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Hatton wants to end career with Wembley showpiece

05/07/2008

Ricky Hatton wants to retire after two more fights and hopes his final bout will be against either Manny Pacquiao or Oscar de la Hoya at Wembley Stadium.

Hatton is due to fight IBF light-welterweight champion Pauli Malignaggi in November after both men won their bouts at the City of Manchester Stadium in May.

The Hitman looked a little rusty against Juan Lazcano, his first fight after losing his undefeated record to Flyod Mayweather, but feels there are still two more fights in him.

Hatton has fought 45 times since turning professional in 1997, since then he has gone on to beat the likes of Kostya Tszyu, Luis Collazo and Jose Luis Castillo.

But following the bout against Malignaggi, Hatton says he is targeting a grand finale at Wembley.

"I don't want to go on forever and would have done everything I dreamed off, so two more fights and then I think I'm done," Hatton told BBC Sport.

"I'll fight Paulie Malignaggi in November in Las Vegas again, so I'll be able to take my wonderful fans over there again and if I win that, then it'll be my eighth world title."

A fight between Hatton and de la Hoya has been a possibility for some time, but Hatton's defeat to Mayweather halted the momentum of that potential match-up.

Pacquiao has been super-featherweight world champion for three years and has recently become WBC lightweight champion after beating David Diaz.

Hatton said: In the New Year I'm hoping to fight either Manny Pacquiao or Oscar de la Hoya at Wembley Stadium in front of 100,000 people and after that I'll probably retire."

However, a fight with Hatton would mean another step up in weight class for Pacquiao who originally began his career as a flyweight.

If Hatton fought de la Hoya it is the Manchester fighter who could have to put on some weight as the American has been operating at light middleweight since 2001.