HATTON WANTS PACQUIAO FIGHT NEXT YEAR
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Fri, 04 Jul 2008
Britain?s light welterweight world champion Ricky ?The Hitman? Hatton wants to fight Filipino ring idol and recently crowned WBC lightweight champion Manny Pacquiao but only next year.
In an overseas telephone conversation with Viva Sports/Manila Standard Today, Hatton?s father and manager Rey Hatton said ?I want the fight and there is a massive amount of interest.?
However, Hatton said his son was scheduled to fight IBF junior welterweight champion Paulie Malignaggi in November and a Pacquiao fight would have to take place ?probably in the middle of next year, maybe May or June.?
Hatton said a fight with Pacquiao was ?mouth-watering because it?s the best fight between two great, exciting fighters who are both at the top of their careers. Its obviously a logical fight.?
The father and manager of Hatton who is regarded as the biggest name at 140 pounds and has only one defeat to Floyd Mayweather Jr against 44 wins with 31 knockouts, said everybody knows what kind of fight it would be, adding ?it?s a fight that can be held in a phone booth.? He predicted that :?nobody will sit down for that fight because of the excitement.?
Rey Hatton had no preference for a site but said ?it depends on which can give both fighters the best deal.? He said that if the Pacquiao-Hatton fight is held in the United Kingdom ?one hundred thousand people will be there. It will be absolutely mouth-watering.?
He said they have not been contacted by Top Rank promoter Bob Arum at this point but stressed ?we are approachable.? Arum himself told us "all these reports (about a Hatton fight this year) are just ludicrous. What Rey said to you is what was said to us and (Lou) DiBella and Paulie (Malignaggi because its a big opportunity for him and he's not stepping aside."
Arum pointed that "these are relatively young guys and not in the last years of their careers and I guess it (Pacquiao-Hatton) will happen next year and the anticipation will build." Hatton said ?Manny?s camp wants it and obviously we do, but there?s a long way to go."
The father and manager of ?The Hitman? said Hatton would get back into the gym towards the end of August to begin training for the Malignaggi fight. He said ?Ricky always does a twelve week training camp.?
Arum disclosed that he "spent a couple of hours today" with Edwin Valero's manager Akihiko Honda and "we are proceeding down the road together." The fight is scheduled for November 8 and Arum insists that Pacquiao has "a real tough fight. Valero is no walk in the park."
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.
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