By Matt Stein: If Ricky Hatton plans on fighting only one more time before he retires, I’m really hoping he selects Amir Khan as his next opponent. All the other fighters that I can see Hatton being matched up at this point is rather dull and dreary, because Ricky is probably going to be put in with some washed up fighter or someone that is more of a trial horse than a true championship caliber fighter.

I’m hoping that Hatton’s ego convinces him to try and fight on with his career beyond one final fight, since it would be interesting to see how Hatton does in the future against quality fighters. However, I think Amir Khan (20-1, 15 KOs) would be the best potential opponent that Hatton could find because of Khan’s popularity in the UK, his obvious skills, and his flawed chin.

You add trainer Freddie Roach to the mix and you have an excellent grudge match between Khan and Hatton. I know Hatton has no problems with Khan, who is a personal friend of his, but it would be nice for Hatton to try and even the score by beating one of Roach’s fighters.

Hatton would never stand a chance at beating Pacquiao in a rematch, but the next best thing that Hatton could get would be a win over Khan. Of Roach’s fighters, Khan is perhaps number #2 in his list behind Pacquiao. It’s unclear how much longer Pacquiao will be fighting before he retires from boxing altogether, which would then leave Khan as Roach’s prized pupil.

I think Hatton would have destroyed Khan with little problem if this fight had taken place last year before or shortly after Khan’s 1st round knockout to Breidis Prescott, but not now. Khan has improved since the defeat to Prescott and has learned how to protect his chin much better than before when Khan had a bad habit of getting excited in his fights and trying to slug with his opponents.

Hatton has been knocked out in two of his last four fights, and hurt in a third bout by a less than world class fighter. Now, I think Hatton is still wondering whether he has anything left and probably has the idea of trying to fight with the idea of recapturing his glory years from 2005-2007.

This is why it would be a great matchup if Khan were to face Hatton. The fight would make millions of dollars, attract a ton of fans to see the fight, and best of all serve the purpose of having Khan finish Hatton as a fighter by knocking him out and sending him into almost certain retirement from boxing.

If there’s still doubt in Hatton’s mind whether he still has his skills or not, getting knocked out by Khan would very likely send Hatton over the edge and into retirement. It would be the perfect ending for Hatton. It would be like Khan leading Hatton to the graveyard of old elephants and then finishing him off with a flurry of shots and then leaving Hatton out cold on the canvas for the final time.

I think Hatton’s crazy if he wastes his time fighting anyone other than Khan. This fight has drama written all over it and it would be like Hatton was being finished off by a friend in an act of mercy.