KOSYTYA Tszyu has sent a chilling warning to the man who seeks his crown.

The 35-year-old IBF champion will put his world title belt and world number one rating on the line when he comes to the Manchester Evening News Arena to face Ricky Hatton in the early hours of June 5.

And some Hatton detractors believe that the Hitman's biggest chance may lie in the possibility that Tszyu may have started to feel the effects of 17 world championship bouts.

Hatton refutes that as he clearly feels he has the ability and the strategy to upset the favourite.

But Sydney-based Russian Tszyu says the Hyde ace should dispel any notions that he is about to lose his will to win when they meet in front of a 20,000 sell-out crowd.

"I am looking forward to the fight and I have got the hunger there," said Tszyu.

"Many veterans who have fought in the past have lost their hunger and when you lose the hunger, you can lose the fight.

"You can start making short cuts and when you start making short cuts in training and your preparation in some way, this is the first mistake you make."

Dismissed

Hatton's chances are being dismissed in the United States, where the fight will be beamed live - hence the 2am start time.

Vince Phillips, the only man to have fought both Hatton and Tszyu, has reportedly advised Hatton not to turn up on the night of the fight!

Tszyu is not being so disrespectful of a man who has won all 38 of his professional fights and holds the peripheral World Boxing Union belt.

"The guy is undefeated," said Tszyu. "He's had 38 fights and made many defences of his title. Even if it's not very prestigious, it is still a world title.

"He's number one contender, he's young ambitious and he wants to get something that has belonged to me for many years. And he's hungry, very hungry."

Hatton has knuckled down to some hard work at Billy Graham's Denton gym, after returning from a holiday over weight.

And he has also been working out a strategy he feels can upset "A high work rate and speed backed by a volume of punches and good defence is the basic plan.

"The game plan is almost set and he will stand tough with the right hand cocked and it will be up to me to put on concerted and effective pressure for a long period of time.

"I just think as strong as he is, he is not an exceptional in-fighter. Against Sharmba Mitchell and Zab Judah, he just pushed and shoved but because he is so physically strong he can get away with it.

Combinations

"I will be throwing volumes of combinations to head and body and he will not be able to push me around.

"I don't think he is a very good inside fighter and so if I move in quick and throw volumes of punches I will have some definite success.

"My danger zone is going to be where Tszyu is in the range to explode one of his big right hands. I anticipate for the early rounds making sure my movement is good enough so I avoid his big right hand.

"I have the respect for him that I will not decide to see how strong his right is - I have seen the impact on many videos.

"My plan is to avoid it totally and,if I am up close and in his face ,he will not have the leverage to land with power effectively.

"I feel my in-fighting is superior and, coupled with speed and movement, I have all the skills to defeat him."

Tszyu is wholly more relaxed and recently took part in a celebrity motor race connected to the recent Australian Grand Prix.

"I haven't done any homework yet," he said. "I've got a few tapes of Hatton of course, but right now I am just watching his fights like I would watch a movie."

Does Hatton stand a chance? Have your say.

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