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Boxing

Hatton looks to Oscar prize

04/12/2007

Ricky Hatton has plans for a showdown with the legendary Oscar de la Hoya should he defeat Floyd Mayweather in this weekend's much-anticipated clash.

Should the fight take place in the wake of a Las Vegas win over the self-styled Pretty Boy it could turn out to be the most lucrative fight in boxing history.

Hatton's huge domestic following in the UK would endanger the current record attendance for a boxing match while pay-per-view sales stateside would be fuelled by a return to the ring for his celebrated opponent.

"The chances are very strong. We have strong links with Oscar De La Hoya and Golden Boy [the promotions company owned by De la Hoya] and we have had discussions with them about fighting Oscar at Wembley," said Hatton's lawyer Gareth Williams.

"It would be the perfect venue and we could look at selling in excess of 80,000 tickets. Oscar has achieved everything in boxing bar recording the record live gate - and he could achieve that if he fought in the UK against Ricky."

De la Hoya lost a split decision to Mayweather in May but Hatton is confident that he can learn from the veteran's defeat.

"It seems funny me criticising him, but if you look at De La Hoya he is a tactician and a combination puncher. Mayweather wants you to throw combinations so you miss a lot and get tired," he said.

"Oscar has told me that he believes he would have won the fight if he could have done in the last six rounds what he did in the first six. He watched me train on Monday and believes I can do that."