MATTHEW HATTON vs CRAIG WATSON

While Ricky Hatton tops the bill against Juan Lazcano on Saturday, his younger brother, Matthew, has an important fight of his own earlier in the evening when he challenges for the Commonwealth welterweight title against Craig Watson in an all-Manchester meeting.

Hatton, 27, has been coming along steadily, his 33 wins including appearances on the undercards of Ricky’s fights in the U.S. He has lost only three times — with a disputed points defeat and a loss due to getting cut over the eye coming early in his career. In October, 2006, he was disqualified for hitting on the break in a fight he was easily winning against veteran Alan Bosworth although I gather that Hatton had been warned a number of times for infringements.

The match with Watson is intended to be a sort of springboard to bigger things for Hatton, who is a hard-working sort of fighter, strong and steady with good fundamental ability.

Watson, 25, doesn’t have Hatton’s experience but he was a capable amateur who is best known for dropping Amir Khan in an English championship qualifying tournament.

A southpaw with good boxing ability, Watson scored an upset when winning the Commonwealth title from Ali Nuumbembe last December but his opponent was cut badly from a clash of heads and blood was flowing down Nuumbembe’s face when the referee stopped the fight. If Nuumbembe had not been cut it could have been a different fight.

In his last bout, in Italy, Watson was knocked down twice and stopped in three rounds by the unbeaten Daniele Petrucci.

Clearly, Watson is the underdog going into Saturday’s bout. The crushing defeat in Italy casts doubt about his chin, but Hatton is not considered an especially hard puncher. Hatton looks the stronger fighter and he is likely to put pressure on Watson and try to bully him. I think, though, that Watson's southpaw style and sharp left-hand counters can give Hatton problems. I’m going for Watson to win narrowly in an upset.

RESULT: Watson unan. dec.