By Zachary M. Johnson: One drinks his own urine, and the other drinks entirely too much Guinness. Both are on the wrong side of thirty. Both are coming off of losses to megastars Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather, Jr. And they both still think they are main event fighters, apparently, as evidenced by Richard Schaefer’s announcement that Juan Manuel Marquez (50-5-1, 37 KO) and Ricky Hatton (45-2-0, 32 KO) are currently in talks for a fight to take place in Manchester, England some time in 2010.

On the surface the fight seems like an appropriate matchup. They are both castoffs from matchups against the sport’s biggest stars, and the fight would be a bronze medal match of sorts. A main event in Manchester means that the seats will be packed, and Marquez’s large Mexican fan base means that, even if it is a pay-per-view event, it should at least generate an average number of buys. But is this really the best approach for both of these fighters? Or either of them?

That depends how each man views his current career status. Marquez has made every indication that he intends to establish himself, at least for the foreseeable future, in the junior welterweight division. A win over Ricky Hatton could solidify a position for him within the division, even if Hatton does not perform up to expectations. On the other hand, a loss to Hatton, whom many boxing fans and experts have already labeled as a severely faded fighter, could push Marquez into retirement earlier than he had planned.

Hatton’s plans for the future are less clear, and until he begins to answer questions about his next fight, fans will wonder if this matchup is meant to be a less disastrous farewell fight for the Hitman or a possible push for another big payday down the road. A victory against Marquez would serve its purpose as a positive farewell match for Hatton. If he plans to pursue another monster prize fight, a victory could put him one step closer. His idea to host the fight in Manchester would seem to implicate that the former is the case, and that it would very likely be his last professional bout. In any event, one could hardly fault either veteran fighter for making a main event fight that will probably produce the biggest paycheck currently available for both men. But what about the fans?

Manny’s star power was enough to carry the night in his showdown with Miguel Cotto, but aside from the main event, the card was deplorable. The one bright spot amongst the lead-up fights was a victory outing for Israeli champ Yuri Foreman, whose style is sleep-inducing at worst, and at best still should not command a final slot on any large scale pay-per-view undercard.

Assuming that the Mayweather-Pacquiao fight is made, this junior welterweight pairing is one that could go a long way toward producing a palatable undercard. If either man is still seeking to improve his legacy, the proximity to what will probably be the biggest main event in modern boxing history could be a nice career bump; a solid showing for either fighter could potentially land him a desirable rematch against the loser of Pacquiao vs. Mayweather.

To be clear, though, this fight will not happen on any undercard—not even on as grand a stage as Manny vs. Floyd could provide. Both men are seeking a main event purse, along with some relevancy, in a sport that has become Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather’s two-man show.

And that, frankly, is a shame.

No one wants to take money from the pockets of Marquez or Hatton by tucking them into an undercard, and no one truly expects these fighters to eschew top billing—especially their large, loyal fan bases. The value for fight fans that shell out fifty-five dollars to watch pay-per-view boxing, however, would be great and boxing as a whole could benefit mightily from producing a better quality product. It is all hope and speculation, and regrettably it is all futile. But in the holiday spirit, does it hurt to wish?