Tszyu inks Hatton deal!

[miron_lang]

will it be possible? Seeing as though De La Hoya is HBO and Tszyu is with Showtime.

It happened before. Lewis againts Tyson

[KJ]

Kostya Tszyu Speaks Out

Kostya Tszyu Speaks Out

10.01.05 - By Kostya Tszyu: Dear Tszyu Crew, I am very pleased to be able to tell you today that I have decided to face Ricky Hatton in my next fight, which will be held in Manchester, England at 4am in the early hours of Sunday morning 5th June 2005. The fight will be shown live around the world in many countries including the USA on Showtime and in Australia and Russia.

I am looking forward to this match and I am very excited. If you look at my website now you will see the results of the poll where I asked you, who I should fight next. Your first choice was undisputed welterweight champion Cory Spinks, but we know that it is very hard to make this fight happen at this stage. Your second choice was Ricky Hatton. I looked at the demand for this fight from the Tszyu Crew and we made it happen. It is an exciting time for me again. I made the decision to not step aside and still continue to do what I do best..

I always take one fight at a time. I don’t know when I will retire. If another big challenge comes onto my horizon, I am going to say, ‘let’s do the job’. I am living a healthy life. I have a great family and great friends around me. Before Christmas, I spent time in Moscow and it was so pleasing to see the Tszyu Crew there. You can see the photos in my website gallery and there are so many smiling faces. The most important thing I find now in life is that you have to be happy no matter what you do. That’s why I said, when they asked me to fight in March, it is not going to happen, because I would have to train through Christmas.

This fight with the undefeated Ricky Hatton will be my first contest in England. It will be very interesting. With Sharmba it was unfinished business, which needed to be finished. With Ricky it is a big challenge in front of me. He is a new guy. He is younger. He is nine years younger than me. It is a big difference. But I do believe that the way I am going to train, no one trains like this. That is going to be a big factor.

I am going to be very busy from now till the start of my training camp at the beginning of March. I am working on a new exercise book and DVD package and will also be making some public appearances around Australia. This coming Wednesday 12th January 2005, I will be at the Sportsco Bankstown Store in NSW, Australia between 1pm and 2pm. If you are close by, please stop in to say hello.

As I am writing this message to you on Monday evening here in Sydney, I am reading on the Internet a newspaper report in the UK stating that Frank Warren is not happy that I have announced the fight with Ricky. All I can say in response is that we have done a deal. If Frank Warren wants to change it, then the fight is off and we'll start again. But you all know that I have never let talk such as this worry me.

Remember the Tszyu Crew rules always!


Your champion,

Kostya Tszyu

Undisputed Super Lightweight Champion of the World

[mr. bojangles]

Surprisingly easy fight for Zoo. Now, he doesn't have to stalk too much looking to land his left and right hands, Hatton will be coming in there right in front of him.

Tszyu TKO's Hatton in three (3) rounds max!

[STEELHEAD]

so tszyu is taking the easy money fight against hatton. a good tuneup before he takes on real contenders like mayweather or dlh.

[mr. bojangles]

Gatti is another easy fight for Tszyu

The real fights for KT is @147 against :

• Cory Spinks - a difficult style match-up
• Oscar de la Hoya - simply the better skilled boxer with speed and power

[srs2000]

i agree hatton could have cuts problems, but also think hatton may have more hunger for this fight and can win for sure

[tracylee]

i agree hatton could have cuts problems, but also think hatton may have more hunger for this fight and can win for sure

But has Hatton ever faced someone of Tszyu's caliber? Also, Kostya may have it in his head that it will be difficult (if not impossible) to win a decision in Rickys backyard, and be more determined to not let it go to the scorecards because of that.
Either way it should be a great fight, and I'll go ahead and put my "dont really matter what I think" predicition in and say Tszyu by tko (or ko)

[MlLkMan]

Im going for Hatton tko in the later rounds.

[RobbieD]

What you saying?

You mean you will give up all yuor points if KT beats hatton by knock out? Or do you mean, if KT loses by knockout?

I'm saying that if someone wants to put up 100,000 points on a KT KO win then I'll take the bet.

[RobbieD]

I can't understand the "Hatton has never fought anyone in Tsyzu's class before" arguements on him losing before he gets in the ring. There has to be a first for everything and people are going to be in for a massive shock. Start thinking of excuses for Tsyzu now because he'll need them. I'll start for you...

- He hurt his knee.
- Hometown decision
- Lucky punch
- Too early in the morning to be fighting
- It rained (outside the building mind you but still)