by James Slater – With the mega-fight that was Manny Pacquiao Vs. Ricky Hatton “all but dead,” Team Hatton are looking at their other options. As has already been reported, the 30-year-old “Hitman” has had a “Plan B” in place for some time, just in case the bout against “Pac-Man” never came off. Now it hasn’t (or as good as damn it won’t happen) Hatton’s lawyer, Gareth Williams, has revealed the other opponents his fighter will try to land for a summer date..
As bad a news story as the Pacquiao fight being cancelled is, the plans Williams speaks of in today’s issue of The Sun newspaper, will likely go some way towards cheering the fans up somewhat. With one super-fight gone, Hatton is looking at two other ways in which to engage in another.
Williams says Hatton’s top choice would be a rematch with the only man to have beaten him, in Floyd Mayweather Junior; with the winner of February’s excellent Juan Manuel Marquez-Juan Diaz lightweight clash coming in second. Hatton against either one of these three guys would almost certainly produce a fine fight.
Williams told the paper what he is doing to land his client one of these bouts.
“I have asked Richard Schaefer, who acts for the American promoter Golden Boy, to make contact with Mayweather again to see if he’s interested,” Williams said. “If not, we will be looking at the winner of Juan Manuel Marquez-Juan Diaz for some time in June. It would be easy to make as both are with Golden Boy Promotions. If it comes off, we could also look at that bout being in England too, as we initially wanted with Pacquiao.”
This is good, if not great, news. Sure, we’re all disappointed now that Hatton, the best in the world at 140-pounds, and Pacquiao, the best in the world pound-for-pound, are not going to be swapping leather – but the back-up plan for Hatton is at least a most interesting one. Mayweather’s return is constantly being discussed, and it’s likely, if he does return to the ring, that another fight with the man he handled with some ease in December of 2007 would appeal to him. Who knows, this rematch could actually take place.
As for Hatton Vs. either Marquez or Diaz; would the two premiere lightweights really want to move up to 140 to face Hatton? Marquez has only had one fight up at lightweight, after having moved up just last September. Diaz, a natural 135-pounder, would be giving away a lot of weight against Hatton in June, too. Then again, Hatton is where the money is, and whoever prevails in February in Texas might want to risk a quick move up to light-welterweight without really giving themselves time to grow into/adjust to the new weight class.
As for Pacquiao, the word is his new foe, as a replacement for Hatton, will be the huge punching Edwin Valero. This fight is also one of top-notch quality.