Boxing: Pacquiao wants Hatton fight - Setanta Sports
Manny Pacquiao has declared that he wants to meet Ricky Hatton after his fight with David Diaz this month.
Hatton had eyed a rematch with Floyd Mayweather in 2009 after his proposed November bout with Paul Malignaggi, but the retirement of the Pretty Boy would seem to have ended this possibility.
There has been speculation that Hatton is in talks with Oscar De La Hoya to fight the Golden Boy in September, when Mayweather was set to fight him, though the American suggested last month that the Mancunian was too small to make this a real possibility.
A bout with Pacquiao, whose popularity rivals Hatton, would appear to be attractive to the Ring Magazine light welterweight champion, whose father has suggested they are looking for only big pay-days in the autumn of his career.
"After Diaz, I want to fight Ricky Hatton," Pacquiao told Ring Magazine. "That will be a good fight.
"I'm 150lbs right now. My sparring partners are always 140 to 150lbs. It's not a problem for me. And I'm not getting any younger. So why not?"
Assuming he beats WBC lightweight champion Diaz on June 28, and Hatton wins Malignaggi's IBF title, Pacquiao would have the chance to become a five-time world champion having previously won titles at flyweight, super bantamweight and super featherweight.
In other news
Ray Hatton has just told BBC sport Ricky will NOT be fighting oscar de la hoya in september
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