Hatton makes American plans

Ricky Hatton’s status as the world’s finest light welterweight may be in little doubt but the ambitious Manchester ’Hitman’ insists he will not be satisfied until he has conquered America.

Hatton dreams of taking his exhilarating, all-action style of fighting to some of the world’s most famous boxing cities and to that end he expects tomorrow night’s IBF and WBA title unification clash against Carlos Maussa in Sheffield to be his last in Britain for some time.

Five months after reaching the peak of his division by dethroning the great champion Kostya Tszyu in Manchester, Hatton has shrugged off legal wranglings with his former promoter Frank Warren and predicted an explosive goodbye.

Hatton said: “I would be absolutely heartbroken if I put my feet up one day and had to say: ‘Ah but I never boxed in Las Vegas or I never topped the bill at Madison Square Garden.’

“I go to Las Vegas on a regular basis to watch fights and I see all the great fighters of today on the big screens. I think I’ve earned the right and it’s about time my ugly mug went up on one of them.”

Not that Hatton is taking for granted the threat posed by the unorthodox Colombian WBA champion, who seized his own title in unexpected circumstances in June with a seventh-round stoppage of then champion Vivian Harris.

Indeed Hatton is taking extra precautions, with his kamikaze opponent sure to attempt to wade into the action early seeking to land the kinds of clubbing right-hand blows which dumped Harris to the canvas.

Hatton added: “My little boy Campbell is five and he understands that dad boxes but I don’t like to let him watch my fights live, especially not one like this which could be explosive.

“The first time I got my PlayStation game that I was on I said, look at daddy on the computer game, then someone beat me and he didn’t like it.

“I thought, I’m doing right not letting him see the fight if he’s getting worked up over a computer game – but I’ll let him watch it the next day provided everything has gone to plan.”

Campbell will be tucked up safely in bed by the time, just after 10 o’clock, when his father steps into the ring expecting to be in the finest fighting shape of his life, despite the problems outside the ring which looked set to seriously damage his preparations.

Warren initially sought an injunction to stop the fight taking place and further wars of words and courtroom challenges concerning the WBA’s sanction of the fight threatened further distraction.

Hatton admitted: “It has been very, very difficult for me. Fall-outs are almost part and parcel of boxing but not when it starts to get personal.

“I was that infuriated I gave myself a headache and had to have a couple of days out of the gym. It’s not been ideal but one thing that eases the pressure is the knowledge of how well my preparations have gone.”

Maussa is convinced he can capitalise on any out-of-the-ring issues which may be weighing on Hatton’s mind and pull off another upset win before, as Hatton also intends, moving on to greater things.

The Colombian does not rate Hatton as highly as their fellow champions Floyd Mayweather or Miguel Cotto, against whom Maussa put up a fine performance before being unfortunately stopped due to cuts in December 2003.

It is Maussa’s only other defeat on his 20-fight record, on points to the little-known Arturo Morua in December last year, which adds weight to the contention that it will be another successful night for Hatton.

Maussa is no textbook Tszyu, and while it is unfair to brand his win over Harris as a flash in the pan, his loose lunges and low guard means he made to measure for Hatton to get the job done inside eight rounds.

Hatton, who is seeking to take his unbeaten professional record to 40 fights, added: “Maussa doesn’t seem to know what he is going to do next and because he can punch as well it is the last thing you want.

“But I don’t want to be in stinkers. That’s why I have got the reputation and the following I have – because I am never in bad fights and that is down to the opponent as well.”