After emotional arrivals :

Pacquiao mobbed, Hatton confident

Pacquiao was rushed past hundreds of passionate supporters while Ricky Hatton was able to joke with his backers in emotional arrivals here Tuesday ahead of Saturday's boxing showdown.

English star Hatton's junior welterweight crown will be at stake when he faces Filipino hero Pacquiao, the pound-for-pound ring king who is looking to match a record by becoming a champion in a sixth different weight division.

Pacquiao was met by so many well wishers pushing forward for autographs and photographs of "Pac Man" that security hustled him through the crowd and into his suite without much to say. "I don't want to talk too much before the fight," Pacquiao said. "I want to let my fists do the talking in the ring."

Trainer Freddie Roach said the excitement shows just how much interest there is in the Asian superstar ahead of the biggest fight of his career.

"Manny worldwide is a popular guy and this is a big fight," Roach said.

Hatton, meanwhile, entered to flag-waving supporters singing a favorite chant and providing a taste of the British atmosphere expected to be on display at Friday's weigh-in and Saturday's bout.

"I may be fat. I may be round. But guess who is going to be the best pound-for- pound?" Hatton said. "British fans travel well. Manny has a fantastic following as well but on Saturday it will be just like being in Britain." Minutes after the glitz and glamour, "Hitman" Hatton worked out in the same arena where he will meet Pacquiao, the ring where he was knocked out by Floyd Mayweather in 2007 in his only loss, which came at the welterweight level. "I've never felt this relaxed and confident," Hatton said. "With Mayweather I got caught up in all of the hullabaloo. I have not lost too many rounds, let alone any fights, at 140 pounds."

Hatton, 45-1 with 32 knockouts, has a size advantage while the edge in speed figures to go to Pacquiao, 48-3 with two drawn and 35 knockouts. "Manny is very fast but I'm pretty fast myself," Hatton said. "He will have to move like greased lightning to keep me off him for 12 rounds."

A close and exciting fight is expected but Hatton was relaxed and speaking boldly about his chances to win.

"Three or four fights ago, Pacquiao might have beaten me. I don't think so now," Hatton said. "Technically I'm boxing a lot better, jabbing and moving. The British bulldog has learned a few new tricks.

"I'm more explosive than most opponents he's fought.

He has not fought anyone who is going to be as powerful and ferocious and aggressive as me. I don't think I've changed a lot. This is the best Ricky Hatton has ever been."

While some expect Hatton to revert to pure attacker and skip the boxing moves in the fight, Hatton thinks Pacquiao might do the same. "He comes in with that passion. If you think Ricky could resort, so could Manny," Hatton said.

"I'm aware of his power but should I be scared of being in a fight with a man who has had only two fights over 130?" Hatton said. "He can be hit. I want to be cautious but use my size, strength and speed."

Hatton was impressed with the turnout of British fans especially given the tough economic times.

"If you look at that turnout five days before the fight with the way the economy is in Britain - it's as bad as it has been in a while - it's as great an accomplishment as any fight may have been," Hatton said.

"The British are head and shoulders the best fans in boxing, paying their money to come. And this time we've got the Filipinos as well so it should be even bigger."

LAS VEGAS, AFP