Let's just say, for the sake of argument, that Floyd Mayweather is really retired. This fight would then be the last of his career. And what a performance.

People can say whatever they want, and some of what they'll say is true. Yes, Ricky Hatton isn't really a welterweight. For the record, neither is Floyd. Yes, Ricky was a heavy underdog, and this is more or less exactly what Floyd should have done.

But Ricky Hatton has never lost to anyone except Mayweather, who knocked him out. Everyone can harp on about Hatton being overrated, but he's had a great career and has been a hell of a fighter.

And not only was this a big performance by Mayweather, but it proved a lot about how big of a star he has become. When he fought Oscar and broke records, Oscar was the guy carrying the load from mainstream fan perspective. But during the build-up, it was Floyd that made it interesting, Floyd that carried the lion's share in hyping. Oscar isn't all that charismatic, really. Floyd is. The great success of Mayweather-Hatton -- which will be remembered much more fondly by most fans than Mayweather-de la Hoya, I think -- was a testament to Mayweather, and to Hatton's marketability, too.

Should Floyd really leave for good, don't think anyone's going to quickly take over his spot. Sure, someone else will be crowned true welterweight champion eventually, and someone else will take over the top of the P4P lists. But he became a lot more than that. He was a bankable star attraction. That's what will be intensely difficult for everyone to replace. Love him or hate him, you always pay attention to him.

And all that said, I still think we see him again next year.

I may be the only person in the world that would have this fight this high on a best of the year list, but I genuinely loved everything about it.

The pound-for-pound king, back again, this time against an undefeated British superstar that we've all come to know and love or at least kind of like ever since his win over Kostya Tszyu, if not a little before that. Hatton has steadily built his star in America, first just as a unique TV attraction, with wonderful crowds in his native England, and then as an actual attraction in the States. Fights against Luis Collazo (Hatton's much-disputed win in his welterweight debut), Juan Urango and Jose Luis Castillo (those two back at 140 pounds) were the start of Hatton's U.S. tour, beginning in 2006.

"The Hitman" planted the seed for this fight after his fourth round body shot knockout of Castillo on June 23, saying we'd seen more action in those four rounds than we did in Floyd Mayweather's entire career. It was a preposterous statement, as not only has Mayweather had plenty of fights with action, but Hatton-Castillo was a pretty ugly clinchfest. But it didn't matter -- the collective "ooh!" from the crowd could only mean one thing, that Hatton had called Mayweather out, and Floyd would have no choice but to answer or be criticized for ducking a 140-pound fighter that almost nobody in the world would think could actually beat him.

It's not to disregard Ricky Hatton's skills, which are plentiful. In being "overrated" by some, he's become underrated by others. He does have good handspeed. He's a very smart fighter that knows his limits, and how to mask his relatively few weaknesses. In short, Hatton is a talented, tough fighter that accentuates his positives with the help of trainer Billy Graham. It is one of the best trainer-fighter combos in the sport.

Unfortunately for Hatton, Floyd and his uncle Roger are another one of those combos. Roger watches the tapes, tells Floyd what to do, and Floyd executes the gameplan, every time, without fail. On the rare occasions that Floyd needs to call an audible, Roger has always called the right one.

At one point in the buildup to the fight, during the second "24/7" series dedicated to the bout, I actually let it sneak into my mind that Hatton could win. It would be a miracle, an upset of upsets, but it could happen. On a 100 percent scale, I gave Hatton about a 3% chance of winning. But as Roger Mayweather said about Hatton days before the fight, every fighter has a chance. The moment you truly count someone out is the moment something bad happens.

Hatton trained harder than he ever has in his life, probably. No Ricky Fatton jokes this time around -- he was at weight well ahead of time, and looked ripped. He was in phenomenal shape for this fight, which he would need to be. Hatton's plan was to attack, attack, attack. That's it. Apply pressure, work the body, make Floyd uncomfortable and wear him out. His idea was simple: He knew it was the only way he could beat Floyd. He had to prepare entirely not to run out of steam at any point over 12 rounds. He had to be able to run a marathon, and do it at a world-class speed, no less.

Mayweather's training wasn't the focal point of his side of the story, though, as always, Floyd went at it hard. He enlisted former opponent Carlos Baldomir to spar with him, thinking that Baldomir had the right mindset to at least prepare Floyd for Hatton's attack. When the fight was first being discussed, Mayweather slammed Hatton repeatedly, calling him the most overrated fighter of the last 20 years, and saying all he could do was hook and hold, hook and hold. But that was all for show, to sell tickets and pay-per-views. Mayweather knew he was going in with a good fighter. He prepared as such.

