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Hatton, Mayweather square up

06/12/2007

Ricky Hatton and Floyd Mayweather had to be separated by security after last night's pre-fight media conference threatened to boil over in Las Vegas.

The two men came face to face for the final time before the weigh-in for their welterweight title fight at the MGM Grand on Saturday night.

And the atmosphere was electric as both men traded barbs prior to the highly-anticipated bout - called the biggest fight in recent times by some pundits.

Mayweather, who was his usual animated self, squared up to Hatton in front of the gathered press.

And after a stand-off in which the Briton taunted his American opponent about how close the betting was, Mayweather appeared to lean in too far - prompting a similar reaction from the Manchester-born boxer.

Security was forced to stand in as the pair traded insults, although Hatton indulged in his usual witticisms as Mayweather postured.

"I can't believe how close it is," taunted Hatton, who is now a narrow underdog for the fight, despite Mayweather being heavily favoured by American bookies only a matter of weeks ago.

"This little, fat, beer-drinking Englishman who's fought no one, been over-protected and fought a load of has-beens is, in the betting, so close."

Afterwards Hatton was unrepentant for standing up to Mayweather, saying: "Floyd likes to get in your face and intimidate you and do all that stuff.

He continued: "There at the end I showed I haven't come here to mess about either.

"I've come here to take this title, if he thinks he can get on that stage, lean on me and push me about, he won't push me about on the night and he won't push me about up there."

Mayweather added one last jibe after leaving the stage following the conference: "I'm being honest, he looked a little nervous.

"But all fighters when they're facing me, of course they're going to be nervous."