A hit with the fans

Monday, Jan. 22, 2007 | 7:15 a.m.

Before Ricky Hatton's junior welterweight title fight Saturday night at Paris Las Vegas, England's Craig Gibson, a coordinator for Hatton's Web site, said the personable and charismatic Hatton could probably make a living as a stand-up comedian.

Later in the evening, after regaining his championship belt by outpointing Juan Urango, Hatton offered a taste of his comedic stylings.

It seems Hatton, the pride of Manchester, England, received a prefight phone call from Welsh singer Tom Jones. (Really.)

"He said, 'It's Tom,' " Hatton recounted. "I said, 'Tom who?' He said, 'Tom Jones.' I said, 'Bollocks.' "

Amid laughter, Hatton continued apace.

"He said, 'No, no, it's Tom Jones.' He asked me how I was doing and how I was looking forward to the fight. I said, 'Well, I hope you love me tonight and ...' "

Scattered laughs, applause from the small assemblage in a Paris ballroom.

"He said, 'It's not unusual, 'cause, you know, whenever you box I look forward to it ...' "

OK, OK. Rest assured, Hatton does not figure to quit his day job anytime soon.

With his unanimous-decision victory against Urango, Hatton improved to 42-0 (30 knockouts) and set up a likely 140-pound showdown June 2 at the Thomas & Mack Center against Jose Luis Castillo, who got past Hermann Ngoudjo in Saturday night's co-feature.

"I'd like to think I made (boxing's) top 10, pound-for-pound," said Hatton, who won by scores of 119-109 on all three judges' scorecards. "I knew it was never gonna be an easy fight even though the scorecards suggested it. He caught me with some good shots and I caught him with some good shots.

"He was boxing and moving, boxing and moving. He made it difficult to finish off the attack."

Hatton, a minus-600 betting favorite, controlled the fight's tempo and kept Urango (17-1-1) in check but failed to treat the crowd of 6,379 - including several thousand British fans - to one of his signature knockout shots.

It was not for lack of trying, Hatton said, crediting his opponent's toughness.

"It's very frustrating when you're hitting somebody constantly and (not much) happens," said Hatton, who actually used an earthier phrase than "not much."

"I think I showed another side. I can box."

Gibson, working with rickyhitmanhatton.com, the fighter's official Web site, projected that legions of British boxing fans would help fill the Thomas & Mack Center for the Castillo fight.

Hatton has a well-deserved reputation as a man of the people in Manchester, he said.

"How many world champions do you know who allow 20 or 30 people - just fans off the street - to come in and watch their training camp every day?" Gibson said. "That's the way he wants it. If they got 3,000 fans to travel here for this fight, how many do you think they'll get for Castillo? It'll be mayhem."

Ngoudjo (15-1), of Montreal by way of Cameroon, gave Castillo, a minus-800 betting favorite, all he could handle in a 12-round split decision. Castillo won 115-113 twice with Ngoudjo winning 115-113 on the third scorecard.

"It should be a great fight," Castillo (55-7-1) said of his date with Hatton. "I thought it was a real good fight for him. I'm happy that he won."

Hatton also promised a sensational show in June, given the naturally aggressive style of both fighters.

"I don't think it will be a dancing competition," he said. "If you want to watch a chess match, then watch the Floyd Mayweather-Oscar De La Hoya fight (May 5). If you want to watch two guys beat the (heck) out of each other, then watch our fight."