Roughly 30,000 Brits invaded Las Vegas for fight night. ESPN's Dan Rafael called it the single most amazing experience he's ever had covering a fight. The Hatton fans were singing their signature tune ("There's only one Ricky Hatton...") all over town. In the arena on Saturday night, they started it during the undercard bouts, and thank God they did, because those three fights offered nothing.

The MGM Grand was on fire for the main event. The British fans never relented in their overwhelming support of Hatton, exploding every time he landed a good shot, including a nice punch in the first round that had an off-balance Mayweather reeling. Had he been any less of a supreme athlete, Mayweather would have gone down. Hatton did well for a few rounds, landing harder, cleaner shots, before Mayweather took over. He dismantled Hatton down the stretch, and no set of fans on the planet could have rallied their man at that point. A clean left hook in the 10th put Hatton down, and it could have been called off then. Referee Joe Cortez let it continue, giving Hatton his chance to recover, but moments later, the dazed "Hitman" was down again. It was over.

After the dust settled, Mayweather had nothing but praise for Hatton, calling him a hell of a fighter and one of the toughest competitors he'd ever faced. Hatton was his usual humble, funny self, remarking in the press conference, "I was doing alright until I fucking slipped." Two men came out of a true championship fight with respect for the other.

It's hard, still, not to think of what could have been. For the British fans, a Hatton win would've been something like the Miracle on Ice was for American sports fans. Maybe not quite that defining and enormous, but a gargantuan story nonetheless. But they cheered him on after it was over, and they will continue to do so. You don't often get events like this anymore, fights that really and truly captivate the sports world. It was a wonderful night for boxing, and one I'll never forget.

If you came out of last night ranking Manny Pacquiao or anyone else as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world, you're nuts. And you're hopelessly wrong.

Never has Mayweather lost. Never has he wilted under pressure, not when applied by Jose Luis Castillo, Jesus Chavez, Diego Corrales, Oscar de la Hoya, or, now, Ricky Hatton. And each one of those fighters presented a different challenge.

Hatton gave Mayweather a run early on, winning the fight early with the relentless attack he had promised, keeping Floyd on his back foot to the extreme, and not giving him time to breathe.

I said during the fight that Compubox would never tell the story of Mayweather-Hatton, and I believe that's true. Statistically -- and this is the truth -- Mayweather slaughtered Hatton. It wasn't even close. He landed with trademark pinpoint accuracy, using his vaunted lead right to score points and eventually completely take the fight over. After a nice early showing, it was clear that Ricky Hatton was out of his depth.

But God bless him, the British superstar never, ever stopped pressing. He may have hurt himself with that plan of attack, wearing himself out trying to hit Mayweather, and failing. At last televised count, Mayweather had landed 32% of his punches. Hatton? Just 19%.

Ricky stunned Mayweather a couple of times, once notably so in the first round on a hard counter left hook that sent the "Pretty Boy" stumbling backwards -- if he wasn't the superior athlete that he is, Mayweather would have gone down.

Hatton had Mayweather out of his gameplan in rounds one and two, and for a bit after. Floyd never quite got into the vicious, lightning-quick combination punching that he's used to so embarrass past opponents.

But it went by the wayside. Through five rounds, I had Hatton up three rounds to two. After that, well, Mayweather went "Money."

He popped Hatton repeatedly. He made Hatton miss. He boxed very well on the inside when referee Joe Cortez wasn't over-anxiously pulling the two apart, often before they even had a chance to punch their way out of clinches.

It was in the eighth that Mayweather totally and completely took the fight into his grasp.

I scored that round 10-8 for Floyd, despite no knockdown. Floyd started coming at Ricky, and the "Hitman" wasn't good enough to contain him. He had the heart, as he kept trying to fight back, but Mayweather drilled him again and again, and I thought it was a miracle that Hatton made it out of the round.

The assault continued in the ninth. And, in the tenth, Ricky Hatton went crashing into the canvas. Hard.

Hatton was caught with a crushing left hook, bounced off the turnbuckle, and fell to the mat. Mayweather waited for him, and Ricky, of course, was up and ready to fight on. But he was hurt. Everyone in the arena knew it. The British fans that refused to give up on their man even though he was clearly losing the fight, the HBO commentators, and, most importantly, Floyd Mayweather, Jr. -- they all knew it.

