RICKY Hatton is planning a triumphant homecoming after elevating himself among his generation’s pound-for-pound greats with a crushing fourth-round win over Jose Luis Castillo.
Talks are already under way for Hatton to headline a stadium show in either Manchester or London later this year after almost 10,000 travelling fans roared him on at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.
And Hatton insists only the very biggest names will fit the bill for the remainder of his career, with Floyd Mayweather and Oscar De La Hoya now moving closer as possible future foes.
Hatton said: “There are a lot of big fights out there and ultimately my main goal is Floyd Mayweather because he is regarded as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world.
“I think that win and the manner in which I did it sets up fights against the likes of Mayweather, Miguel Cotto and Paulie Malignaggi.
“There are a lot of good fights out there and I want to be fighting world champions and the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world. The better the challenge, the better I am.”
Hatton will also sit down in a position of strength at the negotiating table this week, with new promotional and American TV contracts to hammer out.
There is already talk of the 28-year-old landing a lucrative deal with De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions. De La Hoya phoned Hatton to congratulate him in his dressing room after the Castillo win.
But he is also likely to remain loyal to his British promoter Dennis Hobson, who is working towards a possible UK autumn return for Hatton.
