Ricky Hatton looked ready for action already in Manchester.
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He used to be known as Ricky Fatton in between fights, but with just over three weeks to go to his big night, Ricky Fitton may be a more appropriate nickname.
The doors to the Betta Bodies gym in Denton, Manchester were opened up on Tuesday, giving the press the chance to see what shape the British boxer was in ahead of his December 8 showdown with Floyd Mayweather.
A lean, mean Ricky entertained all with a work out in the ring with trainer Billy Graham, even though the number of people cooped up in such a confined space made it difficult for us watching just to breath.
After a session on the heavy bag he moved onto the weights before finishing with a lengthy spell on a stepper, placed perhaps carelessly in front of the buffet laid on for the always-hungry media.
Those - and there were many - that gathered cannot have left feeling any less confident than the boxer himself. Not only did Hatton look in excellent shape in the ring but he was quick with the quips out of it, looking amazingly relaxed for a man so close to his date with destiny.
Media grilling
After going through a shortened session, the Mancunian showed the same kind of intensity and stamina that he displays in his day job when he was talking to the press, despite being asked the same questions more times than a police suspect in an episode of
The Bill.
The Hitman told everyone that wanted to ask him that he was heading to Las Vegas in fine condition and promising to get the better of a man regarded by the majority as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world.
"He'll have to kill me and stop me breathing to stop me beating him," he said.
Such words are common from boxers - a fighter who says he's not feeling too confident is not going to fill arenas or put bums on seats in front of television sets across the country.
However, it seemed the words were more than just another attempt to crank up the tension surrounding what has to be the biggest fight for a British boxer since Lennox Lewis crossed the pond to take on 'Iron' Mike Tyson - here was a man so certain of what he could achieve because he had left nothing to chance.
Unlike his opponent, the meeting of two modern greats at the MGM Grand is not about the money for Hatton - it is about his legacy as a fighter.
His fitness and more importantly his waist-line show that he is intent on returning home with the WBC Welterweight belt.
His nutritionist Kerry Kayes watched on through the gym session before overseeing a test weigh-in that came back with concerning results, though not for the wrong reasons.
"He's had his test weigh-in for the British Board of Boxing Control and he was only five pounds over weight, which to be honest is a little bit light," Kayes confirmed.
Hatton and light - not two words you would have expected to hear in the same sentence during the early years - perhaps offering a further sign of how serious he is about this career-defining night on the strip.
Foregone conclusion
While the Brit is taking nothing for granted you have to wonder if America and Mayweather already believe the outcome is a foregone conclusion.
He may be a hero to many on these shores - a fact backed up by the sheer number of people who are heading out for the fight, despite it already being sold out - but the United States is perhaps still yet to be convinced Hatton is the real deal.
"I think America is still in for a big surprise," Robert Diaz of Golden Boy Promotions said. "I still think they see him as a good fighter and a good champion, but that is it.
"Come December 8 America will be woken up, and what better way to do it than with the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world?"
If the belt was to be given out for dedication, desire and good manners Hatton would already have it around his slim waist. Thankfully it's not, because for once an eagerly-awaited sporting contest could live up to all the hype.
