By James Slater – In news that may or may not shock fight fans (after all, just about anything can happen in boxing these days, with all manner of amazing match-ups and returns to the ring taking place), Oscar De La Hoya is interested in facing Ricky Hatton in a blockbuster fight in England next year..
According to Jeff Powell’s article in today’s issue of The Mail, Golden Boy, Oscar’s promotional group, verbally offered Hatton the fight this past weekend, during the awful David Haye-Audley Harrison clash in “The Hitman’s” native Manchester.
Reportedly, Robert Diaz, an executive of Golden Boy Promotions, offered Hatton the fight whilst he was over in the U.K.
“This would be a huge event which we believe would fill a football ground here in England,” Diaz said.
So far, neither De La Hoya himself, nor the recently-troubled Hatton have spoken in public about the would-be fight, and of course this isn’t the first time we’ve heard suggestions that either “The Golden Boy” or Hatton will make a return to the ring. However, never before have Golden Boy gone as far as actually offering a specific opponent a fight with De La Hoya.
Hatton, recently out of rehab, where he went to sort out a growing drugs and alcohol problem, looked in pretty good physical shape on Saturday night. At The MEN arena to work with his promoted fighter Kenny Anderson, who fought George Groves on the Haye-Harrison card, the 32-year-old former 140-pound king looked to have lost quite a few pounds since the last time we saw him out in public view.
Still, looking in good shape for general life does not mean a former fighter is ready to return to the rigours of the ring. Will Hatton even entertain the idea of a “farewell” fight against the much bigger De La Hoya? The fight would be massive if it happened, on that score Diaz is right – but will it happen?
De La Hoya has, for a while now, had the idea of taking a big fight in front of a Hatton-type crowd of over 40,000 or so, and maybe he can convince Hatton to come back. Neither legend has boxed since losing to the awesome Manny Pacquiao, who stopped both men – Oscar after the 8th-round by way of a corner retirement, Ricky by brutal 2nd-round KO.
Maybe, just maybe, the two Pac-Man victims will get back in the gym for one last effort and go out in a hugely publicised fight against one another. Lord knows what weight the fight would take place at, or for how many rounds it would be scheduled. But deep down, you know you’ll watch the fight if it happens, don’t you!