‘Hitman’ Hatton will let his fists do the talking against Castillo

Part of being a boxer is being a self-promoter, and Ricky Hatton understands that aspect of the game. He also knows when excessive fight hype is unnecessary.

Hatton is putting his undefeated record and IBO super lightweight title on the line against Jose Luis Castillo on Saturday at the Thomas & Mack Center.

After a Tuesday afternoon workout in a steamy Las Vegas gym, Hatton spared his opponent the common belittling one-liners. The aggressive styles of the fighters, he said, gives this bout genuine substance.

"You can't kid people. This is probably one of the few fights that doesn't need any promotion," Hatton said. "Castillo is a modern-day great, one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world.

"It's a massive, massive fight and I just really can't wait. It's a fight to match the atmosphere."

Hatton (42-0, 30 knockouts) is expecting a brutal battle with Castillo (55-7-1, 47 KOs) that could be in obvious contrast to the latest megafight staged in Las Vegas.

In fact, "The Hitman" from Manchester, England, saved his best verbal jabs for Floyd Mayweather Jr.

In what was hyped as the biggest event in boxing history, Mayweather won a split decision over Oscar De La Hoya and claimed the WBC super welterweight title on May 5 at the MGM Grand Garden. Mayweather announced his retirement at age 30, but the 28-year-old Hatton is desperate for a shot at him.

"I don't think Mayweather will retire because he wants to be remembered as an all-time great, but to do that he has still got to do something a little bit more," Hatton said. "As far as talent and boxing ability goes, he is second to none. But in terms of excitement, I haven't seen Mayweather in one good fight yet.

"Mayweather just never gets me on the edge of my seat."

Mayweather-De La Hoya had its moments, but it was more like "Dancing with the Stars" than the slugfest Hatton-Castillo should resemble.

"The (Mayweather-De La Hoya) fight didn't match the occasion. You've got the two biggest names in boxing, but they both canceled each other out technically. It was more like a chess match," Hatton said. "I could have told you that before as a fight fan.

"I don't think this fight needs selling. This will be an edge-of-your-seat fight, to say the least. Sooner or later, it's going to be crash, bam, wallop. That's the way we fight."

Of course, based on the most recent performances of Hatton and Castillo, Mayweather is probably uninspired to come out of retirement to face either fighter.

Hatton won a unanimous decision over Juan Urango in January at Paris Las Vegas. Last May, he defeated Luis Collazo in Boston. Hatton has fought primarily in England, and his past two bouts in the United States were mostly forgettable.

Hatton admitted Urango and Collazo are "not really household names to the boxing public" and he needs to put on a better show against a big-name opponent.

"I don't think people have seen the best of me yet, certainly in America," Hatton said. "It's not really been vintage. It has cheesed me off a little bit because I know I'm a lot better than that."

Billy Graham, Hatton's trainer, said Castillo could offer Hatton his toughest challenge.

"Castillo's got a great chin and he can punch from both sides," Graham said. "It could turn out to be a war of attrition. This could turn out to be a sensational fight.

"As great as I think Castillo is, I think Ricky's better in each department. I know Ricky wants to impress the Vegas people more than anything."

Castillo, best known for two fights with the late Diego Corrales in 2005, is coming off a split-decision victory over Herman Ngoudjo in January.

"I've got a real spring in my step, and I've got a real nastiness about me," Hatton said. "I know it's my kind of fight against one of the best pound-for-pound fighters. Losing is not an option in this fight."