LONDON // The former IBF light-welterweight champion Ricky Hatton would like to finish his career with a rematch against Floyd Mayweather Jnr, the British fighter said. Hatton, in training for his fight against Manny Pacquiao in Las Vegas in May, plans to fight just three more times, culminating in another meeting with the American who outclassed him when he stepped up to welterweight last year. Mayweather announced his retirement last year but earlier this month his father Floyd Snr, Hatton's coach, was widely quoted as saying he was preparing to make a comeback.
"If I can beat Manny Pacquiao, the world's best pound-for-pound fighter, that would be sensational," Hatton told British radio station talkSPORT. "I would like to finish the year off fighting Juan Manuel Marquez. He's number two in the pound-for-pound ratings and in doing that and establishing myself as number one, I'd like to think I'd get a rematch with Floyd Mayweather. "Those three fights will see me to the end of my career. But I can't look at Manuel Marquez or Floyd Mayweather yet as I'm fighting Pacquiao. Let's get that out of the way."
Hatton returned to the light-welterweight division after the Mayweather defeat, the sole loss of his career, and has quickly underlined his dominance in the division with victories over Juan Lazcano and Paulie Malignaggi. He said he was ahead of schedule for his clash with Pacquiao, who has won world titles at four weights, when his IBO belt will be on the line. "It's great being ahead of schedule. In being ahead of schedule in your weight, your timing, your sharpness, it gives you a little bit of luxury.
"I am really excited by the performance I can produce." *Reuters