Floyd came at Ricky again. Just as referee Joe Cortez was jumping in to stop the barrage, a dazed, defeated Ricky Hatton crumpled to the mat again. There was no coming back.

No amount of heart from Hatton could have overcome Mayweather anymore. It takes a good fighter to go 10 rounds with a guy as good as Floyd, but it takes a fighter the likes of which we've yet to see to beat Floyd. Hatton gave it everything he had, and it wasn't good enough. Frankly, it wasn't even close.

When Mayweather got locked in on Hatton, he took him to boxing school and gave him a tremendous lesson. With his hooks and body work neutralized, Hatton couldn't begin to challenge the faster, stronger, better Mayweather. As good as Ricky Hatton is, he isn't in Floyd's league.

But, well, who is?

Shane Mosley? I would've picked Sugar Shane to beat Floyd once upon a time. Not anymore. Shane is still a hell of a fighter, but he's lost a step. Mayweather hasn't.

Miguel Cotto? Cotto is a stronger version of Hatton. And while that's a step up, Mayweather outclassed Ricky. Could Cotto get his body attack in any better than Hatton did? I doubt it. As much as I like Cotto, his footwork and head movement is not as good as Hatton's, and Mayweather would pick him apart.

Paul Williams? Now, that's interesting. With the way Williams never stops punching, his awkward, long frame, and his southpaw stance, I would honestly give Williams the best chance of anyone at unseating Floyd atop the 147-pound ranks. But, then, let's consider this: Does Mayweather have the speed and movement skills to get inside and cut that reach advantage off? You bet he does. And he would. Hatton said that Mayweather was better inside than he thought he was, and if it gets in close, I don't like Williams' chances.

Floyd is the best fighter in the world. Nobody has an argument. Nobody has a, "Well, but..." -- nobody. He put in one of the most impressive performances of his storied career last night. It was a rough fight, somewhat dirty on both counts, and not the prettiest battle you'll ever see. But it was great drama, as Hatton and Mayweather fought as though they had a genuine disdain for one another.

Afterward, though, the two fighters were all class. Mayweather completely dropped his villain persona and told the world what he really thinks of Ricky Hatton, a familiar story for Mayweather. He was complimentary after destroying Diego Corrales years ago, and he and Carlos Baldomir became friends. I even think he and Oscar play up a dislike of one another mostly to sell fights -- if you recall, when the final bell sounded in May, Oscar and Floyd embraced with big smiles on their faces.

Floyd called Ricky Hatton a hell of a fighter, and he meant it, saying he's one of the toughest competitors he's ever faced. Immediately following the bout, Mayweather went to center ring and hugged and kissed Hatton. The two of them didn't have sore words for each other. They were two guys who did their best, and one man proved his superiority.

There's not a lot more you can ask for than that.

And, for the record, I felt the fight lived up to its hype. It was a rugged affair, with two guys that came to bring it. It wasn't phenomenal or anything, but the rough fight, the dramatic finish, the surprising start, and the overall atmosphere at the MGM Grand made it something very special. It was a unique night in Vegas.

A Final Note: As much as I enjoyed Mayweather-Hatton, the undercard was horrendous. Cherry-Ferguson was ugly, and I was relieved when Cherry ended it with a sixth round knockout. Wes Ferguson is never going anywhere. Neither is Edner Cherry, quite frankly. The Ponce de Leon win over Escobedo was a snoozer as Escobedo wasn't keen on engaging, and Ponce de Leon didn't look good at all, despite clearly winning the fight. As for Lacy-Manfredo, the less said, the better. Lacy was stiff and mechanical, and he didn't look like he had his power still. Manfredo -- who I gave the fight to by a point, but I didn't find Lacy's win crazy or anything at all -- slapped his way through most of the fight and exhibited his clear lack of top-notch anything. But Lacy is not at all the fighter many once thought he was -- if it hadn't been Calzaghe, it would've been someone else. I scored his win over Tsypko for Tsypko, and I scored Manfredo slightly better than him, too. I just do not at all buy or enjoy Jeff Lacy.

