Legend Hopkins in Hatton corner

The seemingly irresistible momentum behind Ricky Hatton as he approaches the biggest fight of his career received another big push on Thursday when former pound-for-pound king Bernard Hopkins backed the 'Hit Man' to reign supreme.

Floyd Mayweather may claim opinions will mean nothing when the pair step into the MGM Grand Garden ring in the early hours of Sunday morning, but the words of a modern great like Hopkins carry significant weight.

Hopkins said: "Ricky Hatton is like the Energiser Bunny. I have never seen the man get tired. I am looking for some blood from Ricky early on but at the end of the day he out-hustles Mayweather for a unanimous decision."

He compared Hatton's furious, yet multi-faceted come-forward approach to that of the legendary Henry Armstrong and believes his stamina will help him maintain his pace throughout and emerge victorious.

"Hatton is not just a slugger. There's a difference between a guy who is going to put pressure on you and is willing to take four or five punches to give one or two. That's not Ricky Hatton.

"Ricky Hatton is willing to be that slugger but he is also willing to throw punches in bunches and that is rare in boxing today. Henry Armstrong fought that way. That is dangerous guy because you can't keep him off you."

Hopkins, who reigned unbeaten as world middleweight champion for a decade and is now in line for a light-heavyweight scrap with Joe Calzaghe, also believes Mayweather's perceived over-confidence could prove crucial.

"It is a fight for Ricky to win and Floyd to lose," added Hopkins. "Everybody knows Floyd can fight, but how do you still fight like a hungry man when your refrigerator's full?

"How do you separate yourself from 'Dancing With The Stars' (a show on which Mayweather recently appeared), the undefeated record, the six or seven belts, and when do you become mentally soft and spiritually soft?"

"It's a dangerous line to carry. That's the biggest factor in who wins and who loses. Who will be able to suck it up and forget about the belts and the zeroes in your 'l' column? Who will cross that line and knock on the door of greatness?"