By William Mackay: Welterweight Matthew Hatton (37-4-1, 14 KO’s) will be facing 38-year-old IBO International Boxing Organization welterweight champion Lovemore N’dou (47-11-1, 31 KO) on Friday night at the Fenton Manor Sports Complex, Stoke, Staffordshire. Hatton, 28, is the younger brother of former light welterweight champion Ricky Hatton. Matthew is trying to make a name for himself by beating N’dou and hoping to make it into the top 15 in the welterweight division world rankings.

Hatton has beaten largely local fighters since being soundly beaten by Craig Watson last year. Hatton now has a four fight win streak, albeit against 2nd tier opposition, going for him as he enters the ring against N’dou on Friday night. Also, Hatton will have the advantage that N’dou has been beaten in two out of his last three fights and has started to look his age all of a sudden.

Hopefully, most of the fight has been taken out of N’dou with his aging, because if he’s anywhere near his prime skills, he’ll very likely stop Hatton or at the very least, give him a bad beating. Hatton also has the advantage that N’dou, a light welterweight through much of his 16 year pro career, has only moved up to the welterweight division last year and was defeated by Kermit Cintron in a 12 round decision loss in his first fight at that weight class in November 2008.

Hatton must hope that the combination of N’dou’s advanced age and his moving up in weight will spell problems for him in this fight. If not, Hatton will almost surely lose. Hatton doesn’t have big power like his brother, and gets by more on being a finesse fighter. He doesn’t have much hand speed either, and gets by on moving around the ring and getting in and out with his shots.

N’dou lost a narrow 12 round split decision to Paul Malignaggi last year in May in a fight that he appeared to win by a round or two in the eyes of many boxing fans. N’dou looked good in that fight, but much less effective six months later in a 12 round decision loss to Cintron in November.

The keys to the fight for Hatton is to stay on the move and make sure he doesn’t stand in front of the hard hitting N’dou. Although N’dou has only recently moved up in weight to the welterweight division, he’s the much harder puncher and is far more dangerous than Hatton. Additionally, N’dou is the hardest puncher than Hatton has ever faced and it will be a big test for the younger Hatton to see if his chin can stand up to the big shots from the aging veteran.

Hatton has to stay active, throw quick shots and scatter as fast as he can. He can’t afford to stick around and try to work the body like his older brother Ricky, because Matthew Hatton doesn’t have the power and likely doesn’t have the chin to hold up to the pounding that N’dou will put him through.