Hatton speaks on Mayweather

www.secondsout.com Hatton knows he has to beat Mayweather for legacy By Ant Evans: "I beat Kostya Tszyu, who was number one in the division, and by doing that I became number one in some people's minds but to some people I know need to fight Floyd Mayweather to be the undisputed number one," said a thoughtful Ricky Hatton before adding, "And I agree. I have to fight Mayweather and that's the big fight I'm looking forward to next year." In a idiosyncratic contradiction which could only exist in the sport of boxing, with its multiple champions and many weight divisions, IBF champion Hatton is acknowledged the man in the 140lbs (10stone) division but, somehow, Mayweather, the recognised No.2 at junior welterweight, is concurrently considered by most to be the best pound-for-pound exponent of the sweet science - the best fighter at any weight. "It's a fight which has to happen for exactly that reason, really," Hatton told SecondsOut. "Everyone ranks me at No.1 at the minute but, pound-for-pound, Mayweather ranks above me so we have to settle this. Like I said before, I want to win all the major titles and after I win the WBA title (from Carlos Maussa, Sheffield, England, November 26) the big fight with Mayweather for all three belts is the obvious big event next summertime." The mercurial Mayweather has already dismissed the Manchester Hitman as just another crude brawler, a one trick pony destined for an Arturo Gatti-like dissection courtesy of his scalpel sharp skills and speed. However, in his own way, Mayweather has a healthy respect for Hatton. He must have, because the three-division world champion spoke almost nervously about Hatton's use of rough-house tactics, which, at least to me, indicates acknowledgement that the Hitman would achieve a measure of success with that battle plan where Mayweather's previous opponents - including Diego Corrales and even Jose Luis Castillo - did not. "I'll go gentle on him," Hatton laugh. "I promise not to rough him up too much. I just think him saying stuff like that is just him. He's like the Junior Witter of America, he hasn't got a good word to say about anyone expect himself. Personality wise, he's very different to me, that's for sure." But Hatton knows just how difficult it will be to defeat the Pretty Boy. "He's got amazing skills," Hatton admitted. "He's pound-for-pound the best in the world, he's great to watch, skilful, lightning fast, I always watch his fights. But I don't think he's the biggest fighter in the world. I don't think he's got much physical strength. When I went to see him fight Gatti, I saw him at the weigh-in and asked myself the question whether or not he was big enough or tough enough to hold me off for 12 rounds. And that'll be the big question once the fight comes along." Hatton's trainer goes further. "Ricky against Mayweather will be the first Sugar Ray Leonard v Roberto Duran fight all over again," began Billy Graham. "Ricky, like Durand did, will just drag the master-boxer into a fight for the first time in his life and beat him." "I'm a big Mayweather fan," 'the Preacher' added. "I think he is fantastic, a wicked talent. The Mayweather fight is the one me and Ricky has talked about for over two years. We knew he'd come, we knew we'd fight him at some point and I've been watching Mayweather very closely for exactly that reason. But this is the biggest fight of Mayweather's career, too, because he's not had a super fight in a long time, if ever. "Mayweather should forget all the talk of fighting Winky Wright at middleweight and start building to what would be a huge, a mega fight in the summer. I've been against Winky Wright twice before so I know him well (Graham's charges Ensley Bingham and then Steve Foster were obliterated by Wright in Manchester a decade ago) and Winky would dwarf Mayweather and absolutely pulverise him. Mayweather, if he is serious about Wright, needs a frontal lobotomy. He should concentrate on all the great fighters in any around his own division and forget Winky Wright because he wouldn't have a hope in hell's chance." I suggested that Kostya Tszyu, because of his punch power and sheer physical strength, was the hardest fight of Hatton's career but the biggest challenge of Graham's career would be to devise a strategy to best the ultra-talented Mayweather. "Actually, I think it could be one of the easiest fights for me," he said. "But let everyone build Floyd up - more kudos for us when he beat him. Everyone says the one fighter to give him trouble was Castillo (in the first of their two fights) but Castillo made every mistake a pressure fighter shouldn't make. He threw punches to arms and elbow, there was no thought to go along with his pressure, he was committing himself first. I remember watching the fight and thinking Ricky wouldn't make any of the types of mistakes Castillo was making. "And people who say Ricky is just and English Gatti - and look what Mayweather did to Gatti (in June) are dead wrong. I knew Gatti had no chance. He didn't have a plan at all, he was even asking Ricky for advice on the day of the actual fight! "Ricky is bigger, stronger, faster, younger, a much bigger puncher and an all-round more talented fighter than Gatti. As much as I love Gatti, he never had a chance with his style against Mayweather. "But trust me. Take cuts away and Ricky beats Mayweather seven nights a week." Father and business manager openly admitted the turned down the chance to at least negotiation for a Mayweather fight in 2004. "That was the one fight, style wise, which I thought we needed a few more fights before taking," said father Ray Hatton. "But now Ricky has gone up to the top level with Tszyu and got the big win, there's no-one I wouldn't put him in with and not feel confident that he'd beat. :)