THE last time Ricky Hatton and Ricky Burns shared a platform in Glasgow the former was conducting a book signing and the latter was a lowly store employee. The venue yesterday was the top table at Glasgow's Marriott Hotel, rather than the shop floor at DW Sports at the Glasgow Fort shopping centre, as these two working class heroes spoke warmly of each other yet nonetheless took opposite camps as battle lines were drawn for next month's world title fight at the SSE Hydro.

Hatton - the subject of a few unsavoury tabloid headlines in recent times regarding events in his personal life - is a trainer and a promoter these days rather than a fighter, but he still plans to pack a punch or two in his old light welterweight division. The man sitting next to him was his protege Kiryl Relikh of Belarus, known as the Mad Bee of Baranovichi. He has quite a sting in his tail, judging by the 19 knockouts from a perfect 21 victories on his resume to date.

But the Belarusian hasn't come up against a fighter like Burns before, or fought in front of a noisy hometown crowd like the one he will experience at the SSE Hydro on October 7. The 33-year-old who became Scotland's first-ever three-weight world champion when he stopped Michele di Rocco of Italy in the eighth round at this Glasgow venue in May has an offer on the table for a glitzy moneyspinning bout against Adrien Broner in Las Vegas assuming he can navigate his way through this fight. It would be the kind of pay day he richly deserves but Relikh is the kind of wrecking ball capable of obliterating everything which is placed in front of him.

"For what he has done for Scottish boxing, I can's speak highly enough of Ricky Burns," said Hatton yesterday. "I haven't got him on speed dial but I think of him as one of my mates. Kiryl doesn't have the rounds under his belt that Ricky has but he has flattened pretty much everyone he has been in with.

"Ricky has one of the best jabs you will probably see, and the atmosphere, and passion from the Scottish fans is another thing Kiryl won't have encountered before. But he won't be fazed by the hostile atmosphere. He is a nice kid but mentality wise he has a real nasty streak about him and he has been wanting this so long."

If Relikh lacks anything, it certainly isn't confidence in his own abilities. Speaking through an interpreter, the 26-year-old said that any other outcome than him adding the WBA World Super Lightweight belt to his Inter Continental title was "out of consideration". He is delighted to have a legend of the sport like Hatton in his corner, even if the language barrier had to be battered down first.

"We didn't find the common language from the very beginning but now we are communication and doing really well," said Relikh. "I learn a lot from his career and his experiences. You will see what I can do during the fight but I have to say I am well schooled, I can do it on the front foot or on the counter attack, and lots will depend what Ricky brings in the ring.

"I know Ricky Burns is a much more experienced professional fighter than me - his career is probably three times as long. But I think it is the right time for me."

Let's just say that acquiring legend status as Scotland's first-ever three weight world champion didn't change the homespun Burns too much. This typically understated product of Coatbridge says simply that he would probably still be working in that DW Sports shop right now had he not taken the decision to start working with Tony Sims down in Essex. He is approaching the end of one of those punishing 12-week training stints, with gym buddies including hulking heavyweight specimens like Anthony Joshua. He knows he will be able to handle the heat of the Hydro on October 7, while Relikh is an unknown quantity.

"You know, even the Di Rocco fight, I just treated it the same as every other one," he said. "I just went home, tried to keep a low profile for a couple of weeks and let things die down. I have been this way for so long now that I don't see any point in changing now.

"In a way it is a big step up for him," said Burns. "Especially walking out in Glasgow, at the Hydro, the fans here are very good so I am sure they are going to make it nice and noisy for him. We will see how he reacts when we are in that ring, everyone else is clearing out and it is just me, him and that ref there. That is when it will sink in."