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well i think your being a tad harsh on Lloyd but there you go. i could be biased. 
such is life.
such is life.
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bsack to the topic nice little read
The gloves are off as Hatton edges closer to his moment of destiny
By Matthew Pinsent Times online.
A month today the British boxer will try to fulfil a lifetime’s ambition
OFF an unremarkable dual carriageway in Denton, Manchester, there is an even more unremarkable brick parade of garages, metalworks and garden machinery workshops. Go through a door, follow the winding warren of staircases and corridors and there is a proper body-builders’ gymnasium.
The cafeteria sells tea and dietary powders with equal aplomb. There are weights and mirrors of every conceivable size and for every possible use. And tucked away behind it all is where Ricky Hatton trains.
His room has a strange, almost predictable, look — it is all exposed brick and dog-eared fight posters. The space is dominated by the ring squashed into it at one end. The smell is strange, though, floor polish and sweat, order and hard work in every lungful. But the really striking thing is the state of it all. It is old: tongue and groove for walls, pipes criss-crossing the ceiling and hanging too low, while pigeons coo somewhere in the roof space. The detritus of the sport is everywhere — gloves, pads and tape in every corner, bottles scattered. The bags hanging from the ceiling are old and weathered, too.
Somehow the image of Hatton fits all this. He is the almost clichéd working-class local hero, so well-known that my cab driver knows where to go because “that’s where Ricky trains”; so well liked that the cabbie’s mate turns up within the hour just to get a view of the man.
I have to wait for my view, too, because Hatton is in the middle of a media day in the run-up to the biggest bout, the biggest opportunity, of his career. He has a chance to make good on all his promise against Kostya Tszyu, the IBF light-welterweight champion.
In the early hours of June 5, at the MEN Arena in Manchester, after years of waiting, years of defending a belt that he really did not cherish, he has his chance. If there was ever a moment to be reflective, to be locked away in some hidden training camp preparing for the chance to grab greatness, this would be it. But Hatton is at home, training in the same way he always has and opening his door to the media.
As I wait for my turn, the publicity man from EA Games shows me the new Ricky “Hitman” Hatton product, Fight Night Round 2. The plasma screen dominates the rest-room and fills it with crowd noise and the electronic sound of glove on skin. The virtual Hatton is aggressive and violent and exactly what every gamer would want. In fact, I am beginning to feel nervous when I am ushered in front of the real version.
He stands just under 5ft 8in, but his trade gives him a stance and a look that are unmistakable. His nose and chin could belong to no one but a boxer. But his attitude is anything but pugnacious. He is charming and amusing, joking with everyone around him and dealing with the media in style. When we talk about the new game, his only regret is that he plays it too much.
He talks openly about his recent career and how frustrating it has been. He was meant to box Kelson Pinto, then Sharmba Mitchell and then Vivian Harris, all of whom are ranked highly in the lightwelterweight category, but all fell through, lost to the murky world of boxing negotiations.
Close to losing patience with his promoters and having to settle for defence after defence of the WBU title that he won in 2001, Hatton has a dream at last. “This is what I have been waiting for since I first laced on the gloves,” he said. “I know I have the ability and the confidence, but now I have the opportunity — I have to pinch myself.” He has trained earlier and harder than ever. Some have argued that he always gains too much weight between contests, but he looked in shape to me. His website has a countdown of the seconds left to the bout. “I’ve never been as sharp or as determined so long before a fight, I’m breathing fire already,” he said.
He boxes at light-welterweight, which means a weigh-in the day before contests at 10st, but he fights at 11st 2lb, which means he puts on more than a stone in a little more than 24 hours. “It sounds impressive, but you have to do it right,” he said. “It’s no good if your punches run out after two or three rounds.”
Hatton has never faced Tszyu, but he has got close to the man. “I went to Las Vegas on holiday and to watch him fight four years ago,” he said. Tszyu was in the hotel reception, checking out after the bout. “I went over and said, ‘Hello, my name’s Ricky Hatton.’ He didn’t have a clue who I was, to be honest. I said, ‘You’ve proved you’re the best and hopefully in three years I’ll be fighting you.’ He smiled and said, ‘Good luck.’ Ever since then he has been respectful to me and me to him.”
Not for the first time, Hatton has a home crowd to back him up. “Tszyu has been in a lot of fights, but in Manchester it will be different, they’ll sing and they’ll be baying for his blood,” Hatton said.
