Matthew Hatton insists Saturday’s world title shot against Saul Alvarez in California is a “win-win opportunity”.
Hatton, younger brother of two-weight world champion Ricky, faces Mexico’s Alvarez for the vacant WBC light-middleweight crown in Anaheim.
“I’m going out there with everything to gain and nothing to lose – that makes me very dangerous,” he told BBC Sport.
“I’m not out there to make the numbers up, I’m 100% confident I’m going to come away champion.”
The 29-year-old added: “I’m coming towards my peak so this fight’s coming at a good time for me.”
The match-up has caused some controversy because neither man has fought at light-middleweight before, while Sheffield’s Ryan Rhodes, ranked number four by the WBC, claims he was not offered the fight.
However, Manchester’s Hatton is quick to point out the fight was agreed before the WBC sanctioned it as a world title contest.
Philippine legend Manny Pacquiao relinquished the belt last month after agreeing a bout with Shane Mosley at welterweight and Alvarez is the WBC’s number one contender. Alvarez is strong, he can box, he can take a punch. He’s done everything right so far as a professional. But I’m very tough and very durable and I’ve only been stopped once in my career
Matthew Hatton
“I was fully deserving of a world title fight because of the way I’ve performed over the last 18 months, although it did come unexpectedly and it has come in an unexpected weight division,” said Hatton, the European welterweight champion.
“But while this opportunity was unexpected, in boxing, as in life, you’ve always got to be ready. I’m certainly not worried about my fitness or conditioning, I’m the sort of fighter who’s always in the gym. I feel better than ever.”
The odds are stacked against Hatton as he comes up against a man Oscar de la Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions hopes will be a future superstar of boxing.
Alvarez, who will be fighting in front of a vociferous pro-Mexican crowd at the Honda Center, may only be 20 but he has already had 36 professional fights, winning 35 (with 26 KOs) and drawing one.
In addition, while Hatton has been preparing for a catchweight contest at 150lb, the WBC is expected to insist the fight takes place at the full 154lb light-middleweight limit.
Furthermore, the weigh-in has been brought forward from mid-afternoon to noon, which is likely to give Alvarez an even greater weight advantage on the night of the fight.
However, Hatton, who has 41 wins and four defeats from 46 fights, is confident he will be the best fighter Alvarez has faced and that he has the tools to cause an upset.
“Alvarez is strong, he can box, he can take a punch,” he stated. “He’s done everything right so far as a professional. But I’m very tough and very durable and I’ve only been stopped once in my career.
“He’s had good victories in his last two fights over former world champions [Carlos Baldomir and Lovemore N’dou], but although they’re very good fighters, they don’t bring the determination I bring to the ring.
“Strength is something I never worry about going into a fight, I’m physically a very strong fighter, but I do think the advantage I will have in this fight is speed – that could be a factor.”
The main question mark over Hatton is his power – he has only 16 knockouts from his 41 wins, largely at 147lb – but he believes it is a part of his game that is underrated.
“I’ve improved it a lot since I moved trainer to Bob Shannon (he parted company with Lee Beard in February, having spent most of his career with Billy Graham, who also trained Ricky Hatton) – I’ve got the power to hurt him, no doubt about that,” he added.
If Hatton is to upset the odds, he will join an illustrious list of fighters to have held the WBC light-middleweight belt, including Pacquiao, Mosley, De la Hoya, Floyd Mayweather, Terry Norris, Thomas Hearns, Wilfred Benitez and Britain’s Maurice Hope.
