exclusive ricky hatton interview!!

www.fightnews.com

April 30, 2006

By Craig Watt

Unbeaten WBA Jr-Welterweight champion Ricky "The Hitman" Hatton (40-0, 30 KO's) talked exclusively to Fightnews.com today about his upcoming fight at 147 pounds against WBA champion Luis Collazo (26-1, 12 KO's). With just fourteen days to the fight at the TD Banknorth Garden Arena in Boston, Team Hatton is putting the finishing touches to the preperation. Hatton enjoyed a sparring session in the Pheonix Gym in Manchester with slick 27 year old southpaw Frankie "El Gato" Figueroa (13-2) who is from the Bronx, New York. Hatton confirmed he will fly out to Boston on Saturday, May 6th for a week to acclimatise before the exciting bout on May 13th, that could see the unbeaten Manchester fighter become a two weight world champion. He talked to Fightnews.com about the fight and also his plans for the future and confirmed a full autobiography of his career which will hit the bookshelves in September of this year.

Ricky, you have been a professional fighter now since 1997, are you at a stage where you are living your dream?

Without a doubt. When you turn professional after a successful amateur career like mine you set yourself goals, targets and objectives and after 40 fights, I am in the zone I dreamed of. I had three key objectives in becoming a two weight world champion, fighting in Madison Square Garden and also fighting in Las Vegas. So, to this extent I have achieved a great deal to win two major belts at 140 pounds but still crave to get that major title at a second weight. The fight against Collazo gives me that opportunity on May 13th. At some stages in my career it seemed I was stalling a little and received some negative comments, especially from the USA where people thought I was over protected, doesn't want to fight this guy and that guy and never wants to fight outside of Manchester. Its only in the last couple of years where my career has really taken off and to win two major titles at Jr. welterweight in back-to-back fights, is an excellent achievement and to defeat a fighter with such a great pedigree as Kostya Tszyu gives myself pride in the achievements of Ricky Hatton. Now I am in a third successive fight, targeting another recognised belt against a respected fighter such as Collazo. This is how I want my career to develop, now where every fight is a major challenge and every fight has a meaningful opponent to motivate and drive me to the next level. I am confident that I will become a two weight world champion and lift the WBA title in the USA on May 13th.

Have you exceeded your own expectations as a fighter so far?

I have always had confidence in my abilities and I always knew my style and fighting heart would take me to high levels in the sport and it is fantastic when you achieve those results- there is no better feeling. It was amazing to defeat the great Kostya Tszyu in Manchester in front of 20,000 of my fans and then win a unification fight against Carlos Maussa. Then in my first major fight in the US, fight for a title that will give me a two weight championship which very few fighters in the UK have ever done. Life could not be better at the moment for Ricky Hatton for sure. I have a great chance on May 13th to win three major belts in three consecutive fights and not many fighters can say they have done that in succession.

How did you feel when you were awarded the Ring magazine "Fighter of the Year" award recently for 2005?

Believe you me, this is one of my greatest achievements in the sport and on a personal note, is probably the best award I have ever won, because you know what a boxing historian I am. I know what a pedigree this magazine is and what this award holds in world boxing. When I was told of the award, I got the magazine and kept reading and looking at it as I had done as a kid, and now it is framed in my house with pride of place alongside my championship belts earned inside the ring. What is important to me is that this is the "Bible" of boxing and to be recognised in this way makes me very happy. I have collected the magazine for years and this will be my prized edition. I am indeed the first British fighter ever to win this award. Many thanks to everyone at the magazine for this award.

When you fight Luis Collazo on May 13th you will be seven pounds heavier at 147 pounds- what does this extra weight mean to you?

This is where my intuitionalist Kerry Kayes really helps me, and I can assure you I have lost no speed and just gained power. We have not targeted specific body areas, but aimed for total strength increase in legs and arms, rather than, just try to build more muscle in my arms and shoulders. In my career so far I have never had a real trouble making 140 pounds and so being strong and fast at seven pounds heavier, is what we have achieved. You could see today against a fast and slick fighter like Frankie Figueroa I had not lost any speed and what I have gained is power and strength. I am certainly not just a 140 pound fighter with an extra seven pounds of fat. I do actually feel more powerful and more explosive in training. I have genuinely had to increase my calorific intake to add weight, but Kerry helps me make sure that this extra is converted into power. Only if I add fat will that make me slower but that is not the case. I am at my peak physically.

Will you stay at 147 pounds if successful on May 13th?

To be honest, I want to have the option to fight at 140 pounds or 147 pounds. I have no issue with 140 pounds and no problems making the weight, and it is wherever the fights take me that I will fight at. I do fancy the winner of Diego Corrales and Castillo which would be a great fight at 140 pounds. Miguel Cotto is at 140 pounds also, but then there is Gatti and Mayweather at 147 pounds. My plan is to drop back to 140 pounds for my fight after Collazo and show I am not chasing in Mayweather's shadows. It is a great fight for both of us and the boxing fans would love to see the fight, but I am not waiting in his shadows forever. As stated I want meaningful fights every fight, and my dream would be to fight Mayweather in 2007, in an outdoor event at the Manchester City Football Stadium that holds 40,000 people. That is the fight I want in the medium term, and I am sure the fans do too. The bottom line is, that I am more bothered about the size of the fight, than at what weight it is at. Now I want Vegas, Madison Square Garden, defining fights and major champions.

