Ricky Hatton is getting sharper each passing day.
As he prepares to leave for the second and most crucial phase of his training in the USA, the British banger told the UK media that he is extremely pleased that the training he started in February did what he had wanted to achieve.
?My weight is right down, I?m in great shape. Ricky ?Fatton? has disappeared,? said Hatton, who is sometimes called by that name owing to his tendency to bloat during free time.
?I’ve never been as down on my weight. I?m pretty much at the weight ? 154lbs ? which I will be on the night,? said Hatton, who leaves for Las Vegas on Sunday in time for a press conference with Pacquiao in Los Angeles the following day.
Hatton expects to be in the best shape of his life by the time he enters the ring at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on May 2.
?As the fight gets nearer I will get faster, sharper and more explosive,? boasted Hatton, who is a 2-1 underdog.
?It is great being ahead of schedule in that it gives you a luxury. I?d rather be ahead now than chasing it later on. I have to be careful I don?t over-cook it but I ? and Floyd (Mayweather Sr.) ? are too long in the tooth, boxing-wise, to let that happen.?
Although Hatton admits that he and his flashy trainer are poles apart, ?we are really comfortable together.?
?From the first day Floyd came back here (to prepare for Pacquiao) we have started from a higher platform. I am really excited by the performance I can produce. It should be a damn sight better with another training camp under our belts,? said Hatton.
Mayweather said he doesn?t worry much about Pacquiao?s vaunted speed and quickness.
?The whole key is Ricky?s stronger, he?s smarter (than Pacquiao),? said Mayweather, who is more than optimistic that the Manchester native will stop Pacquiao dead in his tracks.
