Hatton too sick to promote bout with Malignaggi

LAS VEGAS – Ricky Hatton failed to show up at the MGM Grand to promote his upcoming fight because of an illness. Paulie Malignaggi, who will meet Hatton in a 140lb fight on November 22, was forced to pose for menacing photos with Hatton’s nameplate Saturday after Hatton missed a promotional news conference with what might be a bout of food poisoning. Hatton (44-1, 31 KOs) is well known for high living and weight gain between his fights. But he drank nothing but lemonade in a hotel bar Friday night after his lengthy flight from England, where he’ll train with Floyd Mayweather Sr. for his first American bout since his first career loss to Mayweather Jr. last December. “No matter how sick he feels right now, he’s going to feel a lot sicker on November 23," said Lou DiBella, Malignaggi’s promoter. Hatton finally felt well enough to attend Juan Manuel Marquez’s victory over Joel Casamayor on Saturday night, sitting next to co-promoter Oscar DeLaHoya in a light blue suit. “That’s the last time I drink lemonade, I can tell you that," Hatton said. Malignaggi (25-1) has just five knockouts in his career, so the Brooklyn native is unlikely to do what the illness did. He’s still confident of victory in his first fight as a Vegas headliner, already cautioning Hatton’s legions of British fans not to expect a typical Hatton brawl. “Holding and hitting is not allowed in boxing," said Malignaggi, whose only loss was to Miguel Cotto. “I expect everybody to understand that. I understand Ricky has the bigger name, and when a guy has a bigger name, he sometimes gets away with more." The MGM Grand Garden already has sold about 12,000 seats for the fight, expecting more of the fans who followed Hatton from England to Nevada for each of his recent fights in boxing’s capital city. – AP