MAIN EVENT
For the RING and WBC Welterweight Titles
FLOYD MAYWEATHER, JR.
(38-0, 24 KO, Las Vegas, NV, by way of Grand Rapids, MI)
versus
RICKY HATTON
(43-0, 31 KO, Manchester, England)

For the WBO Super Bantamweight Title
DANIEL PONCE DE LEON
(33-1, 30 KO, Huntington Park, CA, by way of Cuauhtemoc, Mexico)
versus
EDUARDO ESCOBEDO
(20-2, 14 KO, Jarell, TX, by way of Mexico City, Mexico)

Super Middleweights
JEFF LACY
(22-1, 17 KO, St. Petersburg, FL)
versus
PETER MANFREDO, JR.
(28-4, 13 KO, Providence, RI)

Lightweight Rematch
EDNER CHERRY
(22-5-2, 10 KO, Wauchula, FL, by way of Nassau, Bahamas)
versus
WES FERGUSON
(17-2-1, 5 KO, Las Vegas, NV, by way of Flint, MI)

Anyone for some picks on a huge, huge night in boxing?

Mayweather UD-12 Hatton
Ponce de Leon TKO-4 Escobedo
Lacy UD-10 Manfredo
Ferguson UD-10 Cherry

I know both sides of the pond are strapped in and looking forward to this one, with probably 85% of the world pulling for the Hitman to score the massive upset. I'm with you guys -- I try to be impartial about these things most times, but fuck it -- Go, Ricky, go!

Tomorrow night's welterweight title fight between pound-for-pound king Floyd Mayweather, Jr., and 140-pound champion Ricky Hatton may not be quite as big as Mayweather-de la Hoya, but it's big. Really, really, really big.

In fact, what makes Mayweather-Hatton even bigger than Floyd's bout with Oscar is the international aspect of it all. Ricky Hatton is a national hero in England, a superstar beyond any American boxer in the States, even Oscar. And his American popularity has increased in the last few years, too. He's a boxing celebrity over here, if not a superstar.

Mayweather is the heir to Oscar's throne as far as revenue goes. His nickname (for himself) is "Money" Mayweather, and he's earned it. Oscar had done huge money before, with great fighters like Trinidad and Mosley, and great opponents like Mayorga and Vargas. But it was with Floyd Mayweather, past Oscar's prime, that he set all-time records.

Mayweather is a combination of the Vargas/Mayorga dynamic and the great fighter dynamic. He's a trash talker that people love to hate (or, in some cases, just love), and he's also the best boxer in the world. Boxing doesn't often get a guy like Mayweather. Roy Jones, Jr., had a similar demeanor and comparable skills at his peak, and he was arguably the biggest star of the 1990s. But he never approached the numbers Mayweather did with Oscar, or the numbers expected for tomorrow night's fight.

Mayweather: Experience Will Count

For Floyd, he has a lot of past fights to draw upon on Saturday. Hatton's plan is to bully and pressure Mayweather, after Oscar de la Hoya said that Floyd doesn't respond well to pressure.

Honestly, I think Oscar's opinion is only sort of true. It wasn't really pressure that had de la Hoya performing well, but a very effective jab, and, more importantly, the fact that Mayweather has no business fighting at junior middleweight.

Is Hatton's jab good enough to do what Oscar did for half the fight? I don't think so. Actually, pretty much everything I want to say right now was already said by our own Matt Miller in his debate with Ian McNeilly at Boxing on the Box, so let me just quote Matt:

The best pressure attack against Floyd, ever, came from Jose Luis Castillo. And Mayweather won those two fights. He didn't win them easily, but he won them.

Hatton: Opportunity of a Lifetime

Fellow Mancurian Noel Gallagher said in 1995, at the peak of Oasis' popularity, "This is it. It doesn't get any better than this. This is it."

(What's the Story) Morning Glory? had just been released, a massive hit on both sides of the pond that established them as one of the bands of the 1990s. They were the biggest band in the world.

Ricky Hatton, tomorrow night, will be in the world's biggest prize fight. This is it, Hitman. It doesn't get any better than this.

Of course, Oasis creatively and commercially went downhill after '95. Most are expecting Hatton to go downhill starting at the opening bell tomorrow.

How can Hatton win? Christmas miracle, maybe. Look, as Roger Mayweather said in a recent ESPN.com chat, every fighter has a chance. But Hatton's chances rely not only on him giving a performance that dwarfs that of his career-defining victory over Kostya Tszyu, but Mayweather being a little bit off. Floyd would have to turn in one of his worst performances.

