Ricky Hatton vs Oscar De La Hoya Millenium Stadium 10pm UK start time

RICKY HATTON is closing in on a £50million megafight with Oscar De La Hoya in Britain next year. And the clash could take place at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium next spring. Golden Boy, De La Hoya’s promotional company who helped stage The Hitman’s win against Paulie Malignaggi on Saturday, want the bout to go ahead on May 3. Mexican legend De La Hoya takes on Manny Pacquiao here in Las Vegas on December 6 — and win or lose the eagerly anticipated showdown with Hatton is on. And, in another twist, a 10pm start in the UK is on the cards instead of the usual early-morning first bell to satisfy the American TV audience. May 3 is a major holiday in Mexico, which is also widely celebrated in America. Golden Boy’s chief executive Richard Schaeffer said: “We are looking at staging it at a big stadium in the UK. “But the arena needs to be covered because of the unpredictable weather. My idea, and I haven’t spoken to Hatton’s camp about this yet, is to have the fight on a Sunday. “I was thinking that big sporting events are on a Sunday afternoon in America, like the Superbowl, so why not this fight? It could be at 10pm in the UK which would be the afternoon in America. “It would be a huge event with maybe even a pop concert leading into a great undercard and then the fight. “Oscar against Ricky could be the biggest event in boxing. It would be two great fighters, who come to fight and are loved by the fans. “The winner could then fight Floyd Mayweather who, of course, has already boxed both fighters.” Hatton would step up a weight to welterweight for the second time to take this fight. The other time was his only professional defeat — against Mayweather last December. Hatton stopped Malignaggi in the 11th round of Saturday’s clash to retain his IBO light-welterweight title. Advertisement The Hitman said: “Let’s hope my next opponent is the winner of Pacquiao-De La Hoya. “Who am I to say who will win that? In fact, the winner or the loser will be a good fight. I’ll be in Vegas for that and watching it with interest. “Maybe I will finally get my wish and become the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world.” Fighting De La Hoya could hand Hatton his third £20m purse in four fights. He collected that amount when he was battered to defeat by Mayweather in Las Vegas last year and came close to matching it for Saturday night’s defeat of Malignaggi. That took his career earnings past the £50m mark — and he hopes to raise more than £1m for Manchester Children’s Hospital.