By Mark Vester
The big news making the rounds in the UK media, is that Oscar De La Hoya is still interested in facing Ricky Hatton in the summer. Team Hatton is considering the fight. A few days ago, De La Hoya made it clear that he was undecided as to his future and his family was begging him to retire.
"My family and my wife tell me 'Enough! Accept it. That's it. You don't have it no more.' I've been on vacation and not thinking about it, but hopefully soon I will make that firm and last decision. I've been going back and forth and everybody and their mother is telling me to hang them up, but I have to be certain," said De La Hoya to BBC Sport .
Prior to last December's stoppage loss to Manny Pacquiao, De La Hoya was focused on fighting Hatton in the summer. He was dominated and beaten so badly by Pacquiao that it's hard to picture the fight being marketable enough to sell on pay-per-view at any price.
Gareth Williams, Hatton's attorney, said a fight with Juan Manuel Marquez would be perfect, but they are also considering Floyd Mayweather Jr. and De La Hoya.
"Marquez has had two very close fights with Pacquiao and that would be the perfect fight," said Williams. "We've also put things in place to reopen negotiations with Mayweather's people, to see if he's serious about a comeback fight. And finally, and this has taken me completely by surprise, it's been suggested Oscar De La Hoya might be interested as well."
De La Hoya's company, Golden Boy Promotions, lost a lot of money when Pacquiao, unhappy with the purse split, refused on Wednesday to sign a contract for a fight with Hatton on May 2 in Las Vegas. De La Hoya promotes Hatton under the Golden Boy banner, and many are already wondering if De La Hoya's interest in facing Hatton is a ploy to lure Pacquiao back to the table for further negotiations.
