By Scott Gilfoid: Former EBU welterweight champion Matthew Hatton (43-6-2, 17 KO’s) set himself up for a title fight, if you want to call it that, against IBO welterweight champion Chris Van Heerden (18-1, 10 KO’s) for February or March next year in Cape Town, South Africa by beating an over-matched Michael Lomax (18-5-1, 3 KO’s) by a 1st round knockout last night at the Bowlers Exhibition Centre, Manchester, Lancashire, United Kingdom. The 31-year-old Hatton put the light hitting Lomax down with a right to the body and the fight was then halted at 1:24 of the round by referee Steve Gray.

It was pretty much all Hatton with him getting the better of every exchange with Lomax in this fight this one-sided affair. It’s not surprising, though, because Lomax came into the fight having lost two out of his last three fights and really isn’t on Hatton’s level, not that Hatton is a great fighter or anything. Hatton isn’t ranked in the top 15 anymore after the spanking he got from Kell Brook earlier this year.

Hatton said after the fight to Sky Sports News “But I’d like to fight again before Christmas. I’m ready to go, so if I was offered a fight next week I would take it.”

With a title shot against IBO 147 lb champion Chris Van Heerden set to take place in early 2013, you can expect for Matthew Hatton to take another soft opponent for his next fight if he does fight in December. He’s not going to take on anyone good and risk getting beaten.

Hatton recently lost a lopsided 12 round decision to Kell Brook in March of this year. A year earlier, Hatton was easily beaten by Saul Alvarez by a one-sided 12 round decision in a failed attempt to capture the then vacant WBC junior middleweight title. In both the Brook and Alvarez fights, Hatton was little more than a punching bag with arms. He looked purely 2nd tier in both of those fights and was promptly put in his place by both guys.

I expect Hatton, 31, to get beaten by Van Heerden, #10 IBF, because this guy can fight a little and is a lot younger than Hatton by six years. Well, at least Hatton will get a nice payday and will get a chance to see South Africa in losing to Van Heerden.