Boxing: Hatton promises a fight to remember.

Byline: PAUL HIRST

RICKY Hatton has vowed to put on a "barnstorming" show when he locks horns with Paulie Malignaggi on Saturday, writes PAUL HIRST.

Hatton meets Malignaggi to defend his Ring magazine light-welterweight title at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas, the same venue he suffered the first defeat of his professional career against Floyd Mayweather last year.

Hordes of Hatton fans have travelled to Vegas to lend their support, and the Manchester fighter has promised not to disappoint them. "It will be just the usual Ricky Hatton barnstorming fight," said Hatton. "I'm going to be all over him like a rash. I won't be taking any backward steps.

"The day Ricky Hatton fans leave a fight without being entertained is the day I hang up my gloves. That's not what is going to happen on Saturday."

Hatton stepped back down a division after Mayweather stopped him in the 10th round of their WBC welterweight bout last December.

He admits it will be hard to put that defeat to the back of his mind, but believes a strict new training regime has enabled him to get into perfect shape.

Hatton split from long-standing coach Billy Graham last year and replaced him with Mayweather's father, Floyd Mayweather Snr, who has been putting him through his paces in Nevada ahead of the fight, in which he will also be aiming to win Malignaggi's insignificant IBO title after the New Yorker had to relinquish his IBF belt.

"Whenever I walk through the MGM Grand the first thing that will go through my mind will be Floyd Mayweather knocking me out, but there is no shame in that," said Hatton. "He was the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world, possibly of all time, but this training camp has made my confidence go right through the roof and I am not thinking about the Mayweather fight.

"I can understand why people have maybe said Ricky Hatton is past his best but I think they might be writing a new script come Saturday.

"The new training camp has made me into a better fighter."