I'm not knocking Hatton. He's a very good fighter. He's better than Gatti, better than Baldomir, and probably about on par with the Castillo that Mayweather beat.

But Floyd is such a defensive master, and such a chess king once the fight is underway. Ricky Hatton and Billy Graham both say they've seen fighters like Mayweather before, but they haven't. Not even close. Hatton knows Floyd is fast, but I believe he's going to be overwhelmed by Mayweather's footwork, defense and punching accuracy.

I don't think Floyd will knock Ricky out, but I think he's going to dominate the fight.

But upsets happen in boxing. Huge upsets. Don't focus on Rocky, because that's not what this is. This is real life. "The Cinderella Man," Jim Braddock, made history once upon a time. And there are countless other stories that fill the sweet science's history with colorful tales of little engines that could -- and did.

Is Ricky Hatton going to join the ranks of the legendary underdogs, or is he just the 39th win in the career of "Pretty Boy" Floyd?

The sun'll come out tomorrow. And the story will unfold at the MGM Grand.

As much as I love HBO's "24/7" program, the minseries dedicated to Saturday night's huge battle between Floyd Mayweather, Jr., and Ricky Hatton has done little to show us anything we didn't already know about the two men.

If you didn't gather in April, during the "24/7" build-up to Mayweather-de la Hoya, that Floyd's arrogant persona was at least partially a marketing tool employed to great effect, you might have gotten that this time around. Mayweather, by all accounts from doctors, family members, and others in his personal, everyday life, is a nice, normal guy who happens to be the best boxer in the world.

Carlos Baldomir, who lost convincingly to Mayweather last year, came into camp to help prepare "Pretty Boy" for his bout with Hatton. The Mayweather camp believes that previous fights with Baldomir and Arturo Gatti will help prepare them for Hatton's forward-moving, swarming style, or at least that's what they say publicly. Mayweather and Baldomir have been on good terms since their one-sided bout, and that's likely why Baldomir came in to spar with Floyd.

But -- and I'm glad people are finally picking up on this -- there is no way in the world that Mayweather really thinks Hatton is as simple a task as Baldomir was. Baldomir lacks power, and his greatest assets are a stone chin and an iron spirit. Floyd and his trainer-uncle, Roger, are undoubtedly aware that the best batch of footage they could cull from the personal library is that of Floyd's two fights with Jose Luis Castillo.

The image project by Mayweather on TV and in the press conferences is that of a man that doesn't respect his opponent, 43-0 record or not. He has slammed Hatton as a one-dimensional, predictable fighter who can't possibly trouble him. Mayweather seems to be a man who figured out months -- maybe years -- ago how to handle Ricky Hatton without breaking a sweat.

But, that is surely not the case. Floyd and Roger will be more than prepared. Anyone hoping that Hatton will surprise Mayweather is living on a prayer -- nothing about Ricky Hatton is going to surprise Mayweather. They know what they're in against.

As for Hatton, we've similarly gotten nothing new from his side of the story. He's a regular bloke, still has a laugh with his mates and joins them for darts and Guinness at the local pub. He's an everyman, and a likable type that offers something more easy to relate to than does Floyd. A loving father, son, grandson and brother, Hatton comes off like a regular schlub that happens to be a damn good boxer.

But, let's get real. Baring your ass, pouring water on a kid's head at the gym, fucking around with your friends -- none of that will matter on Saturday night. It makes Hatton easy to like, but it doesn't make him something he's not. Hatton is not the best fighter Mayweather has ever faced. Nor is he, as Mark Staniforth suggests, "the current boxer best equipped to dethrone Mayweather," a title that I think has to belong to Miguel Cotto, who has been impressive in wins this year over Zab Judah and Shane Mosley. That's sort of a ladder in itself: Judah -> Mosley -> Mayweather.

I have gotten more useful knowledge out of Hatton's trainer, Billy Graham, than I have Hatton of late. Graham describes Hatton in vibrant color, and paints a real picture of why he truly believes Hatton has a legitimate chance at topping Floyd.

Has it made me change my mind? Do I now think Ricky really has a shot?

I was almost swayed by "The Preacher." But, no.

If you've seen Tombstone, you'll remember a scene that springs to mind. Val Kilmer, in his finest performance (as Doc Holliday), is near death in bed. Fast-handed outlaw Johnny Ringo has challenged Doc's friend, Wyatt Earp, to a one-on-one gunfight.

