Phil D. Jay
WBN Editor
South African confident of victory over Briton
WBN Editor
IBO welterweight champion Chris Van Heerden is hoping a
victory over former world title challenger Matthew Hatton will raise his
profile significantly enough to seal a unification fight with WBA belt holder
Paulie Malignaggi in 2013.
The 25 year-old will fight the younger Hatton brother on
February 2nd at the Nelson Mandela Boxing Tribute in Cape Town, South Africa
and is aware that the one-time European title holder will be his toughest test
to date.
“This fight is a new step for me as opponents like Hatton
are the key to taking me to a new level,” Van Heerden told World Boxing News.
“Fighting Hatton is firstly, a big honour for me and I fully
respect him as a boxer. He has been around for a long time and deserves another
shot at a world title.
“The sad thing is that I will simply beat him, as I am too
young, hungry and too damn quick for him, although I know the fight with Hatton will be a
war!”
‘The Heat’ has called out two-weight world champion Malignaggi
in the recent past, something that the New Yorker shrugged off after claiming not to know who Van Heerden was. The South African is now ready to show the ‘Magic
Man’ what he is made of in the hope of setting up a two-belt contest, possibly in the United States next summer.
“Maybe after I beat Hatton, the man Pauline Malignaggi (WBA
champion) will accept my challenge for a unification,” stated the 18-1 title holder.