Saw this coming from miles away. He wont touch a fight with Marg, P Williams, Cotto or Mosley but an overblown midget is right up his alley. Hatton rematch is a joke. He's jump in the mix for a fight w/ Pac. Easy matchup for him w/ a better payday than Hatton at the moment. How quickly he wants out of retirement now?
Floyd Mayweather Jr. has approached Ricky Hatton’s team about a possible rematch in 2009, according to the Englishman’s camp.
Hatton (45-1, 32 KOs) suffered his only professional defeat at the hands of Mayweather, getting outboxed the entire match before being knocked out in the 10th round last December.
A two-weight world champion, the 30-year-old Hatton has spoke of his desire for a rematch with Mayweather, who cited a lack of “joy” for the sport when he retired in June.
There has been recent speculation that the 31-year-old Mayweather has been preparing for a return to the ring.
Despite Mayweather expressing in an interest in again taking on Hatton, the Englishman’s priority remains a showdown with Manny Pacquiao, who has since inherited Mayweather’s status as the world’s best pound-for-pound fighter.
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Hatton traveled to Las Vegas earlier this month to watch Pacquiao’s dominating eighth-round technical knockout of Oscar De La Hoya.
Hatton’s lawyer, Gareth Williams, revealed “The Hitman” is still hoping to face Pacquiao even though negotiations have not not started, something promoted Bob Arum has disputed. Williams also said Mayweather remains an option.
“Every light-welterweight in the world wants to fight Hatton,” Williams told PA Sport.
“We’ve had approaches from everybody. We’ve also had approaches from people at 130 pounds, Juan (Manuel) Marquez and Juan Diaz both want to fight him. He is a massive draw and can fight where he wants. We’ve also had approaches from Mayweather to have a rematch with him. He wants to fight Ricky.”
Williams maintained Pacquiao is the fight the Hatton camp wants.
“But the fight we want to make, our preference, is Manny Pacquiao because we think that is a great fight,” Williams said. “Ricky has made no secret of the fact he wants to take on the best and Pacquiao is regarded as the best.
“We’re more than happy to make that fight but it has got to be on acceptable terms.”
Pacquiao comprehensively dismantled the legendary De La Hoya to seemingly pave the way for a meeting with Hatton. However, it was then claimed Mayweather was considering a comeback and may have jumped ahead of the Briton in the queue to fight the Filipino champion.
Arum, the Filipino fighter’s promoter, had claimed that negotiations were under way with Hatton’s team.
“He’s not talked to us at all. We’re happy to fight Pacquiao but it has to be on our terms,” Williams said. “We won’t be bullied or forced into any decision that is not on our terms.
“We’ve had no contact whatsoever with him. That is the fight we want to make but we’ve got other options, we will do what is best for us.”
Hatton’s father Ray confirmed they had been “sounded out” by a third party on behalf of Mayweather.
“It hasn’t come from us because we just took it as what it was, a third party sounding us out,” he told Sky Sports News.
“Really at the moment we’re looking at Manny Pacquiao. It’s very nice for Ricky to still be in such a big league. We’ve had approaches from different things, two or three other fighters as well. It’s a nice position that people are asking us. Manny Pacquiao is now regarded as pound-for-pound the best fighter in the world and that’s a fight Ricky would like. I know fans would like to see it.”
Hatton’s preference for a fight with Pacquiao is likely to be due, in part, to his reluctance to fight again at the 147-pound welterweight limit where he has struggled, rather than his natural light-welterweight limit of 140 pounds.
