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Confident Hatton predicts win over Pacquiao
Britain's Ricky Hatton is confidently predicting victory in his IBO light-welterweight title defence against Filipino Manny Pacquiao after being welcomed by cheering fans in Las Vegas.
Hatton has not lost at his natural weight of 140 pounds but conceded he would have faced an uphill task had he met the former four-division world champion one or two years earlier.
"Three or four fights ago, Manny Pacquiao would have beaten me," Hatton told a small group of reporters as he sat on the edge of the ring in which he will fight the Filipino southpaw on Sunday.
"I don't think so now. I feel so much more relaxed because I'm boxing technically so much better. I'm jabbing and moving a lot better.
Hatton, 45-1 (32 KOs), attributes his increased confidence to improvements he has made since linking with American trainer Floyd Mayweather Sr. late last year.
However he promised his fans he would never abandon the frenetic fighting style that has made him so popular in his native Manchester and elsewhere around the world.
"Everyone seems to think that because of my new training camp I've turned into this twinkle toed jab-and-move boxer," Hatton, nicknamed the Hitman, said. "But I haven't. I'm still aggressive. I'm still as ferocious as ever."
Hatton, who made a spectacular red carpet entrance at the MGM Grand Hotel in front of his jubilant supporters after arriving in Las Vegas, believes his ferocity and enhanced skills will surprise Pacquiao on Sunday.
FEROCITY AND POWER
"He's not fought anyone as ferocious and as powerful as me, and along with the technical side that I showed glimpses of in my last fight, I think it's going to be enough," he predicted.
The hotly anticipated 12-round showdown will be the first at light-welterweight for Pacquiao, 48-3-2 (36 KOs).
Regarded as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world, the Filipino outclassed Oscar De La Hoya after eight rounds in December in his most recent bout - a welterweight contest.
Before that, Pacquiao had only once before fought above 130 pounds, when he knocked out American David Diaz to win the WBC lightweight title in June.
"I respect Manny but should I really be scared of a fight with a man who's had only two fights above 130 lbs.
"Manny's been hurt several times in the past, head shots and body shots, in smaller weight classes. And I haven't even lost too many rounds at 140 pounds, let alone fight.
"I may be fat, I may be round but guess who's going to be the best pound-for-pound?" the popular Briton said with a broad grin as his fans cheered.
The sole defeat of Hatton's career came in the same Las Vegas MGM Grand ring where he will clash with Pacquiao when he was beaten by Floyd Mayweather Jnr., the son of Hatton's present trainer, in a WBC welterweight title fight in Dec. 2007.
Britain's Ricky Hatton is confidently predicting victory in his IBO light-welterweight title defence against Filipino Manny Pacquiao after being welcomed by cheering fans in Las Vegas.
Hatton has not lost at his natural weight of 140 pounds but conceded he would have faced an uphill task had he met the former four-division world champion one or two years earlier.
"Three or four fights ago, Manny Pacquiao would have beaten me," Hatton told a small group of reporters as he sat on the edge of the ring in which he will fight the Filipino southpaw on Sunday.
"I don't think so now. I feel so much more relaxed because I'm boxing technically so much better. I'm jabbing and moving a lot better.
Hatton, 45-1 (32 KOs), attributes his increased confidence to improvements he has made since linking with American trainer Floyd Mayweather Sr. late last year.
However he promised his fans he would never abandon the frenetic fighting style that has made him so popular in his native Manchester and elsewhere around the world.
"Everyone seems to think that because of my new training camp I've turned into this twinkle toed jab-and-move boxer," Hatton, nicknamed the Hitman, said. "But I haven't. I'm still aggressive. I'm still as ferocious as ever."
Hatton, who made a spectacular red carpet entrance at the MGM Grand Hotel in front of his jubilant supporters after arriving in Las Vegas, believes his ferocity and enhanced skills will surprise Pacquiao on Sunday.
FEROCITY AND POWER
"He's not fought anyone as ferocious and as powerful as me, and along with the technical side that I showed glimpses of in my last fight, I think it's going to be enough," he predicted.
The hotly anticipated 12-round showdown will be the first at light-welterweight for Pacquiao, 48-3-2 (36 KOs).
Regarded as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world, the Filipino outclassed Oscar De La Hoya after eight rounds in December in his most recent bout - a welterweight contest.
Before that, Pacquiao had only once before fought above 130 pounds, when he knocked out American David Diaz to win the WBC lightweight title in June.
"I respect Manny but should I really be scared of a fight with a man who's had only two fights above 130 lbs.
"Manny's been hurt several times in the past, head shots and body shots, in smaller weight classes. And I haven't even lost too many rounds at 140 pounds, let alone fight.
"I may be fat, I may be round but guess who's going to be the best pound-for-pound?" the popular Briton said with a broad grin as his fans cheered.
The sole defeat of Hatton's career came in the same Las Vegas MGM Grand ring where he will clash with Pacquiao when he was beaten by Floyd Mayweather Jnr., the son of Hatton's present trainer, in a WBC welterweight title fight in Dec. 2007.
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