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Court case hampers Hatton training

13/02/2006

WBA and IBF light welterweight champion Ricky Hatton will have his pre-fight training schedule crucially interrupted after he was summoned to appear at a US court case.

French boxer Souleyman M'Baye has launched legal proceedings against the WBA (World Boxing Association), claiming he should have been given the title shot which Hatton received, and won, against former champion Carlos Maussa last November.

A New York court has ordered Hatton, who has already begun light training for his fight against an as yet unnamed opponent at Foxwoods Casino in Connecticut in May, to attend in order to outline his argument.

The untimely disruption has been met with anger by Hatton's father and affairs manager, Ray Hatton, who told the BBC it could have a dire effect on his son's preparations.

"Every day is crucial to Ricky," he said. "He doesn't want to be sat on planes and in courts.

"He will probably have to fly out to America on Thursday and will lose five or six days of training."

The summons is particularly unwelcome considering M'Baye is managed by Hatton's former promoter Frank Warren, who split from the Hitman's camp in acrimonious circumstances last year. Warren has not commented on the case.

Although his next opponent has not been announced, Hatton is expected to defend his titles against WBC champion Carlos Baldomir, after the Argentinean pulled off a shock victory over former champ Zab Judah last month.

American Arturo Gatti, ranked seventh by the WBA, has also been linked, as has Brazilian lightweight Acelino Freitas, the WBO's number two ranked boxer.

The American WBC and WBO lightweight champion Diego Corrales could also be lined up against Hatton, as could Mexican lightweight Jose Luis Castillo, currently ranked the number one contender by the WBC.

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