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Hatton targets Mayweather

25/06/2007

Ricky Hatton has targeted American five-weight champion Floyd Mayweather for his next fight in what could be one of the biggest paydays in boxing history.

Hatton, 28, has raised his profile across the Atlantic after taking apart Mexican Jose Luis Castillo within four rounds at the Thomas and Mack Centre in Las Vegas.

And the Manchester-born fighter now says he hopes Mayweather is his next opponent.

"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," said Hatton, who is now unbeaten in 43 professional fights.

"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 said that he needed a result similar to the outcome of his fight against Castillo "to put myself in the shop window" among US boxing promoters, and he confirmed that another well-known champion, Oscar de la Hoya, had phoned to congratulate him after Saturday night's bout.

Castillo, 33, said he had been caught 'like never before' by the Briton, describing Hatton's body punch as "the perfect shot".

"I couldn't breathe," the Mexican, who now faces retirement, said afterwards. "I just couldn't get up."

Mayweather is, like Hatton, unbeaten throughout his professional career and has won world titles in every weight division from light middleweight down to super featherweight.

He beat De la Hoya in a world title fight last month, but struggled through a bruising bout against Castillo five years ago. Nevertheless he would pose the biggest test to Hatton in his glittering career to date.

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