How much have you seen of your next opponent Luis Collazo?

I have seen about six of his fights on tape, and he is very good. He has only just recently won the title, and made just one defence and so is a little less known. From what I can see, he has fast hands, a slick boxer who is always on the move and cuts the distance quickly. Being a southpaw, he is just that little extra awkward and more tricky than most fighters I have fought. But if Ricky Hatton boxes to the best of his ability, I have great confidence I will bring back the WBA Welterweight Title to Manchester on May 13th.

Given his slick boxing style does his seven inch reach advantage bother you?

The thing is I have seen him in the flesh, and he is a little taller than me, but when I moved up to welterweight, I expected to see much bigger fighters, but Collazo didn't seem huge or physically imposing to me when we met, head to head at the press conference in Boston. I still actually felt bigger than him, even though it was me that was moving up in weight. Only time will tell in the fight and perhaps his muscles will be fatigued to get down to 147 pounds whilst my muscles will be stronger going up to 147 pounds from 140 pounds.

Whilst Collazo is the natural welterweight do you think you have the edge in experience?

He is in his prime and has just recently won the title and at the press conference was super confident without being brash or big headed. He is a class fighter, but has not faced the class of fighter as Kostya Tszyu, and in that respect the onus is actually on Ricky Hatton, as challenger, to put pressure on him, which is what I plan to do, and show my experience over 40 fights with 30 stoppage wins is more relevant, than his 27 fights with just 12 stoppage wins.

How has the fighting in the US factor affected your preparation?

It hasn't influenced it at all to be truthful. We have trained here in the Phoenix Gym like we always do and done the hard graft in Manchester. We did think of going over two weeks before, but given it is not really a long fight to Boston from Manchester we did not feel the flight would affect my preparation that much, so that is why we have stayed in the UK. We are flying out on May 6th and I don't think at this stage we have missed anything or left anything to chance.

How do you see the fight itself with Collazo?

I do think it could be a long fight and I have prepared for every eventuality if he decides to stand tall and box, or get in a close toe to toe battle in the middle of the ring. I have no real predictions other than, I think it will be a close and exciting fight for the fans in the Arena and those watching me live in the US on HBO. His speed, height and movement are going to be the key for him, but whether he can open me up, I am not sure. He is not a light puncher, but not a concussive puncher, and if I steam roller in like I do, will he be able to keep me away from him and put me on the back foot? I think that will be unlikely.

At the recent press conference in Boston, Collazo felt you were perhaps looking past him at Mayweather and as a consequence in danger of under estimating him totally on May 13th. Is this the case?

I can assure you, I am in great shape and totally focussed for this fight and in no way will I underestimate Collazo. I am not looking past him, or anyone, but the fact is that, Mayweather is the number one pound for pound fighter in the world, and we all have him in our sights if we want to be considered the best ourselves. It is in no way a weakness in Ricky Hatton that I hold this ambition. You will see on May 13th how focussed and determined I am and Luis Collazo is the only thing in my mind at the moment. Instead, it actually makes me more determined to get him out the way, rather make my mental state weaker.

Are you excited about showing the American fans more of Ricky Hatton?

This is the best part about the next phase on my career, and I want to show the fans my exciting style. I don't fight like a traditional British or European fighter, and I am more like a Mexican fighter in terms of style. I think my style will appeal to the American fans, and after 40 fights in my fortress of Manchester, it is time to show more of the world about Ricky Hatton. This excites me, and I am sure they will not be disappointed. I have moved out of Manchester by choice and have always dreamed of topping the bill in the USA. I now have more of a say in my career, I feel now, and this was one of my objectives for 2006.

In terms of your three fight deal with HBO what do you see as fights two and three after the Collazo fight?

It purely depends what fights are offered to me at 140 or 147 pounds, and that is what my team will be trying to arrange after the Collazo fight. It seems like HBO are building towards a Mayweather fight and that would be outstanding. The game plan is to have a few fights in the States so the American fans can see me in the flesh, and on HBO, and hopefully then the Mayweather match can be made. A couple of fights should give me that exposure. Personally a match with Cotto or the winner of Corales and Castillo at 140 pounds would be a great fight for fight two, and then fight three against the best ranked pound for pound fighter, Floyd Mayweather. I have confidence in my new team, that these real and exciting fights will be delivered in 2006 and 2007 for Ricky Hatton. It appears all the big names are now on HBO and there is no reason we cannot make these exciting fights. By the time I am 30 years of age, its unlikely I will be in the sport ,and so these fights give me the hunger and drive that we all need in sport.

What did you think of Mayweather's recent win over Zab Judah?

He won the fight clearly, but from my point of view he did not put shivers up my spine. It was a good performance but not a great one. Mayweather half won the fight, but then again Judah half lost the fight. By the midway stage it was even and I though Mayweather should have taken the bull by the horns, but it seemed he said I'm happy with that and just shut up shop till the end of the fight. Similarly Judah seemed to stand in front of him and made it easier for Mayweather. There was no real hunger from Judah it appeared.