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Juan Lazcano is banking on faith to win the fight of his life.
The Hispanic Causing Panic climbs back in to the ring for the first time in 15 months when he takes on Ricky Hatton in front of a record crowd of 55,000 at the City of Manchester Stadium.
His last fight was a points defeat at the hands of Vivian Harris but Lazcano, who landed in England on Saturday, says he is now a different man. "It will be a battle of wills, a battle of attrition and it will be about hunger," he told skysports.com.
"I know I am a little older. I turned 33 this year but it's a symbolic meaningful year for me being that my birthday fell on Easter Sunday. You'll be like 'Okay, so what?', well, I turned 33 and there was actually a resurrection within my being.
"I am a spiritual individual, I believe in Jesus Christ, I believe in the power of the resurrection and I believe that power is within me and I will use that power to move forward and make the most of a wonderful opportunity."
Lazcano refused to single out any areas where he thinks he has the upper hand over the Hitman, who is coming off the back of his first defeat in 44 paid contests. The 33-year-old admits he has never boxed in front of anything like the 55,000 crowd on May 24, which will set a new record in British boxing.
But, he refuses to be intimidated and says he is ready to go to war to fulfil his destiny. "I've evolved not only as a person and I just think that more than anything, it's a mental thing," he said.
"I'm ready to enter the promised land. "I'm ready for greatness now. I'm taking this challenge seriously, the best fighter will win and believe me, I am the best fighter. "I'm an athlete and a professional fighter and I'm coming to fight. I'm focused and I'm coming to fight.
"Ricky Hatton is a truly great warrior and it's an honour for me to fight a great warrior. I'm a gentleman as well and I acknowledge if someone has a tremendous heart like Ricky Hatton, so it's an honour for me to do battle with him.
"That's something as fighters we enjoy, the thrill the challenge and I just want it to be a great fight, a great night of boxing, a great night for everyone, very exciting. The best man will prevail." Lazcano also turned one eye towards Floyd Mayweather Jr, the man responsible for that one Hatton defeat. And although he has barely been linked with the world's best pound-for-pound fighter, he believes victory in
The Homecoming could set him up for a crack at the Pretty Boy. "For so long Floyd Mayweather was there, for so long Floyd Mayweather was there and for different reasons the fight never came about," he said.
"Floyd knows it too - if there is someone out there who can defeat him, believe me, it's Juan Lazcano."
The Hispanic Causing Panic climbs back in to the ring for the first time in 15 months when he takes on Ricky Hatton in front of a record crowd of 55,000 at the City of Manchester Stadium.
His last fight was a points defeat at the hands of Vivian Harris but Lazcano, who landed in England on Saturday, says he is now a different man. "It will be a battle of wills, a battle of attrition and it will be about hunger," he told skysports.com.
"I know I am a little older. I turned 33 this year but it's a symbolic meaningful year for me being that my birthday fell on Easter Sunday. You'll be like 'Okay, so what?', well, I turned 33 and there was actually a resurrection within my being.
"I am a spiritual individual, I believe in Jesus Christ, I believe in the power of the resurrection and I believe that power is within me and I will use that power to move forward and make the most of a wonderful opportunity."
Lazcano refused to single out any areas where he thinks he has the upper hand over the Hitman, who is coming off the back of his first defeat in 44 paid contests. The 33-year-old admits he has never boxed in front of anything like the 55,000 crowd on May 24, which will set a new record in British boxing.
But, he refuses to be intimidated and says he is ready to go to war to fulfil his destiny. "I've evolved not only as a person and I just think that more than anything, it's a mental thing," he said.
"I'm ready to enter the promised land. "I'm ready for greatness now. I'm taking this challenge seriously, the best fighter will win and believe me, I am the best fighter. "I'm an athlete and a professional fighter and I'm coming to fight. I'm focused and I'm coming to fight.
"Ricky Hatton is a truly great warrior and it's an honour for me to fight a great warrior. I'm a gentleman as well and I acknowledge if someone has a tremendous heart like Ricky Hatton, so it's an honour for me to do battle with him.
"That's something as fighters we enjoy, the thrill the challenge and I just want it to be a great fight, a great night of boxing, a great night for everyone, very exciting. The best man will prevail." Lazcano also turned one eye towards Floyd Mayweather Jr, the man responsible for that one Hatton defeat. And although he has barely been linked with the world's best pound-for-pound fighter, he believes victory in
The Homecoming could set him up for a crack at the Pretty Boy. "For so long Floyd Mayweather was there, for so long Floyd Mayweather was there and for different reasons the fight never came about," he said.
"Floyd knows it too - if there is someone out there who can defeat him, believe me, it's Juan Lazcano."
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