Hatton in best shape ever, says coach

RICKY HATTON is completing preparations for Saturday night’s Las Vegas super-fight against Jose Luis Castillo with a frightening intensity which lends weight to trainer Billy Graham’s claim that he will answer the opening bell in the best shape of his career.

Graham believes Hatton has been determined to push himself beyond his normal boundaries not only by the prospect of facing the fearsome Castillo, but also by the desire to revert to type after two relatively unimpressive recent performances.

Graham, who has been putting Hatton through his final paces at Zuffa’s gym on West Sahara Avenue this week, said: “Ricky won his last two fights in difficult circumstances but this time he finds himself under more pressure to perform.

“People have come to expect Ricky’s fights to be about constant excitement but they have got to understand that sometimes it is impossible if you are fighting a slick southpaw or if you are not feeling 100%.

“But this time Ricky is looking the best I have ever seen him. He is faster and sharper and I am convinced this is the kind of fight that will bring out the best of both of them. Their styles are going to gel and I have a feeling it is going to be a really special night.”

Castillo is a man after Graham’s heart. A keen student of the fight game, Graham grew up watching films of some of the great Mexican fighters and it is a source of great pride to him that Hatton would look as much at home in a seething Azteca Stadium as the MEN Arena back home.

Graham added: “I love all the Mexican fighters, especially the great bantamweights, so being involved in a fight like this is really exciting for me. Guys like Ruben Olivares, Carlos Zarate and of course Julio Cesar Chavez are my idols.

“The best in Mexico is usually the best in the world. They’re so entertaining and passionate. It is the ultimate thing for me to be able to say that the guy I train is as good as any Mexican fighter out there.”

Romulo Quirarte, Graham’s opposite number in the Castillo corner said: “Hatton is a complete fighter, a proven champion. The key word with Hatton is ‘fighter’, because he has a real shock about his punches and a great desire in his body every time he fights.

“We have a great respect for Hatton and we know this is going to be one of Jose Luis’s hardest fights. It is going to be like a chess game with warriors, unleashing all their pieces and armoury in attack.

“We know Hatton will never take a step backwards when he is under attack. He has a great heart. That is why he is like a Mexican in style.

“We have worked twice as hard as we would normally to get things right for this fight”