Haggis

Just over a 2 weeks till what i think will be , with respect to a certain J. Calzage, the best fight of this year by far!

Do we have any predictions on the winner, round etc....?

I have to go for Hatton as he is the most exciting boxer i have watched in a long time....and there's a small matter of the pleasure derived by seeing a big mouth like PBF getting shut up properly...

ascottboy

Hatton in the 6th?? jst to shut that big mouth up!!

Haggis

Hatton: I'll flatten Floyd

Hatton: plans to win by knockout

Ricky Hatton issued a defiant warning to Floyd Mayweather ahead of the biggest fight of the decade as he vowed: "I'm going to knock you out."



The Hitman and the Pretty Boy will go toe-to toe in Las Vegas on Saturday night when their eagerly-anticipated WBC welterweight showdown takes place at the MGM Grand.


Neither fighter has tasted defeat in their professional careers and with just a week to go until the biggest night of his career, Hatton reckons his proud record will still be intact after the fight.


However, he is no longer simply expecting to beat Mayweather in his own back yard, but is planning to knock his rival out and steal his title as the best pound-for-pound boxer on the planet.


"This is everything I've strived for and it means everything to me," Hatton said.


"I'll be going for the knockout like I always do. With every training session I'm feeling more confident that I can knock him out.


"I used to have the mentality that I would be happy just to beat him. But now, I'm thinking I'm going to knock him out!


"I think he is in the comfort zone in his training camp, there's no venom in his punches and he's never going through the pain barrier.


"I know his speed and his boxing ability will lead me a merry dance in the fight from time to time, but can he keep it up for 12 rounds? Is he going to hit me hard enough? Is his defence good enough? Look how good I am at threading my punches into the smallest area.



"I know I'm starting to sound like a broken record, but I just don't see him beating me."


Talking dirty

Hatton's confidence is perhaps based on noises coming out of the Mayweather camp as the American fighter and his trainer and uncle, Roger, have escalated the war of words between the two boxers.


They have started to suggest that the Hitman is a "dirty fighter" and while Hatton strongly refutes that claim, he sees their comments as a sign of weakness and an attempt to influence the officials.


"Nobody has ever accused me of being a dirty fighter before," he continued. "Physical, yes, but never dirty.


"They've said those things because Floyd Mayweather doesn't want to get involved. He wants to keep the fight at a distance for as long as he possibly can and he's calling me a dirty fighter to try and influence the referee.


"That's why I'm delighted that Joe Cortez has been appointed as the referee because he can see past that.


"If Floyd had it his way it would probably be non-contact. If I'm making infringements, then the referee will deduct points, but he mustn't do it just because I'm making it physical. He must let the fight rock on."


Hatton also vowed to put the seal on a triumphant year for British boxing and is determined to prove wrong his American critics who claim he has no chance against the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world.



Sweeter

He concluded: "They've written me off in America. They are all going for Mayweather and that's the way I like it. There's not a living soul there that thinks I'm going to win, but that will make it all the sweeter when I do.


"The Americans have always tended to have the heavyweight champion of the world and they've lost that in recent years with the rise of the Russians and other countries.


"So if Britain were to take the title of best pound-for-pound boxer as well, then it would be devastating for them.


"British fighters haven't had a great deal of respect in the past from the American fight press. They say we defend our world titles in our own back yard, but when we come up against the Americans we tend to lose.


"Britain has had a lot of great champions and a lot of undisputed champions, but how many of them could you say were the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world?


"Joe Calzaghe, Gavin Rees, Enzo Maccarinelli and David Haye are all coming over to cheer me on, which makes me feel very proud."


"So with them in my corner, I'd say to the Americans: 'The Brits are coming

Haggis

Floyd - Time to prove it

Mayweather: Working hard

Floyd Mayweather Jr insists records will count for nothing when he steps into the ring against Ricky Hatton on Saturday night.

Both fighters will put their unbeaten records on the line at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas live on Sky Box Office.

Hatton has a perfect 43-0 record, with 31 wins by way of knockout, but Floyd is questioning 'the Hitman's' standing and in particular a points win over Luis Collazo at welterweight in 2006.

"Truthfully when we're being honest, Ricky Hatton has one loss. He lost to Luis Collazo," Mayweather said.

"I mean he got a gift, but I'm not really worried about a guy's record because once we go in there and face each other a guy could have 30 wins and 10 losses.

"Once we face each other, we're both zero and zero."


Promoter Oscar De La Hoya has tipped Hatton for an upset, but Mayweather is unconcerned by the words of a fighter he beat convincingly on points in May.

"Everybody's entitled to their own opinion. I mean Oscar De La Hoya said he was going to win May 5," Mayweather added.

"I mean just because he said it, did he win? So, I mean that's your answer right there.

"Oscar De La Hoya's supposed to say that because he's Ricky Hatton's promoter. And it's just like if he was my promoter, he's going to say I'm going to win.


"Even if he didn't want to say that, that's what he's supposed to say."

The war of words is almost at an end, but there are plenty of scores to Watch all the action live on Sky Box Office.

ascottboy

and where can we watch it if not at home? any fight parties??

Jimmy

this is going to be a cracking fight, it probably wont be on till about 5am though, im going for Hatton to nick it on points

Haggis

best i could suggest is chipping in with yer mates and seeing if you can all stay up?

there's no way any jersey hostelry will get a late licence to screen it (even a one-off)...

bet you could up the road though!

Haggis

Here's the lyrics to "Blue Moon" just in case you want to sing a long on Saturday night/Sunday morning!

Blue Moon, you saw me standing alone,
Without a dream in my heart,
Without a love of my own,
Blue moon, you knew just what I was there for,
You heard me saying a prayer for,
Someone I could care for,
And then there suddenly appeared before me,
Someone my arms could really hold,
I heard you whisper "Darling please adore me,"
And when I looked to the moon it had turned to gold,

Blue moon, now I'm no longer alone,
Without a dream in my heart,
Without a love of my own.


And then there suddenly appeared before me
The only one my arms will ever hold
heard somebody whisper please adore me
And when I looked the Moon had turned to gold

Blue moon
Now I'm no longer alone
Without a dream in my heart
Without a love of my own

Blue moon
Now I'm no longer alone
Without a dream in my heart
Without a love of my own


Apologies to any Reds fans out there!

Jimmy

I see Mayweather turned up in a Man United shirt for the latest press conference, Quite funny really

Haggis

Be even funnier when he gets lamped on sunday mornin!