OTHER SPORT
MATT WAGES WAR
Matthew Hatton of Great Britain
By Nick Parkinson
MATTHEW HATTON will be pestering brother Ricky for a pay rise if he beats Lovemore N’dou to launch himself into the big time on Friday.
The Manchester welterweight faces the toughest test of his career against South African N’dou.
And victory over the ex-world champion would move him closer to a showdown against the best in
the division.
Matthew has toiled in the shadow of his brother Ricky, whose brilliant career as a two-weight world champion is nearing its end or is maybe even finished.
Ricky, 31, has yet to decide whether he will box on after last May’s crushing defeat to Manny Pacquiao.
But Matthew, 28, has revived his career following an “embarrassing” defeat to Manchester rival Craig
Watson for the Commonwealth belt last year.
Wins over former world title challenger Ben Tackie and one-time European king Ted Bami have restored Matthew’s confidence.
Not only has Matthew changed his trainers – he now works with Lee Beard – he is also promoted by his brother Ricky, who has a multi-fight deal with Sky Sports and a growing stable of fighters.
And Matthew feels the time is coming when he will fi nally be making a name for himself – rather than known just as the brother of Ricky.
But Matthew admits he may even step into the ring in Stoke as underdog when he tries to transform his career against former IBF light-welterweight king N’dou, 38.
He said: “I’m certainly going to be banging on Ricky’s offi ce door asking for a pay rise if I win this fi ght. Maybe I should wait until the Christmas party and he’s had a few Guinness before asking him.
“This is a tough fi ght for me but it shows the belief Ricky and the rest of the team have in me. Not many other
people give me a chance to win this fight but just by getting this fi ght for me shows what Ricky thinks I can do.
“Ricky knows what I’m capable of. I do feel I’ve got a debt to pay back to them for the faith my team
have put in me and I’ll do that by beating N’dou.
“Ricky has been giving me a few tips in the gym because he’s known about N’dou for a while and you
don’t get that from your average promoter. Ricky is very knowledgeable about boxing because he’s been to the top.
“N’dou is the toughest fight of my career. He is a former world champion, who has been in with the likes of Miguel Cotto, and there was even talk of him fi ghting my brother a few years ago. But now he has stepped up a division.
“Since I lost to Craig Watson, which was very embarrassing, my career has gone from strength to strength. I
used to train with Billy Graham but one by one all the boxers were leaving the gym and it was just me and Ricky left.
“I should have been more selfi sh and left earlier really, but I didn’t want to leave my brother on his own.
“Billy was putting all his efforts into training Ricky and not me. But since I’ve left Billy’s gym I’m not the same fighter and I’m being trained by someone who believes in me and spends more time with me.
“I’ve beaten the likes of Tackie and Bami in recent fi ghts but a few years ago they’d have wiped the floor with me to be honest.
“If I get past N’dou and beat him well, which I’m confi dent I can do, the only way is up for me.
“The welterweight division is packed with some massive names. I’m not looking past N’dou, but some of those big names are an incentive.”
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