Build-up
Ricky Hatton was at the time, the WBU light welterweight champion having knocked out Tony Pep and was coming into the fight off stoppage wins against Michael Stewart and Ray Oliveira. He was the underdog for the fight known mostly in Britain as a young crowd favourite.
Kostya Tszyu was however an established force amongst the top pound for pound fighter in the world and had been the first man to unify the light welterweight division in 30 years. At 35 years old he had been the champion for more than a decade and was considered a national hero in Australia. His only other defeat was in 1997 to Vince Phillips and was named the Ring Magazine upset of the year.
The fight was staged at 2:00 am local time to accommodate the American TV company Showtime and that it would on prime time in America. The referee was Dave Parris.
Read more about this topic: Ricky Hatton Vs. Kostya Tszyu