Tszyu will defend his title on Hatton's home turf at the odd time of 2:00 am local time. The awkward start time was set so that Showtime could televise live back to the United States. Kostya is coming off a demolition of Sharmba Mitchell in his last fight, and seems to be looking forward to the challenge of going to Manchester to try and defeat the IBF #1 contender Ricky Hatton.

      Tszyu spoke to the press during a conference call on Tuesday, and here's a little of what he had to say.     

         KOSTYA TSZYU

• On fighting in Ricky Hatton's backyard...  He's the #1IBF contender, and he's a great challenge for me, and it's my job to defend against the #1. I'm excited to come to England to show my skills in England.
   
• On his inactivity...  My inactivity has played a good role for me, because I'm 35 years old and I'm fresh. I didn't tear myself up.
   
• On his consistency as a fighter...  I try to be a good example for my kids, by showing them that you have to be consistent with everything you do in life.
   
• On his training for this fight... I have trained like a maniac, and I'm ready for 12 rounds, but whatever comes, comes. People think I'm wearing down at 35, but I think they're mistaken.
   
• On the unusual start time for the fight... I haven't made any adjustments for the start time. I talked with different scientists and they told me that if you're 100% ready then you don't need to change anything. It doesn't matter when the fight starts, if you're ready and a true pro then you will be fine. I'm fighting this fight at 2am and in his hometown, but I'm very confident and I'm a true professional. It doesn't matter what time or where the fight is if you're a true professional.
   
• On how he plans to counter Hatton's style of fighting... Anytime someone throws a lot of punches, they leave an opening. I'm happy when somebody comes right at me, because they're open. I prepare myself for any style.
   
• On what to expect on June 4th... We're not here for the ballet, we're here to fight.
   
• On Hatton maybe thinking he's getting old... Let him think I'm slow, let him ask Sharmba Mitchell how slow I am. Why should I put in doubts in his head that I'm not slow.
   
• On how much longer he plans to fight... I can't walk away from the ring yet. I still got something to prove to myself. I've been in Boxing for 27 years, and I still got things I need to prove. It's all about the challenges, and I'm still enjoying myself.    

Kostya Tszyu will defend his belt against undefeated Ricky Hatton in Manchester, England on June 4th from the MEN arena. Showtime will televise the bout live at 9pm eastern time.