Hatton not looking to fight Khan yet

By Sean McDaniel: Recently knocked out Ricky Hatton isn’t looking to be fighting World Boxing Association light welterweight champion Amir Khan as of yet, according to The Guardian. However, if Hatton does come back, Khan won’t be the next fighter he goes after.

Hatton will be reportedly making an announcement this Friday saying whether he will be making a comeback. It’s hopeful that Hatton will give a small hint at that time as to whom he’s planning on fighting next. It’s no secret that Khan is very interested in fighting Hatton next. It would be a huge money making fight in the UK, and would very likely be a huge mega bout elsewhere like the U.S. Despite the obvious money that Hatton could potentially make in a fight with Khan, Hatton has resisted the temptation to fight Khan.

There is talk of Hatton possibly fighting Juan Manuel Marquez, although there a number of other fighters that are also potential opponents as well for Hatton. In an ideal case, Hatton needs to fight a tune up or two while he works out getting the cob webs off his game. Hatton was badly knocked out in the 2nd round in May by Manny Pacquiao. Since then, Hatton has stayed out of the ring and has steadily gained weight in his time off. He looks to be at least 30 to 40 pounds overweight.

Taking the weight off won’t be easy and will take time. However, Hatton has always been good at taking weight off quickly, but he didn’t look good in his last fight against Pacquiago going into the bout. It could be that the binge eating is starting to catch up to him.

If Hatton chooses to fight a good opponent next like Marquez, there will be a good chance that Hatton will suffer another defeat. This may be a case of Hatton facing retirement if he takes on someone too good. His knockout loss to Pacquiao was a serious one and there’s no telling how much damage that Hatton sustained in the loss.

Without a tune-up to see if Hatton is the same fighter, he may find out the hard way that he doesn’t have it when he steps in the ring against a good opponent. A fight Khan would be a big money maker for Hatton, to be sure, but the hand speed and movement of Khan would be a problem for Hatton at this point. The fight would be very risky for Hatton at this stage of his career.

If he had taken a fight with Khan years ago before his loss to Floyd Mayweather Jr., Hatton would have a much better chance against a fighter like Khan, but not now. Hatton needs to select his opponents wisely if he does decide to make a comeback. Marquez has fought much of his career as a featherweight, but he still can punch well. Hatton would be the bigger fighter, but it might not mean anything if he can’t take Marquez’s shots.

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