Hatton heads for super showdown

Tag : light weight bearing


RICKY Hatton is on a collision course with the world's bestpound-for-pound boxer Manny Pacquiao - if the two men come throughtheir next fights unscathed.

The Hitman is still scheduled to face his main challenger atlight-welterweight, Paulie Malignaggi, in November, although a dateand venue are still not certain.

And Filipino superstar Pacquiao is aiming to become the first Asianfighter to win world titles at four weights when he faces DavidDiaz for the WBC lightweight belt in Las Vegas tomorrow week.

Pacquaio is already ranked as the world's No 1 pound-for-pounderafter beating Juan Manuel Marquez for the WBC super-featherweighttitle in March - he has polished off Mexican legends Erik Moralesand Marco Antonio Barrera along the way and slipped into top spotafter the recent retirement of Floyd Mayweather.

And Hatton, who has always coveted the pound-for-pound No 1 spot,could snatch it if he faces Pacquiao next year.

Hatton's last attempt to grab the Ring magazine's prized rankingended in his first professional defeat, when he moved up towelterweight to face Mayweather in December.

But with Pacquiao, his role would be reversed as the man from thePhilippines has campaigned from flyweight up to lightweight.

If he beats Diaz in his first contest up at lightweight next week,he aims to move up again, to light-welter and take on Hatton in abid to join an elite group of fighters to have won major worldtitles at five different weights.

Only Mayweather, Tommy Hearns, Sugar Ray Leonard and Oscar de laHoya have managed it so far.

Future

Hatton's dad and business manager Ray Hatton said: "At the momentwe are enjoying a holiday after the Juan Lazcano fight andlistening to everyone else say they want to fight Richard.

"Pacquiao said 12 months ago he was mad keen to fight Richard, andit is a fight we would want - in the future."

There had been talk of Hatton stepping into the breach left byMayweather's retirement and taking on de la Hoya in September, butthat would have left too little time to prepare for Malignaggi, forwhich the deal has already been signed.

The fight will take place on either November 15 or 22 in New Yorkor Las Vegas, but the Hattons are waiting for promoters Golden Boyto put the final proposals to them.

Malignaggi has already begun the war of words, claiming he willknock Hatton out even though he has only stopped five of his 25victims so far.

The New Yorker also broke his hand in his last outing, when hefailed to impress in out-pointing Lovemore N'dou on Hatton'sundercard at the City of Manchester Stadium in May.

But he said: "I wouldn't be surprised if I knocked Ricky Hattonout. It's something that people are going to read and think I'mridiculous, but if you look beyond what you see with the naked eye,every time he gets hit clean he's hurt.

"He cannot take a punch. To the head, to the body, I've been sayingthis for years. He cannot take a punch and that's why he fights theway he does. "

He added that his hand injury would have no bearing on the Hattonfight.

"November is plenty of time away and I'll be ready for the fightwith Hatton," he said.

"I'm confident that I have plenty of time for it to heal the rightway, and if anybody knows about broken hands in a fight it's me.But I won't need to beat him with one hand because I'll be beatinghim with two hands."

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