Unbeaten fighters Floyd Mayweather and Ricky Hatton began the build-up to their December 8 duel in Las Vegas with some verbal sparring on Monday.
At a press conference in the Hollywood tourist haven of Universal City — a stone’s throw from Universal Studios and its attendant theme park — England’s Hatton and American Mayweather took turns taking pot-shots at each other as they launched a promotional tour to drum up even more interest in a fight whose tickets sold out within 35 minutes of going on sale.
Hatton played a video that poked fun at Mayweather (38-0 with 24 knockouts) for taking dancing lessons in preparation for his upcoming appearance on the hit TV show Dancing with the Stars.
”He is doing the show Dancing with the Stars and I think that’s how he is boxing,” said Hatton, who boasts a record of 43-0 with 31 knockouts.
The hugely popular Hatton predicted the mega-fight would earn him even more accolades.
”I was delighted when I won my British title, then I got more and more and the world title,” Hatton said. ”Now, that is going to be another stage. I will do this job and become the new best pound-for-pound champion in the world.”
Known as a showman, the 30-year old Mayweather approached Hatton during the proceedings and spoke into his face.
”Talk to me, talk to me,” Mayweather told the gum-chewing Mancunian before calling him ”Vicky Fatten” and hinting Hatton should be a wrestler instead of a boxer.
Mayweather then talked about all his projects, including his own boxing promotion company, his appearance on Dancing with the Stars and his new energy drink.
Mayweather is a six-time world champion in five weight divisions, including super featherweight, lightweight, super lightweight, welterweight and super welterweight.
He demonstrated his skills in a split decision victory over Oscar de la Hoya in May.
The biggest fight of Hatton’s career sold out in 35 minutes, leaving promoters scrambling to find a way to accommodate an expected army of Hatton fans from Britain.
Hatton said he was proud of how fast the tickets sold, but sorry so many fans in Britain were left out in the cold.
Fight host the MGM Grand will provide roughly 50 000 closed-circuit seats with live coverage throughout their different hotels in Las Vegas, most of them going to British fans. — Sapa-AFP