Having thought it over for hours, Earp asks his dying friend, "I can't beat him, can I?"

It takes Holliday but a moment to respond. "No."

Hatton will not have this conversation, in all likelihood. Billy Graham will never tell his man that he's not good enough for Floyd. For one thing, I think he genuinely believes Ricky will win the fight. Why fight at all if you don't think you can win? But, if you ask around, the resounding answer is going to come back: No, Ricky Hatton cannot beat Mayweather.

But this is a fight. One punch can change everything. If Hatton lands the perfect counter shot, it could all be over. Or maybe Floyd just stays at a distance, pops Hatton repeatedly with his lightning-fast punches, and works his way to another 12-round decision win.

One thing I no longer believe is that we'll be seeing Mayweather knock Hatton out. I don't think he has the power to do so at 147, and I don't think it's in his gameplan to come forward enough to break Hatton's spirit. If there's one thing that has come from the image-making the last two months that I do believe, it's that Mayweather will have to seriously hurt Hatton to keep him from moving forward.

It's almost time to stop speculating, though. In just a few days, two men who are not at all natural welterweights will fight for the welterweight championship, risking their unblemished records for glory, fame and fortune.

And when the opening bell sounds, it won't matter that Mayweather has 100 cars, rolls with 50 Cent, or carries $30,000 in cash in his gym bag. It also won't matter that Hatton mostly trains in a dingy old gym, pumping iron and beating on the body bag until Graham is due to pass out. For up to 12 rounds, all that will matter is who is best prepared for the other man.

On many levels, it's a very compelling matchup. The only thing missing is the true aura around it that says anything could happen. I think the majority of us feel that one thing is certain, which is Floyd Mayweather, Jr., still standing tall on December 9th.

"Mayweather needs a humbling experience, he's a brat," said Oscar de la Hoya. "The Golden Boy" is currently helping upcoming Mayweather challenger Ricky Hatton in camp, preparing him for the "Pretty Boy," and maybe lending insight that few others can.

To me, this says something about just how difficult it is to prepare for Floyd. You may recall that Oscar got help in camp from Shane Mosley, who is notable for being able to mimic the styles of other fights, and was thought by most to be the only guy of similar size that could replicate Floyd's speed and movement. Oscar giving Hatton a hand in training is much the same scenario, really.

Billy Graham said something on "24/7" that I think is true -- Floyd and his camp know Hatton is not as one-dimensional and simplistic as they have made him out to be. And, if they don't know that, they're going to be in for a surprise.

Look, I'm not changing my tune. Floyd is too good for Hatton. But I am getting behind Ricky like never before. He's great for the sport, an easy-to-relate-to fighter with no nonsense that, at times, fights in an exciting fashion. And I expect we'll see more of the vintage "Hitman" that made Hatton a star, pressing action, hammering the body, and using his underrated footwork to his advantage.

There are two Ricky Hattons -- the guy that fights like a real banger, and a good one, and "Hook-n-Hold Hatton," who isn't really much to watch and would get eaten alive by Mayweather.

Hopefully, the pressure-and-volume Hatton shows up.

The December 8th showdown between undefeated champions Floyd Mayweather, Jr., and Ricky Hatton is a pretty hotly-anticipated bout, even by those of us who see it as a no-contest on paper. And one thing I did know we'd get was some good hype talk.

Well, they've started.

From Floyd:

"Floyd Mayweather is the face of boxing. Ricky Hatton will get his biggest payday by fighting me. Oscar got his biggest payday. Zab Judah, Arturo Gatti, Baldomir. All of them. Once a fighter gets in there with me, he's faced with the truth. Inside that ring, it's one-on-one, the truth."

"There are A fighters and B fighters and C fighters. I don't know what Hatton is. Punch-hold, every fight, that's all he do. He wrestled Kostya Tszyu to death. Who have you beat? An over-the-hill Kostya Tszyu and Castillo. I beat Castillo when he was in his prime over six years ago."

"Listen, I respect tennis, I respect golf, but this is not a gentleman's sport. So if you have a chance to get one up on your enemy and size him up before you go at each other, that's what I'm going to do."

"This is like a routine, we do this over and over again and we already know what the results are going to be. I don't know his record, but he fought Jose Luis Castillo who was over the hill. He hit Castillo to the body, who did a 360 turn and took five steps to the side of the ropes and went down on one knee. We all know what that is - a phantom body shot."

