Maloney: Healthy Hatton ready to go
by Mark Doyle, 15 May 2008
Frank Maloney has rubbished rumours that Ricky Hatton will not be 100 percent fit for his May 24 clash with Juan Lazcano, telling Setanta Sports News that The Hitman would never jeopardise his career just to fulfill a promise to his fans.
Approximately 55,000 tickets have been sold for Hatton’s ‘homecoming’ bout, his first outing since his stoppage defeat at the hands of Floyd Mayweather last December.
Hatton recently revealed that he went against the wishes of his American backers to take the fight at the City of Manchester Stadium, so keen was he on fighting in front of his home fans for what is likely to be the last time.
A virus threatened to ruin Hatton’s hopes of taking on Lazcano but he has been declared fit to fight.
There are those, though, that believe that Hatton is not yet fully recovered from the effects of the virus and he feels duty bound to box.
However, Maloney insists that the Mancunian light-welterweight is not letting his heart rule his head.
”He picked up a virus but super-fit athletes pick up viruses easier than most people. If you’re super fit, you’re prone to them,” the fight’s promoter told Setanta Sports News.
”He’s had some medical advice but he’s 100 percent fit and he’s back in the gym.
”Certain people, who live in glass houses, shouldn’t throw stones!
”Hatton’s 100 percent fit. He’s not going to go in the ring and let himself down. There’s too much on the line. If he wasn’t fit to fight, he would not go through with the fight.”
Meanwhile, Maloney claimed that even he did not know if the Lazcano bout would be Hatton’s last in Britain.
”That’s down to the Hattons. I’m working with them for one fight and whatever their plans are for the future, I don’t really know,” he stated.