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FF: Ricky, tell us what you’re up to right now, are you in camp and how is that going?
RH: It’s going fantastic. I’ve got sparring partners coming next week and I’m feeling very fit, strong. My weight is okay as I’ll be moving up in weight for this next fight.
FF: Can you tell us what you weigh right now?
RH: As of right now I weight about 156…157.
FF: Your next fight is against Luis Collazo in Boston USA on May 13th which will be at Welterweight. Do you intend to stay at 147 or can we expect to see you back at 140?
RH: I don’t know yet. I can do both weights so I’m not going to make a decision at this point. I’m going to see after this fight what the next fight is offered at and if that’s Junior Welter or Welter then so be it. I’m not really above either of those weights and I’m more interested in where the names I’m fighting will be at.
FF: But making weight at 140 is not a concern for you at all at this point?
RH: No, not at all. It’s not like I’m moving up to Welterweight because I can’t make the weight. That’s not the case. If a fight against Cotto or Castillo or Corrales is offered to me at 140 then I’ll take it, but if a better fight is offered to me at Welter then I’ll stay at 147.
FF: Earlier in your career there was criticism heaped on you with some fans and media accusing you of being a sheltered fighter who won’t leave his back yard. You put a lot of that to rest with your showing against Tszyu and destruction of Maussa, and now you are primed to fight North America…
RH: Yea that’s right. I knew that was the case all along and I’ve beaten some good names like Vince Phillips, Ray Oliveira and Ben Tackie. And now with the win over Tszyu and Maussa I really feel I’ve started to achieve the kinds of things I’ve thought I could all along. You know I was voted the American Sports Writers Association Fighter of the Year for 2005, the Ring and ESPN’s fighter of the year and have won the Ring belt. I’ve won major title belts in consecutive fights now within a 12 month period, so yea, I think I’ve put that kind of talk to sleep.
FF: How many fights do you intend to fight in America now, and what is your motivation in doing so?
RH: Well it’s what I’ve always dreamed of, I’ve always wanted to top the bill in America at Madison Square Garden, Las Vegas, great places like that. After winning the Junior Welterweight title and the Ring belt I’m slowly and one by one achieving the goals I set out for myself and topping the bill in America has always been a dream of mine. Some British fighters who’ve won a world title have done so while staying in their own back yard and I want to be the exception to that rule. And with the way I fight and my style I think the American fight fans will take me to heart just like English fight fans have. I think my next three fights will probably be in America.
FF: In the boxing world there is and always has been a UK vs US rivalry to a certain extent. What is your take on the skeptical criticisms you seem to get from some US fans and Media?
RH: Well I beat Kostya Tszyu when not a lot of American media gave me a chance, and to be honest not a lot of people anywhere gave me much of a chance. Now that I’ve done that there still are people who question me and I can’t get too excited about that. I really feel I’ve got nothing to prove in that department. I think that what I did last year being voted the top fighter by the American Writers Association, ESPN, the Ring, and that’s being a British fighter who fought in the UK all last year… I think that speaks volumes as to what a lot of people think about me.
You’re always going to have doubters and I have them here in Britain as well where they seem to build up champions just to knock them down. I like the way things are going for me, but I still would say I have things to prove to myself. There’s so much more I want to do and I’m only 27 and in my prime so to speak, so I think the best is yet to come.
FF: Ricky Luis Collazo is a tough and solid fighter and a stern test for your first fight at Welterweight, but his marketability isn’t very high because he’s not very well known. Do you feel this fight is a step in the right direction of increasing your popularity on US soil?
RH: Well very much so, Luis is the WBA Champion and won his belt on two weeks notice. He’s a southpaw and is very tricky. You know topping the bill in America for the first time wasn’t challenge enough, so I’m moving up in weight and fighting a title holder. Even when Floyd Mayweather moved up he didn’t go straight into fighting a world champion. I’m fighting a young kid who’s at the top of his game and full of confidence. I think that shows what Ricky Hatton’s about in taking a fight like this so I can’t see how there can be too many critics to be honest.
FF: Can you tell us what you know about Collazo and what you need to do to be successful?
RH: Yea he’s a southpaw, very quick, has good movement and has good skill. I’ll have to get close to him and do what I do best. I’ve fought a lot of south paws and haven’t lost to one. I’ll need to take the first few rounds to get the measure of him but I’m expecting a really tricky fight. I’m looking forward to it.
FF: Ricky lets talk Floyd Mayweather. He’s widely regarded as one of the top fighters in the world, as are you. There’s no disputing that you’re the man at 140lbs, and Floyd left the division to campaign at Welterweight.
I sometimes see criticism heaped on Floyd for not fighting you, but I seem to recall you saying shortly after the Tszyu fight that you didn’t want to fight him until 2006, and now again that you’re taking a few fights before you’re ready to fight Floyd. Can you speak on why this is, and why you haven’t been anxious to see this fight happen sooner?
RH: Well the decision isn’t just mine, the decision belongs to my camp also. The problem is that in America not a lot of people have seen my on the telly or live in the flesh so the idea is to take a few fights in the US to build the fight up and make it bigger. After the Carlos Maussa fight I had to take 6 months off to heal cuts I had to have plastic surgery to repair and that’s taken us into 2006.
But you know a lot of people say I’m stalling in fighting Floyd Mayweather but Floyd is the one who moved out of the weight division. Mayweather moved up to Welterweight having won a title, but it wasn’t from ‘the’ man at Junior Welter, and that’s me. I won the belt from ‘the man’. Floyd Mayweather is the one who moved up to Welterweight. I think that you could make the argument that he’s the one who’s avoiding me, because he moved up to Welterweight before facing me. If we’re going to get testy, that’s what I could say, but honestly I don’t think I’m avoiding him, and I don’t think he’s avoiding me. The fact is it’s a big fight and one everyone wants to see. You know I’ve been fighting in England for god knows how many years and everyone keeps telling me I need to go to America and I want to get a few fights in to see what it’s like and raise my profile there. Then we’ll fight Floyd. I think it will be a good fight when it happens and with me moving up to Welterweight it’s obviously a step in the right direction. When we both have titles it makes the fight that much more attractive.
