RICKY Hatton is ready to throw his best-laid plans out of the window and jump straight into a career-defining super-fight with Floyd Mayweather.

Hatton's camp insist they would welcome a call from the WBC light-welterweight champion, who saw his own intended showdown with former welterweight king Zab Judah fall through this week.

Judah was surprisingly beaten by Colombian opponent Carlos Baldomir at the weekend, voiding a previous agreement for him to meet Mayweather in a big-money match-up later this year.

Hatton's father and business manager Ray is still sifting through offers to stage the Manchester `Hitman"s first trans-Atlantic title defence in late April or early May.

Ray Hatton told PA Sport: "The Mayweather fight has been on the cards ever since Ricky beat Kostya Tszyu - and if someone came along and said `Here is the Mayweather fight' we would take it.

"We are very close to finalising a deal for his next fight now, but what we do know is that Ricky is going to be fighting in America in either April or May."

Mayweather's uncle and trainer Roger has indicated his son will now turn his attention to Hatton, telling the BBC: "The fact Floyd's fight against Judah is off means a fight against Hatton is much bigger now and much easier to make.

"They're the best in their division, so it adds up. Floyd wants it, and people are trying to make it."

Meanwhile Dennis Hobson, who promoted Hatton's first WBC title defence against Carlos Maussa in November, has emerged as the favourite to promote Hatton's next fight in association with an unnamed American promoter.

In the absence of an immediate deal with Mayweather, the likelihood remains that Hatton will seek to gradually enhance his profile in the States with a couple of initial bouts on free-to-air TV.

Ray Hatton added: "We have got to do what is best for us because we have had eight years where we have not had many choices, so it is a nice position to be in.

"It is all about going over there and, I hope, introducing Ricky and his personality to the American public. Pay-per-view is the goal, but ideally it would be good to have a couple of fights for people to get to know him.

"If a big fight was out there we would take it immediately. But Ricky is only just 27; he is younger than the other champions and he has got time on his side."