Oliveira expects to face Ricky's roar
American veteran Ray Oliveira expects to face the full fury of a fired-up Ricky Hatton when he challenges for the WBU light-welterweight title at London’s ExCel Arena tonight.
By taking the fight, Hatton has put his position as the IBF’s mandatory title challenger to Kostya Tszyu on the line.
Tszyu, a Russian-born Australian, is rated the world’s best 10-stone fighter.
The move will make Manchester "Hitman" Hatton even more dangerous according to 36-year-old Oliveira, who hails from Fall River, Massachusetts.
“The fight with Tszyu is in his head and I could throw a big monkey wrench in there,” said Oliveira. “If he loses this fight he loses a lot, so that could make him fight all the more. He will do anything he has to not to lose his number one rating.”
Defeat would indeed almost certainly wreck Hatton’s hopes of challenging Tszyu, but he denies he is being reckless by tackling such a difficult opponent.
“It is difficult because that’s a fight I’ve always dreamed of but if you believe that you’re the best, which I do, then you shouldn’t be looking at dodging anybody,” declared Hatton.
“People have told me I’m taking a risk but I looked at it and said, ‘Let’s go’. You are always going to have one eye on the big fight and that is what I have dreamed about since I started, but I’ve known in all my 37 fights that if I came unstuck then that dream goes further away.
“If I’d waited for Tszyu that could be six months since my last fight and that’s a long time for me. I think keeping busy is important and outweighs the risk.
“Tszyu hasn’t had a lot of competitive action – only one fight in about two years because of injuries and that only went three rounds before he stopped Sharmba Mitchell. So that could work in my favour.”
While unbeaten Hatton is the recognised puncher, with 26 of his 37 victories coming inside the distance, the evidence of Oliveira’s 14-year career indicates a more than durable fighter.
Although he has lost nine of his 58 fights, he has never been stopped, and it generally takes fighters of the highest quality such as Ben Tackie, who was subsequently outpointed by Hatton in Manchester, Vernon Forrest and Reggie Green to beat him.
Oliveira is the only fighter to have beaten Vivian Harris, the reigning WBA champion. He claims he has no problems with being presented as the underdog or fighting abroad for the first time.
Hatton is relishing fighting in London for the first time since he stopped Australian challenger Justin Rowsell in five rounds at Wembley Conference Centre three years ago.
The crowd is expected to exceed 11,000.