And you know when I do fight him I feel I’ll beat him. I’ve always felt that and even more so after watching him fight the other night. In watching his fight with Judah I didn’t get the impression he’s a guy that should have me shivering in me boots. Floyd is what he is and I didn’t learn anything different in watching him again. He deserves to be where he is at the top of the pound for pound with what he’s done in several divisions and with Hopkins losing to Taylor. But as far as I’m concerned he’s keeping that spot warm for me because I wasn’t overly impressed in seeing him the other night.
FF: Do you have a preference as to where you’d like that fight to occur? At 140 or 147?
RH: It doesn’t really matter to me. I met Floyd very briefly at the Taylor Hopkins fight and we shook hands and stood side by side and I was surprised at how small he was. Whether the fight is at 140 or 147 I’ll be bigger and stronger than him. He’s not a big Welter and not really even a big Junior Welter. I don’t think Floyd would have trouble making 140 again so that’s something that when the time comes we’ll sit down and decide. It doesn’t matter to me because I can fight comfortably at both weights.
FF: What did you think of Mayweather’s performance against Judah?
RH: It wasn’t a bad performance but it wasn’t a great performance. I felt that Judah lost it as much as Floyd won it. You know Zab did very well early on and had a knock down that should have counted, all thought Floyd obviously wasn’t hurt. By the half way point Judah looked to a nose ahead but I don’t know if it was his stamina or what but after the fifth round he threw twenty punches a round. I don’t want to sound like I’m slagging off Zab Judah but after the great start he had he just slowed up and didn’t deserve to win the fight. From the sixth round on it seemed like he didn’t want to be there and Mayweather pressed the issue and he deserved the win. But as much as Floyd won the fight I thought Judah gave a lot away in losing it.
You can’t knock Floyd Mayweather. I think he’s the most naturally gifted fighter and he does everything well. As far as fighters today go, I couldn’t have anymore respect for Floyd Mayweather. I think he’s a tremendous talent and he deserves to be top of the pound for pound list. But with all that said, he’s not doing anything that’s making me want to run away from him.
I thought he went to the body very well in that fight and that’s something he doesn’t normally do a lot of. You know I always felt I could beat Floyd, even before this last fight, but seeing it made me even more confident.
FF: How does Ricky Hatton beat Floyd Mayweather?
RH: Floyd has so much boxing ability and everyone he fights really seems to stand off him. I haven’t seen too many people fight him like I would. I don’t think anyone’s going to outbox Floyd Mayweather because no one can match him in terms of ability. I think that’s why my style could be the way to beat him. And he does have the style to beat me as well, and that’s what makes it such an interesting fight.
FF: Who are some other fighters you would like to fight in the near future, either as a prelude to a fight with Floyd or in his place if that fight doesn’t come off as soon as you’d like?
RH: I think the winner of Castillo and Corrales would be a great fight for me because the styles would make for a very exciting fight. Arturo Gatti is a hero of mine and he proved with his last fight that he’s still got it and I’d be honored to share a ring with him. Miguel Cotto… the list goes on. There’s a lot of fights we can go after and we want to fight in the US a few times upcoming and provide the fans with some excitement. I can’t wait.
FF: Speaking of exciting fights a huge fan Favorite in America is Emanuel Augustus. Despite sporting a poor record on paper, he’s notorious for bringing a hellacious fight with a great chin and gave Floyd Mayweather one of his toughest fights. Can you give us your thoughts on Augustus and would you ever consider fighting him?
RH: I’ve seen him fight and I love watching him. He’s a good fighter and very slick and he makes for an exciting fight so from that point of view I’d like to fight him, but at this point I’ve got to wonder what it does to progress Ricky Hatton’s career. I don’t mean that as an insult to him because I think we’d have a helluva fight and he’s fantastic to watch. But progress wise I’m not sure it makes sense for me. It would be good for my career as far as it would be a fantastic fight, but that’s it really.
FF: Could we get a word on that epic fight with Kostya Tszyu? Just what it meant and what you took away from it?
RH: It meant everything really. Many regard it as one of the greatest title wins ever in a British boxing ring. You hear it compared with so many great British fighters and that really makes me feel honored because those guys are my heroes and now my name is up there along side theirs and you can imagine the impact that’s had in England. Kostya was a pound for pound fighter but he’d never had anyone fight him in his face and chest like I did and it’s going to be the same when I fight Mayweather. Any title fight is special but to beat a fighter like Kostya Tszyu is something very special.
FF: It was very refreshing to see the class and sportsmanship you both paid to each other after that fight. Do you still speak to Kostya, and is a rematch something you’d entertain in the future?
RH: I haven’t spoken to him since after the fight. I heard he went for a Brain Scan and I sent him an email wishing him the best and it turns out he was fine. I would give him a rematch, but I really don’t think he needs to come back and I don’t’ think he should have a rematch with me. That’s not to say I don’t think it would be a good fight, but to be honest I don’t see what he has left to prove. I often think that I’d like to end my career undefeated, but if I don’t I’d like to go out in a valiant effort like he did.
FF: Ricky we’d like to thank you for taking the time to do this. Every fight you’re in is exciting from start to finish and boxing could use more guys like you. All the best and we look forward to speaking to you again soon.
RH: It was my pleasure.
Dont know the source guys sorry ;D
