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Boxing

Date set for Hitman's American dream

20/11/2006

Ricky Hatton will make his Las Vegas debut in January when he faces Colombia's Juan Urango for the IBF light-welterweight crown.

The 28-year-old's dream of fighting in the boxing capital will take place at the Paris hotel on the famous strip on January 20th.

Hatton, nicknamed the 'Hitman', will clash with Urango for the IBF title he was forced to give up to move to welterweight where he beat Luis Collazo in Boston in May to win the WBA belt.

The Manchester fighter said it has always been his ambition to top the bill in Las Vegas.

He added: "The era of (Sugar Ray) Leonard, (Marvin) Hagler, (Thomas) Hearns and (Roberto) Duran was what got me into boxing and all their fights were there.

"The fact I am going to be fighting in the same city and topping the bill in a world title fight with my name up in lights on the Las Vegas Strip is the stuff that dreams are made of."

Hatton, who could face Mexican ace Luis Castillo in late 2007, added he wants to become an established name in America.

"A lot of people say I cannot look past this fight but of course I can, because I do not want my dream fight to come unstuck so it can give me extra motivation," he added.

"I don't just want to fight in Las Vegas once. I want to fight there two, three or four times, and Urango is in the way of me doing that. I am living the dream and I don't want it to stop."

Hatton signed a deal with American TV network HBO which sparked a bitter row with former promoter Frank Warren.

Warren, who owns the Sports Network company, planned to sue Hatton for breach of contract but later dropped the case.

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