Now there is a chance for me to step into the ring with him. It is the kind of thing that I want to do, want to experience, but I did not tell my wife that I was going to before I left London.
As I am laced into my gloves, I wonder what to try to prevent embarrassment. But Hatton makes it easy. He gives me his gloves as targets and immediately declares me a southpaw. If his glove is upright, hit it straight; if the palm is down, an uppercut is required; and two gloves together needs a two-punch combination. I begin to relax, confident that no matter what, he is not going to hit me and he would never get caught by even the flukiest uppercut.
As I begin to work up a sweat, we reverse roles and in a second he is blasting away at my gloves, every punch accompanied by a hiss of air from his mouth. He can hit my gloves quicker than I can decide whether to turn them or not. It is like playing rock, paper, scissors with someone who knows exactly what you are going to do.
I find myself driven back into the corner simply by the speed and power of a boxer whose reach is 6in shorter than mine. After ten or 12 minutes, it is time to move on. I am tiring and he should not be augmenting a full day of training with clowning around in the gym.
If anything in sport terrified me, it was the feeling that this was the moment that you had been waiting for, that it was now or never. Hatton knows full well that June 5 is his moment. Far from being frightened or quietened by it, he is laughing and driving his way towards it. Britain is certainly ready for a new boxing hero in the professional ranks and Hatton has his destiny in his gloved hands.Comment
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I'll admit that I didn't pay attention much to Hatton prior to the last few months. Now that we've all had something to read and view, it looks like Ricky as a Champion could represent the sport well. Seems like a good guy, who has worked hard and shown that he's got some skills, coupled with bad intentions in the ring.
However, I'm leaning strongly toward Kostya to win this fight, which will be a tough one, but very winnable for the Auzzie. However, we'll all see within two rounds how this fight will turn-out. Two things to look for will be Ricky's reaction to a top-tier right hand, and Kostya's reaction to the speedy hooks to the body. Then the equation becomes even simpler, because early in this fight well be comparing Ricky's chin to Kostya's ribs. I see Kostya getting to that chin more than Ricky gets to those ribs.Comment
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Red hot Kostya ready to rumble
By Grantlee Kieza
May 6, 2005
IN a chilling warning for England's most popular fighter, trainer Johnny Lewis says Kostya Tszyu is the sharpest he's ever been in the 13 years they have worked together.
Tszyu defends his IBF junior-welterweight title against great British hope Ricky Hatton before a sell-out crowd of 22,000 at Manchester's MEN Arena on June 5 and Lewis says his fighter is in even better form than when he crushed Sharmba Mitchell in his last fight in November.
"I've trained Kostya since he came to Australia from Russia in 1992 and I've never seen him look this good," said Lewis, who is normally guarded in his praise for his fighters.
"He's been sparring [Australia's world No.1 middleweight contender] Sam Soliman and a new kid we've hired from America named Kendall Holt and Kostya has been absolutely brilliant.
"His timing and his power are spot on and I couldn't be more confident about him beating Ricky Hatton."
Holt, who arrived in Sydney this week, has a record of 18 wins in 19 fights and in his most recent bout ended the unbeaten run of US Olympian David Diaz, who sparred with Tszyu before the Mitchell fight last November.
Tszyu, who leaves for England in two weeks, says he has enormous respect for Hatton, who is unbeaten in 38 fights, but says the Englishman is often wild with his punches.
"Sometimes he throws punches without even looking where they are going," he said. "He just throws them and hopes they land somewhere. I believe I will have too much experience and power for him."
Soliman said his only fear for Tszyu was that he was starting to peak too early.
"If Kostya takes this form into the ring Hatton won't have a chance," Soliman said.
"He is really boxing beautifully and hitting like a heavyweight.Comment
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Its gotta be hatton in my opinion. 10 yrs age gap is coming off wonders in training apparently.
Also im goin to see it possibly. If so ill get sum pictures. That deserves a bit of karma at least .. cmon peps get me out of red!Comment
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Post up the pics when you get them, then some ppl will you hit you u p with some points
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If Kostya loses it'll be one of the biggest upsets as far as me picking winners since ... tarver ktfo rjj!(a dark day indeed!)Originally posted by MunnComment
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Not promising any pictures btw but if i do get sum u lot will be sum of the first to c em. Dont bank on me tho. I need no pressure
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hatton doesn't have chance but has gutsComment
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hatton knocked out in 5Comment
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