Boxing: Armstrong ready for key Hatton showdown

Sep 28 2004 By The Huddersfield Daily Examiner

HUDDERSFIELD boxer Shaun Armstrong is sure of one thing ahead of Friday's welterweight showdown with Matthew Hatton at Manchester Arena.

If he wins, he won't be heading into the city to celebrate.

"I'd probably be the most unpopular man in Manchester," laughs the 31-year-old, referring to the fact that he is taking on the younger brother of show-topper and local hero Ricky Hatton.

While Ricky `the Hitman', who fights American Mike Stewart in an IBF light-welterweight title eliminator, has a glittering record, popular Matthew `Magic' Hatton is no mean operator himself.

The 23-year-old has totted up 20 wins, eight of them by knockout, in 23 outings since making his professional debut four years ago.

He captured the Central area welterweight title by beating Barnsley's Rob Burton on points back in May.

Friday's fight isn't for the crown, but if it proves a crowd pleaser, there's talk of a re-match with the belt up for grabs.

Armstrong has held two Central titles, at super-featherweight and light-middleweight, and had shown his ambition by relinquishing the latter to drop down the divisions and mount a new challenge.

A plasterer by occupation, he's been a pro boxer since 1996, when he became the first to fight under Huddersfield trainer Chris Aston.

His Linthwaite Northern Fitness stablemates Mark Hobson, James Hare and Dale Robinson have all grabbed the headlines in the intervening years, but Armstrong is still around, and few would begrudge him his appearance on the big stage at Manchester, when he'll be chasing a 23rd win in 34.

While he's been hampered by injuries over the last couple of years, training has gone well this time, with varied and plentiful sparring.

Hatton is certainly paying him respect, admitting: "Armstrong is rated very well and is just ahead of me in the British rankings, so this is a step up for me.

"We know he's a good fighter. I've watched a tape of him so we've been working on a few things.

"I don't expect this to be an easy one but I'm confident of winning."