"These are the same people who four, five years back were saying I was an over-hyped, over-protected fraud.

"Then I go and beat Vince Phillips more convincingly than Sharmba Mitchell - the number one contender to Kostya Tszyu.

"Next on the agenda, I can't box for shit. I'm just a brawler. So I go out and box Ben Tackie's head off and that shuts them up for a few months.

"But then I'm nothing more than just a big ticket-seller who doesn't want the big fights, even though I publicly make it clear that it's me promoter who's not getting me the fights.

"Then they call me Ricky Fatton and tell me that Kostya Tszyu will knock my block off and that I don't stand a hope in hell's chance.

"Then it's that I don't want to leave Manchester or Britain and that I won't fight in America.

"Then it's back to being the over-hyped fraud and nothing more than a brawler.

"To be honest, I sit and laugh me bloody ass off at it sometimes. Look what I've done - six world titles at two different weights, beat an all-time great and topped the bill in Las Vegas.

"Long may it continue. Ricky Hatton just uses it as motivation to be honest, as well as a good bloody laugh."


"Well you've got to break it down.

"With Kostya Tszyu, I wasn't prepared to load up all the time because I knew if he caught me with a quick hook or a counter hook he could have me on me backside, or if he stepped back and landed that right hand he could knock me sparko with the double impact as I was loading up.

"You saw the fight, it was about closing the gap fast, it was about sticking to him. I'd been waiting for that moment all me life so wasn't going to let me heart rule me head and mess it up. I couldn't let him extend that right elbow because then I'd be sparked!

"With Carlose Maussa, obviously, you saw the fight. You saw the guy. He was very, very awkward - switch-hitter, rangey, gangly, punching at odd angles.

"Again, I used me head. I'd been saying in the build-up to the fight that I was going to go for the body, but did that to deceive him because I didn't and we'd worked on the leaping hook to the head because we saw on tapes how he left his chin in the air when he pulled back.

"So again, perfect.

"With me last two fights, how can you look good against them? Southpaws, difficult styles.

"(Luis) Collazo was quick and tricky and threw hooks from the waist that you don't see coming.

"While (Juan) Urango had that peek-a-book defence and your punches just bounced off him!

"Plus, going up and down in weight like a yo-yo and headlining overseas, I think I deserve all the credit in the world and I've already achieved beyond my wildest dreams to be honest.

"When I go toe-to-toe with one of the Mexican greats and come out on top, the critics can put that in their pipe and smoke it just like they have with everything else Ricky Hatton's done."