No allies in this fight
LAS VEGAS – In one corner of the MGM Grand, jet-lagged English boxing fans in Manchester City jerseys knock back pints in the early morning and burst into songs celebrating Ricky Hatton.
In another corner of the bustling casino are hard-bitten American cowboys, many in garish rodeo shirts and 10-gallon hats. Their countryman, Floyd Mayweather Jr., is fighting in his adopted hometown – yet some of the good ol’ boys rubbing shoulders with the British lads are turning into Hatton fans, one glass at a time.
“All Americans will be Hatton fans as soon as they know Ricky,” said Trevor Smith, a pint-wielding businessman from Manchester who flew into Vegas without a fight ticket simply for the fun of it. “He’s a people’s champion. Nobody loves Floyd like we love Ricky – not even his mum.”
The National Finals Rodeo is in town on fight weekend – and so is the circus, in the form of several thousand English supporters of the undersized welterweight shooting for an improbable upset tonight in a meeting of unbeaten fighters.
Mayweather (38-0, 24 KOs) said he’s the face of boxing and an A-list star after an outstanding year in and out of the ring. But the crackling atmosphere on the south end of the Las Vegas Strip is mostly because of the presence of Hatton (43-0, 31 KOs), the beloved brawler literally born with two black eyes, in the biggest fight of his career.
The excitement multiplied at Friday’s exuberant weigh-in – the only chance for thousands of Hatton fans without a fight ticket to see their man, since brokers already were charging up to $45,000 two days beforehand.
They packed nearly every seat on one end of the Grand Garden Arena, singing “Hatton Wonderland” and “God Save the Queen” at deafening volume while clapping and banging drums.
“This really is the tip of the iceberg, in terms of what it’s going to be like tomorrow night,” said Wayne Newton, the celebrated Vegas crooner who carried two of Mayweather’s title belts onto the stage.
The crowd roared at Hatton’s fist-pumping entrance and booed Mayweather relentlessly before erupting in excitement when the fighters bumped chests.
From a technical standpoint, Mayweather’s superior size, reach and defensive skills make the WBC title fight a mismatch. But it’s not just the partying Brits who believe Hatton has a chance.
After all, Mayweather’s calculated arrogance and Hatton’s humility stand in contrast.
“I’ve still never, to this day, looked at myself as a star,” Hatton said. “When I’m walking through the casino and I see my face on the posters and (painted) on the blackjack table (felt), I’m taking pictures. I don’t think I’ll ever get used to it.”
Mayweather claims he doesn’t study videotape of his opponents. If he did, he’d see a relentless competitor who makes up for his shortcomings with a never-back-down style. Hatton, who’s getting just his second fight at welterweight after moving up from 140 pounds, has never had problems absorbing punishment while dishing it out, with trainer Billy Graham more worried about deep facial cuts than a knockout blow from Mayweather.
Yet no fighter in the last few years has penetrated Mayweather’s defense – not Oscar De La Hoya, not Zab Judah and certainly not Carlos Baldomir, another hard-charging fighter hired to spar with Mayweather last month. Hatton is faster than Baldomir, but still has some of the same technical limitations.
“He’s a fighter that likes to sit back and soak up punches, make his opponents miss, and he’s very good at that,” Hatton said. “But I think Oscar and Zab Judah lost those fights as much as Floyd won them. They won early rounds, and for whatever reason, they took their foot off the gas, and Floyd was able to pinch in.
“He’ll say, ‘I’ve always dealt with pressure.’ Well, you have, but not always very well, and usually by the skin of your teeth.”
Though Mayweather was busy pirouetting with Newton on “Dancing With the Stars” for part of the fall, he accepted the fight with Hatton when the British champion criticized Mayweather’s style after his most recent victory.
“I don’t have to be his friend,” Mayweather said. “He’d better be just appreciative that he’s sharing the ring with me, and I’m putting him in a position to make more money than he’s ever made in his career.”