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Ready to roll

Adam Derbyshire
13/ 6/2007

RICKY Hatton is promising to 'cement his legacy' with an explosive performance against Jose Luis Castillo in Las Vegas.

The Hyde 'Hitman' is ready to do some damage after his final session in the gym left grizzled sparring partner Henrique Sandoz doubled up in agony with a broken rib.

And the stakes are high in the city of high rollers as he attempts to punch his way on to the list of all-time greats.

"There's a spring in my step for this one", he said, "Everyone says I've never looked as good. Better even than before the Kosta Tszyu fight a couple of years ago."

It is a must win scenario for Hatton. Losing would scupper his chances of finishing a glittering career unbeaten and a final jackpot 'superfight' in Madison Square Garden, possibly against Floyd Mayweather or Oscar De La Hoya.

A victory, meanwhile, would secure Hatton's place among boxing's elite.

But first the gritty Mexican icon, nicknamed 'El Terrible', stands in his way. More than 18,000 fans have snapped up tickets for the fight at the Thomas and Mack Center on June 23 with millions more tuning in across the globe.

After a couple of below-par performances, Hatton is pledging to once again wow fans with an all-action knockout performance in the fight capital of the world.

"All the ingredients are there to make it thrilling, an epic," he said, "Castillo is one of the best pound-for-pound boxers in the world. He's an attacking fighter like me. He'll be going for the knockout but don't worry, so will I. I have the chance to cement my legacy."

Despite beating Luis Collazo and Juan Urango in his last two fights, critics claim the scrappy victories indicate the 28-year-old is past his peak.

But speaking exclusively to the Advertiser at Manchester Airport before jetting off with BMI to Vegas, the 28-year-old hit back.

"Those last two fights I won two world titles at two different weights. Don't forget they were both southpaws, both tricky, and very different styles to anything I've faced before.

"Every sportsman goes through lean spells, it's how you react that's important. The only pressure is to prove to myself."

Hatton puts his IBO light-welterweight title on the line against Castillo but says he has seldom been better prepared than he is this time.

American Steve Forbes, who won the IBF super-featherweight title in 2001 and was runner-up in last year's Contender series to Grady Brewer, has been one of Hatton's sparring partners over the past two weeks.

"He's a good body-puncher and has helped get me ready for Castillo. My other sparring partner Henrique was excellent too, but I left him with a broken rib. I couldn't be in better form."