RICKY Hatton is aiming to move back down to the light-welterweight division - unless a showdown with Floyd Mayweather appears on the horizon.
The new World Boxing Association welterweight king says that Saturday night's close-run victory over Luis Collazo in Boston has convinced him that 10 stones is his natural division.
Now he is seeking a clash with the winner of the WBC lightweight clash between Diego Corrales and Jose Luis Castillo in Las Vegas on June 3. Both men would be willing to move up five pounds for a lucrative pay-day against the Hyde Hitman.
That fight would be Hatton's first choice, although Castillo is already pencilled in to face Miguel Cotto for the WBO light- welterweight title in November.
"I would like to fight the winner of Corrales v Castillo," Hatton told M.E.N. Sport after arriving back at Manchester Airport. "Unless it is worth my while, I would like to campaign at light-welterweight now.
"I felt stronger at welter, but because I am a natural light-welter I am giving the opponent a head-start."
A clash with the winner of the clash between Mexican Castillo and American Corrales would be box-office attraction in the States.
Both men made a big reputation with an explosive bust-up a year ago, which Corrales won in the 10th - only for Castillo to KO his opponent in a re-match five months later.
But another option would be for Hatton to fight in England for the second of his three-fight deal with the American sports channel HBO - with a mandatory defence against German fighter Oktay Urkal and even a showdown with domestic rival Junior Witter being mentioned.
Decision
"I am sure I will be back in the States soon, but if they want me to have a mandatory over here it would be no problem whatsoever," said Hatton.
Hatton says the Collazo fight, when he was given the decision by all three judges, was the hardest of his career.
He said: "I am not saying I won't fight at welterweight again, because I have to keep my options open and have just won a world title at that weight, but light-welter is my division."
Hatton's camp had misgivings about Collazo from the off-set. In fact, they turned him down as an opponent once, as trainer Billy Graham felt the New Yorker's slick, spoiling southpaw style would be a poor choice for his man's American championship debut. But a succession of misfortunes meant it was Collazo or no fight, and Hatton is always willing to fight anyone.
He explained: "Seven weeks ago I was due to fight Juan Lazcano at light-welter, and then it changed and I had to move up to welterweight in seven weeks.
"Normally you need two or three fights to develop into the weight, but I had seven weeks. So I won a world title out of my weight division, which gives me a buzz.
"Collazo will be avoided like the plague from now on - no-one will want to fight him."
Hatton has tired of talk about Witter over the years, although it is a fight British boxing fans would love to see. But the Bradford fighter can land the scrap he says he has been chasing for six years if he beats DeMarcus Corley when they meet for the WBO light-welterweight title in the summer.
The question is whether HBO would accept Witter as an opponent, and the Yorkshireman has done little to impress Stateside audiences so far.
But time is running out for Hatton if he sticks to his vow to be retired by the age of 30.
"I think I will give it three years, at the very outside, and then I will be done," he said. "In that time I want to fight Mayweather, and fight in Vegas and Madison Square Garden - I would be disappointed to retire without that happening."
Who would you like to see Hatton fight? Have your say.
Comments
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alex ferguson or roy keane
Looks like he is scared to me!
Ricky & City to drop a division. Come on Wardle sort it out.
Hatton is scared of the welterweights. He now wants to fight Castillo or Corrales who are only Lightweights !!!
How can Ricky be scared? He just won the world title in a weight division he has never even faught in before!
Being his first match at that level and his first match in the US it was never going to be a walk in the park.
ricky hatton is scared of no one for once he is using his head.
i realy think ricky and billy should keep all there options open, as i suspected ricky found the collazo fight very hard to say the least ,as for mayweather i think its best to forget it ,cos at this moment in time floyds head and shoulders above anybody at welter in my view ,i,ve seen a young kid called joel julio he could be the next big name on the welter scene,i suggest ricky have a rest and a good talk with billy graham before rushing into anything .
I,M INCLINED TO AGREE WITH STEVE AND TOM ,RICKY NEEDS ANOTHER COLLAZO FIGHT LIKE HE NEEDS A HOLE IN HIS HEAD ,ALTHOUGH IN THE POST FIGHT INTERVIEW HE PROMISED LUIS A RETURN MATCH AND IS NOW GOING BACK ON HIS WORD ,RICKS IN A BIT OF A CATCH 22 SITUATION ,COS HIS BACKERS HBO WILL NOT SETTLE FOR RICK TO FIGHT A HAS BEEN WHICH RICK FOUGHT MANY OF BEFORE THE COLLAZO FIGHT ,IF HE MOVES BACK DOWN TO LT WELTER ITS A OUT OF THE FRYING PAN INTO THE FIRE SYNDROME COS HE,S GOING TO HAVE TO FIGHT A REAL"NAME"FIGHTER NOW COS THERES NO GOING BACK ,ALSO HE,LL BE A MAN WITHOUT A TITLE BEING HE JACKED THE 2 LT WELTER BELTS IN ,I REALY THINK THAT RICKS HAD POOR ADVICE AND SHOULD SIT DOWN WITH BILLY GRAHAM WHO DID,NT WANT THE COLLAZO FIGHT IN THE IST PLACE ,MONEY WISE IT PAID OFF FOR RICK BUT THE BIG QUESTION IS WHERE DO,S HE GO FROM HERE?.
just read on fightnews that the wba have ordererd ricky to defend his welter title against #challenger oktay urkal from germany within 120 days ,this could be a nice little earner for ricky ,urkals 36 and has,nt much shelf life left he could always move down to lt welter after this one ,one thing for certain is if ricky dos,nt defend against urkal the wba will strip him of his belt and rick will be back to square one, a fighter without a title,for me the whole situation gets more crazy by the day!!.
Stick to the names in your game plan Ricky you are being managed well do not be destracted by other peoples comments foget Witter let him do it the hard way like you have done remember Nigel Ben got goaded into a fight with Eubanks he got beat on the night & it took him two years to get back to the same position just at the time when he was going to hit the States you can have your dreams all over in that time if you stick to your Three year plan good lad good luck Tec Fallon
HI TEC FALLON FROM SPAIN ,I ALWAYS THOUGHT THAT IN BOXING TO BE THE BEST YOU HAD TO BEAT THE BEST ,INSTEAD OF FIGHTING A LOAD OF NO HOPERS ,RICKS HAD ONE HARD FIGHT AT WELTER AND NOW HE,S MOVING DOWN TO LT WELTER AGAIN ,THE PROBLEMS OF COURSE THAT IF HE DO,S HE WILL HAVE NO TITLES ,COS THE WBO WILL STRIP OF HIS WELTER BELT FOR SURE ,IF YOU THINK RICKS THE GOODS HE SHOULD FIGHT ANYONE NOT A FEW CAREFULLY VETTED NAMES .
i lke hatton hes a gd fighter but laat fight wif collazo was a tough fight mayweather wud ave beat him and 2 b honest i cant c u beatin mayweather