Hatton promises Vegas fireworks

Published on Tuesday 18 November 2008 22:06

RICKY Hatton has vowed to put on a “barnstorming” show when he locks horns with Paulie Malignaggi on Saturday.

Hatton meets Malignaggi to defend his Ring magazine light-welterweight title at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas, the same venue where he suffered the first defeat of his professional career against Floyd Mayweather last December.

Hordes of Hatton fans have travelled to Vegas to lend their support, and the Manchester fighter has promised not to disappoint them.

“It will be just the usual Ricky Hatton barnstorming fight,” Hatton said. “I’m going to be all over him like a rash. I won’t be taking any backward steps.

“The day Ricky Hatton fans leave a fight without being entertained is the day I hang up my gloves. That’s certainly not what is going to happen on Saturday.”

Hatton stepped back down a division after Mayweather stopped him in the tenth round of their WBC welterweight bout last year. He admits it will be hard to put that defeat to the back of his mind on Saturday, but believes a strict new training regime has enabled him to get into perfect shape.

Hatton split from long- standing coach Billy Graham last year and replaced him with Mayweather’s father, Floyd Mayweather Snr, who has been putting him through his paces in Nevada ahead of the fight, in which he will also be aiming to win Malignaggi’s insignificant IBO title after the New Yorker had to relinquish his IBF belt.

“I can understand why people have maybe said ‘Ricky Hatton is past his best’ but I think they might be writing a new script come Saturday,” said Hatton.

Meanwhile, Esham Pickering has warned South Queensferry’s British featherweight champion Paul Appleby he is in for a shock if he writes off the veteran.

Appleby, Britain’s Best Young Boxer of the Year, takes on the 32-year-old former British, European and Commonwealth champion in the first defence of his crown in Glasgow on 28 November.

“I take every fight as my last fight,” the Newark boxer said. “Hopefully Paul realises that. Hopefully he realises it’s going to be all or nothing for me.”