The long-awaited showdown between body-punching Englishman Ricky Hatton and Russian-born Australian Kostya Tsyzu is set to take place early Sunday at the MEN Arena in Manchester, England at 2 a.m. local time, 9 p.m. on Showtime Saturday night.

Tszyu, 31-1 (25), coming off a long absense from the ring to destroy Sharmba Mitchell in less than three rounds, is favoured, but Hatton will have the audience on his side as 22,000 fans will be cheering hysterically as he meets his toughest opponent ever.

Long thought to be one of the most babied fighters with one of the most padded records in boxing, Hatton should be given credit for basically forcing his overly-cautious management team to get him a meaningful fight. Hatton could have continued to fight average opposition in front of sold out crowds all over Engalnd and retired with more than enough money; instead he sought out Tszyu and a chance to establish a legacy.

One should be careful what he wishes for.

Hatton, 38-0 (28), ranked number six at junior welterweight by Ring magazine, has not yet proved himself as an upper echelon fighter - now he has to do it against the undisputed 140-pound champion who posesses crippling power in both hands. Tsyzu is a boxing prototype, an intelligent, disciplined athlete who devours the scientific aspects of training and conditioning and has a steely resolve to match his undeterred confidence. And then there's that right hand.

But which Kostya Tszyu will show up against Hatton? Will it be the seek-and-destroy version we saw against Mitchell? Or will we be privy to a boxing clinic like the one he put on against Ben Tackie in 2002? (For his sake it better not be the under-trained version which showed up to fight Vince Phillips in 1997). Tsyzu claims that he will not have to go looking for Hatton because Hatton will come to him - if this is the case then we might have an all-out war on our hands. The only question then will be can Ricky Hatton deal with what a complete package like Tzsyu? And did I mention his right hand?

At age 26, Hatton has youth on his side, but the 35-year-old Tszyu is not exactly over-the-hill and is always in peak physical condition for all his fights. Other than the Phillips loss, Tszyu has not sustained any beatings during his career, and if the Mitchell fight is what Tszyu looks like after coming off an injury and inactivity, than Hatton may indeed have his hands full. When one ventures into unchartered waters, he should always be prepared.

And although the 22,000 Hatton fans are a suitable life-jacket, it will do no good against a shark like Tszyu. Too strong, too experienced, too good. Look out Ricky, taking on Tszyu is gonna Kostya.

Prediction: Tszyu KO 2