TSZYU FACES MORE THAN HATTON.

Byline: ROBERT MORALES Boxing

There are hostile crowds, and then there is the crowd Kostya Tszyu will face Saturday in Manchester, England, when he defends his International Boxing Federation junior welterweight belt against Manchester's Ricky Hatton.

There are three sports in England that fans have a special, even heated, passion for: soccer, rugby and boxing. Tszyu, in a conference call last week, was asked if he has ever faced a crowd like he is sure to face in Manchester.

``Julio Cesar Chavez in Arizona,'' said Tszyu, referring to his sixth-round knockout of Chavez in July 2000 before a large pro-Chavez crowd in Phoenix. ``You have to remember, 15,000 Mexican fans were in the stadium, and it was unbelievable.

``I think I won lots of fans in that fight. I even had to jump from the ring right after the victory and walk away, because there were so many mad people there. But after some time, they did realize that I am the champion of the people. I'm sure if I decide to go to Mexico, I will have a great welcome there.''

Tszyu, of Australia via Russia, is the kind of fighter that endears himself to any boxing fan. With a beautiful mixture of speed, technique and power, Tszyu (31-1, 25 KOs) has not lost in eight years and is considered one of the best in the world, pound-for-pound, even at 35.

But fighting Mexico's Chavez in Phoenix is not the same as fighting Chavez in Mexico, or Hatton in England.

``I think it could be an advantage, but only a very slight one,'' said Hatton, who is 38-0 with 28 knockouts. ``Kostya Tszyu is so effective that if anybody can deal with going into somebody's backyard in a hostile environment, I think he can.

``My crowd is a little bit different. I have been to fights in the United States, and the atmosphere is definitely different. The atmosphere at a Ricky Hatton fight tends to be more what you would relate to as a soccer match. It can be very vocal, very loud and very passionate.''

Of course, Tszyu is not one of the best fighters in the world because he lacks intelligence. He has been very complimentary to England and its boxing fans.

``It is great to be here in England,'' Tszyu said. ``As expected, it has been raining four or five times a day, but I feel so great, because I have not competed in Europe for so many years. I am excited to be here and cannot wait to step in the ring and show all my skills to the great fans in England.''

Showtime will televise, delayed at 9 p.m.

--Long layoff didn't hurt: Tszyu's last fight was Nov. 6 against Sharmba Mitchell. Although he had not fought in 22 months because of an injured shoulder, Tszyu knocked down Mitchell four times on his way to a third-round technical knockout.

Tszyu's right hand was particularly punishing and incredibly accurate against Mitchell, a southpaw with good foot movement.

Before his injury, Tszyu held the World Boxing Council and World Boxing Association belts in addition to the IBF title. By the time he fought Mitchell, he had been stripped by the WBC and WBA for inactivity.

Other than that, the layoff didn't hurt Tszyu one bit.

``I think it has played a good role for me, my inactivity,'' Tszyu said. ``I am 35, and I am fresh. I am very confident, because I am much better now at 35 than I was at 25. I could destroy the 25-year-old Kostya Tszyu right now with the 35-year-old Kostya Tszyu.''

--Hatton's plan: Hatton, in a separate conference call last week, said he has a plan that will help him dethrone Tszyu.

``Styles make fights,'' said Hatton, 26. ``I am not going to go off his age, because a lot of fighters get better as they get older and more experienced. Certainly, that seems to be the case with Kostya, because he has never looked so good, and in his last fight, he looked fantastic.

``I think a lot of fighters try to give ground to Kostya, and so I think with my style of closing the distance, I think that is something different than what Kostya is used to. I know what the dangers are, and I know what his strengths are, but I feel I have the tools to do the job.''

--Wills aims for state title: When Damian ``Bolo'' Wills squares off with John Clark on Thursday at Henry Fonda Theater in Hollywood, the California State heavyweight championship will be up for grabs.

For some fighters, winning a state title might not be a big deal. For Wills, it is very big. His father, Mark, twice fought for the same title but lost to Dee Collier, in 1986 and in 1987.

``My foremost goal is to get the California State title, because my father was a pro fighter here in L.A., and he fought for the California title,'' said Wills, 25, of Hollywood. ``So, I hold that dear to my heart.''

Mark Wills compiled a 14-18-1 record with nine knockouts in a career that ran from 1980 to '97. Damian Wills is 14-0 with 12 knockouts. He hasn't fought anyone of note, but, at 25, he's just getting started.

He expects the 270-pound Clark to be his most formidable opponent yet. Clark, 35, of Huntington Beach, is 11-5-1 with six knockouts.

``Most definitely, my biggest opponent,'' Wills said. ``He is a big, strong guy, and I know he is going to come at me. I have to deal with it.''

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IBF junior welterweight champion Kostya Tszyu compliments England's boxing fans as he prepares for Saturday's fight against Ricky Hatton.

Mark Nolan/Getty Images

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