Hatton calls for Pacquiao-Mayweather fight
Former world champion Ricky Hatton called Thursday for Philippine
boxing hero Manny Pacquiao and American Floyd Mayweather Jr to face each
other in the ring to settle who is the best.
The 33-year-old Pacquiao and Mayweather, 35, have tried several times
to get a contract signed for a world title fight but have failed for a
number of reasons, including disagreements over blood testing and a
share of the purse.
Their failure to agree a deal has led some observers to suggest that
Pacquiao, regarded by many in the sport as the world's best
pound-for-pound fighter, and the unbeaten Mayweather are trying to put
off boxing each other.
"If you want to be the best then you fight the best and those two
should fight each other," Hatton, 33, told AFP during a visit to Hong
Kong where the former British boxer was scouting new talent.
"I've never been shy of wanting to fight the best and I refuse to
believe that Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather are avoiding each
other, and don't want to fight, because if they are they are sadly not
the champions I thought they were," Hatton, now a boxing promoter,
added.
"One thing I wanted to do from day one was fight the best," said
Hatton whose only two professional defeats came to Pacquiao and
Mayweather.
The former welterweight and light-welterweight world champion
nicknamed "The Hitman" lost to Mayweather when he was knocked out in the
10th round in Los Angeles in December 2007 and was humiliated by
Pacquiao almost two years later when he suffered a KO in just the second
round. "In the ring I know first hand how good they actually are," he
said, "Floyd Mayweather was the best in my career and I wanted to fight
him."
Hatton said it was not a foregone conclusion that the two would meet
but insisted that they must fight soon while both boxers are at the peak
of their careers. "I don't know (if it's inevitable) but it should be a
matter of time. That's the obvious thing.
"You don't know what's going on in their minds but it's an obvious
decision really. I would just say, 50-50 let's fight each other.
"They ought to fight each other now while they are at their prime.
"There's no point them at 38 years of age saying, 'We'll get it on
now.' We want to see who is the best while they are both at their best."
Boxing fans have long sought a matchup between the two. Mayweather has
even made a Twitter challenge for the Asian star to "Step Up, Punk", but
they have not been able to work out a deal. AFP |