By Mark Vester
Ricky Hatton has vowed to go for a knockout when he meets WBC welterweight champ Floyd Mayweather Jr. at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Hatton tells Sportinglife that his entire career has led up to this one fight.
"This is everything I've strived for and it means everything to me," Hatton said. "I'll be going for the knockout like I always do. With every training session I'm feeling more confident that I can knock him out. I used to have the mentality that I would be happy just to beat him. But now, I'm thinking I'm going to knock him out!"
Hatton senses that Mayweather is too comfortable with the fight, and doesn't present a big threat with his punches.
"I think he is in the comfort zone in his training camp, there's no venom in his punches and he's never going through the pain barrier," Hatton. "I know his speed and his boxing ability will lead me a merry dance in the fight from time to time, but can he keep it up for 12 rounds? Is he going to hit me hard enough? Is his defense good enough? Look how good I am at threading my punches into the smallest area. I know I'm starting to sound like a broken record, but I just don't see him beating me."
Hatton told the paper his confidence is being boosted by the accusations from the Mayweather camp of being a dirty fighter.
"Nobody has ever accused me of being a dirty fighter before," he continued. "Physical, yes, but never dirty," Hatton said. "They've said those things because Floyd Mayweather doesn't want to get involved. He wants to keep the fight at a distance for as long as he possibly can and he's calling me a dirty fighter to try and influence the referee.
"That's why I'm delighted that Joe Cortez has been appointed as the referee because he can see past that. If Floyd had it his way it would probably be non-contact. If I'm making infringements, then the referee will deduct points, but he mustn't do it just because I'm making it physical. He must let the fight rock on."
He said America is home to the best fighters in the world, but the dominance of American fighters is dwindling by the year. Should he beat Mayweather, he said America will be devestated for a Brit to win the title of pound-for-pound fighter.
"They've written me off in America. They are all going for Mayweather and that's the way I like it. There's not a living soul there that thinks I'm going to win, but that will make it all the sweeter when I do," Hatton said. "The Americans have always tended to have the heavyweight champion of the world and they've lost that in recent years with the rise of the Russians and other countries. So if Britain were to take the title of best pound-for-pound boxer as well, then it would be devastating for them.
"British fighters haven't had a great deal of respect in the past from the American fight press. They say we defend our world titles in our own back yard, but when we come up against the Americans we tend to lose. Britain has had a lot of great champions and a lot of undisputed champions, but how many of them could you say were the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world?
Hatton won't be alone, a who's who of British fighters are making the trip to support Hatton's quest.
"Joe Calzaghe, Gavin Rees, Enzo Maccarinelli and David Haye are all coming over to cheer me on, which makes me feel very proud."So with them in my corner, I'd say to the Americans: 'The Brits are coming'."
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