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In a match-up that has "fight of the year" written all over it, undefeated Ricky "Hitman" Hatton (38-0, 28 KOs) challenges IBF junior welterweight champion Kostya Tszyu (31-1, 25 KOs, 1 ND) in Hatton's hometown of Manchester, England, on Saturday, June 4. A sellout crowd of over 18,000 screaming fans will be in attendance to back Ricky Hatton in the biggest bout of the young fighter's career.
Tszyu and Hatton are two out of the four recognized fighters who make up the "big four" of the junior welterweight division. The other two fighters who make up the big four, Arturo Gatti and Floyd Mayweather Jr., will battle for supremecy on June 25. The obvious direction would be for the winner of Hatton-Tszyu to meet the winner of Gatti-Mayweather down the road.
The staff of BoxingScene comes together to give their predictions and insight on the upcoming junior welterweight clash.
Ron Gallegos - We're looking at a potential candidate for fight of the year. It would have to go some to beat the recent Corrales-Castillo fight that was one for the ages. The lone obstacle will be the fact that this one will only last four or five rounds, but it will be non-stop. There will be no cries of wanting money back because of lack of action. Hatton only knows one direction, forward and Tszyu is not one to dance or box. He's a brawler when need be and for this fight he will have to return fire in kind. His arsenal packs all the tools to deal with any situation. Hatton basically has never been tested, and Tszyu is in a class of his own and this division is his. He will catch Hatton with a counter coming in and then to borrow James' name, it's "light's out." The powerful Russian will emerge victorious and the Englishman will know that he should never have strayed that far from the friendly confines of home. Look for it to end by KO in the 4th or 5th. [details]
Tszyu and Hatton are two out of the four recognized fighters who make up the "big four" of the junior welterweight division. The other two fighters who make up the big four, Arturo Gatti and Floyd Mayweather Jr., will battle for supremecy on June 25. The obvious direction would be for the winner of Hatton-Tszyu to meet the winner of Gatti-Mayweather down the road.
The staff of BoxingScene comes together to give their predictions and insight on the upcoming junior welterweight clash.
Ron Gallegos - We're looking at a potential candidate for fight of the year. It would have to go some to beat the recent Corrales-Castillo fight that was one for the ages. The lone obstacle will be the fact that this one will only last four or five rounds, but it will be non-stop. There will be no cries of wanting money back because of lack of action. Hatton only knows one direction, forward and Tszyu is not one to dance or box. He's a brawler when need be and for this fight he will have to return fire in kind. His arsenal packs all the tools to deal with any situation. Hatton basically has never been tested, and Tszyu is in a class of his own and this division is his. He will catch Hatton with a counter coming in and then to borrow James' name, it's "light's out." The powerful Russian will emerge victorious and the Englishman will know that he should never have strayed that far from the friendly confines of home. Look for it to end by KO in the 4th or 5th. [details]