By Mark Vester
In a recent interview with Ant Evans of Eurosport, IBO junior welterweight champion Ricky Hatton stated that the winner of the May 5 clash between Oscar De La Hoya and Floyd Mayweather, Jr. should face the winner of his June 23 bout with Jose Luis Castillo. And, he would like for the winners of both bouts to meet before the end of 2007.
“I think it makes perfect sense for the winner of me against Jose Luis Castillo to fight the winner of Oscar v Mayweather,” the Hitman began. “These two fights are probably the biggest fights of the year, certainly the first half of 2007, and I think it’d be brilliant for boxing for the winners to fight," Hatton said.
In the last few weeks, both Mayweather and De La Hoya have mentioned Hatton as a potential opponent after the May 5 pay-per-view. Hatton is fully focused on Castillo, but would love to meet either of them in the near future.
“I know both of them have said at different times that they will retire but Mayweather said the other month that he was only retiring in America – whatever that means – because he’ll come to England to punch me in my beer gut. I’d love to give him the clown a chance if we both win our big fights," Hatton said. "And Oscar has said that he’ll come down to 147lbs to fight me and, for a fight like that, I’d go back up to 147lbs again. Oscar is the biggest name in boxing for years and years and like any other fighter, I’ve love the chance to fight him.”