Hatton to use Pacquiao’s status as motivation

MANILA, Philippines – Ricky Hatton will use Manny Pacquiao’s status as the world’s No.1 pound-for-pound fighter as his motivation when he starts training for their May 2 mega-bout next month.

In an interview with British newspaper The Telegraph, Hatton said he would want to challenge Pacquiao’s status as the world’s best pound-for-pound fighter and hoped that he would be at the winning end of their junior welterweight title fight at the MGM Grand Garden in Las Vegas.

“I’ve challenged once for it, I’m focused, I’ve got my eye on the prize," said Hatton, who once fought and lost to then pound-for-pound king Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Hatton, who will start training in the middle of February, thinks Pacquiao is beatable.

"I’ve always said it, but I don’t think anyone in the world can beat me," Hatton said. "Nor can I see this fight going 12 rounds. I’m convinced I will beat Manny."

Hatton said to become one of the best boxers in the world is to fight world class champions.

“He [Pacquiao] is a great champion, and the only way to become a great fighter is to box great champions," he said. "It is an honor and a privilege to be sharing a ring with him."

He also believes that Oscar de la Hoya was not in tip-top condition when he fought Pacquiao in December last year.

"I do think he boxed a shell of Oscar de la Hoya," he said. "But I don’t want to take anything away from Manny."

Hatton said that negotiations in his fight against Pacquiao, which dragged on for weeks, affected him emotionally.

"They were a very difficult few weeks," he said. "Previously we had spoken to Bob Arum [Pacquiao’s promoter] and we’d agreed on the deal. I was delighted. I was jumping through hoops. With the on-off, on-off nature last week, I was devastated. I said to my dad [Ray Hatton, his manager] and my lawyer Gareth Williams that if it was not on by [last] weekend, we would have to call it off."

The fight, which has been set at the super-lightweight (140 lbs) level, almost did not push through after both camps failed to reach an agreement on the revenue split. Both camps, however, finally came to their senses and agreed to save the superfight that could bring in huge profits for both boxers.

Although Pacquiao (48-3-2, win-loss-draw) is tagged as boxing’s most bankable star today, the catch weight has been Hatton’s territory for some time now.

Hatton’s only loss in his career was at the welterweight class (147 lbs) when he lost to Mayweather Jr. in 2007. Otherwise, the super-lightweight campaigner has been spotless in 46 professional career fights. – GMANews.TV

Source: http://www.gmanews.tv/story/146725/Hatton-to-use-Pacquiaos-status-as-motivation

Social Bookmarking