"OK, we know he fought Kostya Tszyu but how long had he been laid off before he fought (Hatton)? When a guy's been laid off for a year of course he's going to have a problem making weight, he's going to be dehydrated when he fights, and he's not going to be able to step to the plate and be at his best."

From Hatton:

"Fans like me because they can relate to me. I'm like the man in the crowd. And I do the same that any 28-year-old guy does -- drink a pint with my mates."

"Floyd says he's going to slap me back to London. What does that mean? Is that supposed to intimidate me? That's a pretty boy trying to look and sound scary. He's not scaring me because I can't understand a word he's saying. I think it upsets him more than me. Everybody respects Floyd for his talent. Where do you draw the line with selling tickets and showing a little respect? He's shown absolutely no respect to me or to everyone. I think it's a lack of class."

(On "Dancing With the Stars"): "I don't know how good a dancer Floyd is but if he's no good it could be over in a fortnight, so it won't matter, will it? But if he gets to the final it will take a lot of his time up, so vote Floyd."

WBC welterweight champion Floyd Mayweather, Jr., is taking his December 8th showdown with Ricky Hatton very seriously. So seriously, in fact, that he's part of the cast for the new season of "Dancing with the Stars."

Mayweather will compete against Mark Cuban, Wayne Newton, Jennie Garth, Helio Castroneves, Sabrina Bryan, Melanie Brown, Cameron Mathison, Josie Maran, Albert Reed, Marie Osmond and Jane Seymour.

I could say I don't get why Floyd would do something so distracting a few months prior to a huge money fight, but I do, actually. Mayweather really thinks Hatton sucks -- that whole thing isn't promotion. He probably doesn't believe that Ricky Hatton can challenge him if he was having his worst day and Hatton was having his best. (An idea, for the record, that I don't agree with. But, well...it's not that far off from what I do agree with.)

It is, in some ways, blatant disrespect for Hatton. Naturally, HBO will play it up when they go full-tilt in hyping the fight. "The great Mayweather thinks so little of Hatton that he danced on ABC for weeks." And, it'll probably help sell.

The instinctive thought that we could be seeing Mayweather taking Hatton too lightly is probably much ado about nothing. How many great athletes of yesteryear would do things similar to this before a big fight or a big game? How many of them still won? Biographies across the world of sport are littered with stories and anecdotes about the outrageous stunts athletes would pull, then they went out the next day and hit three home runs or scored two touchdowns or knocked out their opponent, or whatever. Most likely, this has zero effect on Mayweather's preparation for the fight.

To switch gears on the story, how do you think Mayweather will do? I admit, though I won't watch (and I'm not trying to sound manly), that I'm intrigued. Given Floyd's superior boxing footwork, you'd have to guess he's going to be very good. But Ty Cobb never became much of a golfer -- different swings, different game.

Kind of a slow August, huh? September should help us get moving again. Although, really, maybe we needed a few weeks to recover from Vazquez-Marquez II. How lame could some big-name fights look trying to follow that act?

All the talking has come to a head: Floyd Mayweather, Jr., and Ricky Hatton will put their undefeated records on the line on December 8 in Vegas.

The fight between boxing's top pound-for-pound champion and the Brit superstar will be fought at 147 pounds, where Hatton has just one fight, a tough decision win over Luis Collazo in 2006. He returned to the junior welterweight division in January, beating Juan Urango, and decimated Jose Luis Castillo in less than four rounds on June 23.

Terms for the fight were agreed to yesterday, but Mayweather is not certain if his WBC welterweight title will be on the line.

Mayweather first took serious interest in a fight against Hatton after the "Hitman" beat Castillo, and immediately slammed Mayweather in the post-fight interview. Floyd, who had "retired" following his win over Oscar de la Hoya, went on record quickly with his desire to, in layman's terms, shut Hatton up. And Mayweather is still hot about the issue.

"He's definitely getting knocked out. I guarantee that. He's talked the talk. Let's see if he can walk the walk when he's in there against the best."

I've said it plenty of times, but I still firmly believe that Mayweather will dominate Hatton. I'm glad we'll get to find out for sure, though, and I do hope that Hatton surprises me and makes it a more competitive bout than I think it'll be. I just can't see him being strong enough to bother Mayweather even if he manages to get inside on him, which will be a hard enough task as it is.

Mark it down, no matter how you feel about the fight: Mayweather v. Hatton, December 8.