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Legend Hopkins backs Hatton

06/12/2007

Middleweight great Bernard Hopkins has backed Ricky Hatton to beat Floyd Mayweather in their super-fight on Sunday.

Hopkins feels the undefeated Mayweather is underestimating the ability of Hatton, who is also undefeated. Mayweather claimed Hatton doesn't deserve to be in the same ring as him and even labelled the British star as "Ricky Fatton".

"I don't believe Floyd thinks Ricky has what Oscar de la Hoya had or Zab Judah had," said Hopkins. "But what Ricky has that neither of those fighters had is constant energy, punching and pressure - and he's got good whiskers.

"Ricky is willing to be a slugger, but to throw punches in bunches, and that's rare in boxing today, and that's a dangerous guy because you can't keep him off you.

"That will be the difference in this fight. There will be some exciting moments early on, but at the end of the day, Ricky Hatton out-hustles Floyd Mayweather to a 12-round unanimous decision," added Hopkins.

Hopkins also admitted that he had doubts over whether Mayweather was physically in the best shape to take on a boxer like Hatton.

He said: "Mayweather is a slightly bigger puncher, but he has bad mitts [hands], and when you have bad mitts, you're always thinking, 'If I punch this guy, I've got to go eight more rounds with a sore hand'.

"Ricky Hatton throws so many punches, Floyd can't afford to hurt any knuckles on his hand."

The bookies have Mayweather, who has won six world titles in five weight categories, as favourite going into the fight. But British fans will be hoping that Hatton can reproduce the type of display which saw him beat Kosta Tszyu two years ago.