Hatton Hoping To Win Prize Matchup Against De La Hoya

Saturday’s bout with pound for pound king Floyd Mayweather Jr. would appear to be window dressing for Ricky Hatton, for his main goal is to land a mega fight with Oscar Dela Hoya, a crossover star that appeals to both whites and Hispanics, virtually guaranteeing another huge payday for Hatton. Hatton, however, will first have to get by Mayweather, 30, on Saturday, which few fans give Hatton much of a shot at winning.

Should Hatton somehow squeak by Mayweather, look for boxing to heat up on the national scene, perhaps more than it has in decades, because Hatton and De La Hoya have the makings for a dynamite bout. Haton, 29, is a huge draw in Europe and would bring in many of the fans for the fight, while De La Hoya would have all of the United States and South American because of his star appeal. While De La Hoya is considered over-the-hill to most boxing experts, the fans know little about his poor won loss record in the past three years, thinking that he’s still a champion.

It’s those people that De La Hoya would be counting on to purchase the fight in droves, totally oblivious to the fact that De La Hoya has lost three out of his last five fights.

According to Hatton’s lawyer, “The chances are very strong. We have strong links with Oscar De La Hoya and Golden Boy [the promotions company owned by De la Hoya] and we have had discussions with them about fighting Oscar at Wembley.”