By Liam Santiago: Boxing legend Ricky Hatton has stated in an article with Steve Bunce from the Mirror that a fight with himself and WBA light welterweight champion Amir Khan is getting closer. Hatton stated that it is more than likely he will return to action in the middle of 2010. Recently, Golden Boy Promotion head honcho, Richard Schaefer said he is not waiting for Hatton any longer, which means he is unlikely to take on Juan Manuel Marquez now.

Hatton said, ”A fight against Amir would be an enormous fight for everybody in the boxing business, but I would have to be one of the promoters. I know that Amir would take the fight and it is something that I have talked about – it’s a long way off, but it could happen. Amir has his own promotional company now and that is all that would be needed to make that fight happen”.

Hatton went on to say, ”I’ve heard a lot and read a lot of speculation about my future and I have to admit there are some great fights out there. I’ve enjoyed my time off from fighting and the promoting has been brilliant. It’s not been all about the glory and we had Matthew [his brother] losing a controversial decision in a world title fight. I also had Matt Macklin win the European middleweight title and put himself in the mix for a world title. I will still be promoting shows and so far I’ve had three shows on Sky and I’ve got more dates in 2010. People told me that I would get the itch when I was at ringside at my own shows and they were right!”

I hate to be the one to throw a spanner in to the works to the Khan fans but Hatton will hand Khan is second defeat he takes this fight. Let’s be serious. Salita is no Ricky Hatton. Neither Is Andriy Kotelnik or Oisin Fagan, the Ireland taxi driver. Hatton may be in his declining days as a fighter, but he is nowhere near as shot as Marco Antonio Barrera was when Khan beat him. Hatton hits about twenty times as hard as all them fighters Khan has beat since his defeat to Breidis Prescott, put together. Are you seriously telling me Khan will just shake of Hatton’s big left hooks.

Not only is Salita no Hatton, Khan is no Mayweather or Pacquiao. Khan has nowhere near the power that Manny Pacquiao possesses. I am an honest man. If I thought Khan could win, I would say. But he can’t. Khan can not hurt Hatton and Hatton can hurt hum.