years people have turned round saying he's put too much weight on. It came to the forefront before the Kostya Tszyu fight when I put on about 40-pounds. Some people said I wouldn't last four rounds. I feel like telling people to change the record. I'm unbeaten and I'm fighting the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world. I know Floyd doesn't put an ounce on, but every fighter is different. That's what makes it such a unique sport."
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