AN estimated 2,000 mourners lined the streets of Tralee on Saturday to pay tribute to legendary big band jazz musician Billy Curtin who passed away after an illness.

Manchester’s light-welterweight king Ricky Hatton faces Filipino superstar Manny Pacquiao at Las Vegas’ MGM Grand Casino in the early hours of tomorrow morning in the first super-fight of 2009. But has the economic downturn impacted on the appetite for big time boxing Stateside? Simon Lewis reports from Nevada.