Hatton awaits as De La Hoya meets Pacquaio

Published on Friday 5 December 2008 21:28

RICKY Hatton is eyeing a fight with the winner of tonight's welterweight clash between Oscar De La Hoya and WBC lightweight champion Manny Pacquiao in Las Vegas.

"Oscar's said that he would love to come to England," Hatton, the IBO light-welterweight champion, said. "He's never fought in England and he's said it's something he'd like to do before he hangs his gloves up. But Manny Pacquiao could move down and challenge me for my world title if he were to win." Hatton defended his title with an 11th-round stoppage of American Paulie Malignaggi two weeks ago, in the same Las Vegas ring where Pacquiao and De La Hoya will meet.

Some experts have called tonight's bout a mismatch, considering Pacquiao began his career fighting at 106lbs and is jumping two weight classes to meet De La Hoya. But the 'Golden Boy', 35, still feels like he has something to prove in the twilight of his career. "It's important that I prove to myself that I can beat a young, hungry lion like Manny Pacquiao," said De La Hoya.

Hatton find it almost too close to call, but believes De La Hoya will win if he can avoid being taken the distance. "It's a tough one to pick, but if I had to, I'd say either Oscar by knockout in the first six rounds, or Manny by points," he said.

Meanwhile, Carl Froch insists the slim chance of a domestic super-fight against Joe Calzaghe will spur him on when he faces Canadian Jean Pascal for the vacant WBC super-middleweight title in Nottingham tonight.

Confident Froch is ready to cap his stellar 23-fight career with his biggest win yet but contends he will be far from finished if he wins. Calzaghe is currently pondering his future following his win over Roy Jones and Froch knows it's highly unlikely the Welshman will elect to face him as a career finale. He said: "I would have loved to fight Calzaghe but he was already up there when I turned professional, so I never really expected it. But until he has retired there is a chance it could happen."

Enzo Maccarinelli will fight Matthew Ellis over 10 rounds at heavyweight after stepping up from cruiserweight. Maccarinelli had been due to challenge Francisco Alvarez for the vacant WBO belt at the lower weight but the Puerto Rican failed a medical due to high blood pressure. Amir Khan returns from his first career defeat on the same bill to face Irishman Oisin Fagan, while Audley Harrison takes on 'Prizefighter' winner Martin Rogan.