By Lee Collier

BoxingScene.com witnessed the final press conference for the European welterweight title fight between current champion, Matthew Hatton and challenger Yuriy Nuzhnenko.  Also present where Commonwealth middleweight title challengers, Martin Murray and Peter Mitrevski Jr, Scott Quigg (fighting in a British super-bantamweight title eliminator) and Matthew Hatton’s trainer Bob Shannon.

Matthew Hatton (champion) vs. Yuriy Nuzhnenko (challenger) – European welterweight title

Yuriy Nuzhnenko on fighting Matthew Hatton

I have studied lots of video footage of Matthew with my trainer and nothing surprised me when I saw the skills Matthew had.  With all my experience and all my skills I have developed lately I am sure I will bring the European title to the Ukraine.

Yuriy Nuzhnenko on his nations hopes

There will be a live broadcast of this great event in Ukraine and I know thousands of Ukrainians are my fans and I will put every effort into bringing the title back to the Ukraine.

Matthew Hatton on fighting Yuriy Nuzhnenko

I feel lately I have been boxing at the top facing the likes of [Lovemore] N’Dou and [Gianluca] Branco.  Fighters go on longer these days and they were still world class fighters but you always get your critics that will say they were coming to the end of their careers.  With Yuriy all you need to do is look at his CV and the quality is there and I do believe Yuri is not at the end of his career.  He is a former world champion and has boxed a lot of good names and I do believe this is the stiffest test of my career and that’s what I have prepared for.  I have prepared so hard for this fight and have put everything into it.  I want to give full credit to Bob Shannon who has done a fantastic job training me.  I feel perfect and am expecting a tough Friday night, Yuri is the best opponent I have faced but their will only be one winner and that’s me.

Matthew Hatton on how he feels he has developed as a fighter

I have noticed a big improvement and every fighter will tell you when they become a champion their confidence goes through the roof.   My career took off the day I left Billy Graham’s gym, I improved massively under Lee Beard and I have now taken it to another level with Bob Shannon.  If you look at my improvement over the last two years I believe I am one of the most improved fighters in the game.  I am still a young man at 29 but have had 45 fights and have gathered a lot of experience over those fights and now I feel I am physically coming into my peak.  I am enjoying boxing now and it brings the best out of you and people will see a massive improvement on Friday.

Bob Shannon on the training camp and his fighter’s chances

His training as gone really well, as you know I have had two fights with Matthew and I only had three weeks to prepare which isn’t enough but this time we have had ten weeks in camp and Matthew Hatton has got the best out of me and I have got the best of Matthew Hatton.  We have studied, and studied, and studied Yuriy, we have looked at his strengths and weaknesses and worked on them.  Matthew Hatton is a late developer and he never had the training he received when he trained alongside his brother Ricky.  He was always the fighter left out a little bit with his trainer but now he has a trainer who is 100% into him and we are getting the results and I think Matthew is going to go onto big things.  I am convinced that Matthew will win this fight on Friday night.

Martin Murray (challenger) vs. Peter Mitrevski Jr (challenger) – vacant Commonwealth middleweight title

Martin Murray on Mitrevski

I am looking forward to it and I have been training for 3 years solid and this is what it all comes down to this Friday.  I have not seen much of him but I have been told he is a good fighter and he can box a bit so I am expecting a good fight.

Martin Murray on his nerves before his first title fight

I am nervous with every fight.  You need a bit of nerves for every fight as I feel it makes you that little bit sharper.  The nerves are good but I know he will give good fight so he has my respect but when he is in the ring I will make him realise he is in there with a future world champion.

Peter Mitrevski Jr on Martin Murray

I am feeling good and have prepared well for this fight.  I have seen a lot of tapes of Martin, he is very skilful and like Ricky said he will win a lot of belts in his career but not on Friday night.

Scott Quigg vs. Gavin Reid – British super-bantamweight title eliminator

Scott Quigg on Reid and his title eliminator

I was bit disappointed at first when I found out it wasn’t for the English title but a British title eliminator is just as good to me.  I know Gavin Reid will be a hard fight as he was unlucky not to get the decision in the Prizefighter against Ricky Owen.  He has been in with a lot of good fighters and always gives a good account of himself so I have trained very hard for it and I am ready.