MANILA, Philippines – Ricky Hatton is gently stepping on the breaks with barely five weeks of training left for his May 2 brawl with Manny Pacquiao in Las Vegas.
Hatton is a few steps ahead of Pacquiao in training, and before he left Manchester for Los Angeles last Sunday said he?s ready to go.
?I?ve still got five weeks to go and at a push I could be ready in a couple of weeks,? said Hatton who feels to be ?in the shape of his life.?
But the British superstar and holder of the IBO junior welterweight crown (140 lbs) is just hoping that he?s not overdoing things.
?I have to be careful not to overdo it now. But… I can?t see that happening, and I?m in perfect shape for training camp,? he said.
?This is the best Ricky Hatton. It is even better that the Ricky Hatton that beat Kotsya Tszyu and that?s my best win to date.?
Hatton is scheduled to be in LA just in time for Monday?s red-carpet meeting with Pacquiao at the famous Hollywood Boulevard.
The two fighters will come in at 7:30 p.m. at the Roosevelt Hotelm the original venue for the Oscars. It?s a media-only event.
Pacquiao, during a quick break in training, recorded the song ?Lahing Pinoy? to be used when he enters the ring against Hatton.
GMA-7?s entertainment crew caught Pacquiao recording the song at Melrose Music Records Mix Master in Hollywood.
Last Sunday, Pacquiao took a day-off and spent time drawing up a new ?weight-loss? contest for the members of his entourage.
For the Oscar dela Hoya fight, he offered $2,000 for those who can lose 10 pounds and $3,000 for those who can shed off 15 pounds or more in two weeks.
His conditioning coach, Alex Ariza, lost 20 pounds in the period and got a big bonus of $10,000 from the boxer.
This time, Pacquiao is offering a little more, something closer to $5,000 to any one among his group who can drop 10 percent of their body weight in a certain period.
Once again, Hatton said Pacquiao will be in for a shock.
?It?s a tough fight, he?s a southpaw, he?s very, very quick, he?s a decent puncher, but this is my division. I?ve only lost one in 46 fights and that was up to welterweight, I won a world title at welterweight but it?s clear it?s not my natural division,? said Hatton.
