MANILA, Philippines - Kung naghahabol ng kanyang oras sa training camp si Manny Pacquiao, sinabi naman ni Ricky Hatton na napaaga pa ang kanyang paghahanda.
Sa panayam kahapon ng Telegraph.co.uk sa training camp ni Floyd Mayweather, Sr. sa Mojave Dessert sa Las Vegas, Nevada, sinabi ng world light weltertweight champion na si Hatton na ramdam na niya ang kanyang pamatay na porma.
“One minute I’m too fat, the next minute I’m too lean in people’s eyes,” ani Hatton. “The truth is that I am ahead of schedule, I wanted to be in good shape for when I started my sparring, and running up the hills in Mount Charleston out here in Las Vegas, and because of the size of this fight, I wanted to be in top shape.”
Nakatakdang itaya ng 30-anyos na si Hatton ang kanyang suot na International Boxing Organization (IBO) light welterweight crown pati na ang Ring Magazine title laban sa kaeded niyang si Pacquiao sa Mayo 2 sa MGM Grand Garden Arena sa Las Vegas.
Sa kabila ng pagtimbang ng 150 pounds, hindi pa rin inaalala ni Hatton ang kanyang katawan.
“I’m 10 pounds over the 140lb light welterweight limit at the minute. My diet is fantastic now, and you need that because there is nothing worse than doing a gruelling training session and having to watch what you put in your mouth afterwards,” wika ni “Hitman”.
Natuto na rin ng kanyang leksyon si Hatton mula sa nakaraang laban ni Pacquiao kay world six-division king Oscar Dela Hoya.
Mula sa pagiging light middleweight fighter, bumaba sa welterweight division ang 36-anyos na si Dela Hoya na nagresulta sa eight-round TKO sa kanya ni Pacquiao sa kanilang non-title fight noong Disyembre 6 sa MGM Grand.
“Dela Hoya was a prime example of that. Oscar is a great friend of mine, but he made mistakes before that fight. He got down to early and was unable to put the weight back on. What Oscar did makes me more determined not to make the same mistake. I’m 140lbs when I step on the scales and within hours I’m back to 148/149lbs,” ani Hatton.
Ito ang pang limang laban ni Hatton, unang kumampanya sa United States noong 1997, sa Las Vegas matapos sagupain sina Juan Urango, Jose Luis Castillo, Floyd Mayweather, Jr. at Paulie Malignaggi. (RCadayona)