GL: Can you give us some thoughts about Ricky Hatton's title challenge against Juan Urango? "I think you're going to see the Hitman really shine. I think he's going to come out and take this kid apart and then move on to bigger and better things. But he's not taking this kid lightly, he's a strong young fighter and he thinks he can win, as all good athlete's do. I just don't think he's in the same class as Ricky Hatton."
GL: Bob Arum told me the Hatton-Castillo fight is a done deal for June 2 as long as both guys win this weekend. Is that the case?
Artie Pelullo: "Well a couple of things have to happen first. Castillo needs to make win and he and Ricky both need to win. If all of that happens, Hatton will fight Castillo in June."
GL: Are you concerned about Castillo's weight causing another disaster at the scales?
AP: "I read an article in the Vegas paper by Kevin Iole where Castillo was saying he's having trouble making weight, but he thinks he will. He came in at 139 1/2 and that was after his second try at 135, but I hear he's where he needed to be during a weigh-in that happened in Mexico."
GL: After the Collazo fight it became clear that Team Hatton feels Ricky is better served at 140 as opposed to 147. Why is that?
AP: "I think Ricky feels more comfortable at 140 and the extra weight didn't do him really good. And the other thing is Collazo is a much better fighter than people give him credit for. I don't mean people like you or me, but he was a very good fighter and he's very slick. Clearly Ricky won the fight, he captured the welterweight title and now he's going to move back down to 140 where he feels he belongs."
GL: What's going to be next for Acelino Freitas?
AP: "Acelino Freitas is going to be defending his title in a unification rematch with Joel Casamayor for the WBC and WBO lightweight championships of the world sometime in April. Luis De Cubas and I have made a deal to stage this unification fight between the two best lightweights in the world. These guys had a heck of a fight the first time and it was the fight of the year when they fought in 2001. Casamayor thought he won, Freitas thought he won and it was a unanimous decision for Acelino. But it was a close fight with the one knockdown and the point taken away from Casamayor the fight could have went the other way."
GL: Will the fight take place in the United States?
AP: "It will happen in the United States because Casamayor doesn't want to fight in Brazil."
GL: Will there be a contractaully obligated clause for a rubbermatch."
AP: "No."
GL: Tell us why Rodney Jones will shock the world when he fights Cory Spinks?
AP: "Cory Spinks is in for a rude awakening. Rodney Jones knows and understands that this is his last shot at a world title. He's 37 years old and he knows this is what it's all about. He's been running through his sparring partners and he doesn't feel this is going to be a difficult fight, he feels Cory Spinks is made to order for him."
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