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Boxing

Hitman rules out summer showdown against rival Witter

21/01/2008

Ricky Hatton has revealed he will return to the ring in May or June – but not against rival Junior Witter.

The Manchester fighter is on holiday in South Africa and is set to return to the gym next month to start training.

Hatton suffered his first professional defeat last month after being knocked out by Floyd Mayweather in Las Vegas.

The 29-year-old said he is unlikely to fight WBC light-welterweight champion Witter this summer at the City of Manchester stadium, despite the Bradford boxer's taunts.

"Junior Witter has made a career for himself on slagging me off," Hatton told Sky Sports News.

"I don't know whether I want to give him the best pay day of his life.
When someone slags you off you don't repay them by giving them their best pay day.

"But you can never say never. Fair play to Junior - he's won a world title and looking really, really good at the minute."

Hatton has also been linked with a super-fight against light middle-weight Oscar de la Hoya, but says he no longer wants to fight at a higher weight after his defeat to Mayweather.

"I think one of my best attributes is that I'm pretty fearless, so I'll fight anyone that is put in front of me," Hatton added.

"Everyone knows that I'm a natural junior-welterweight, I moved up to welter in my last fight.

"A fight against Oscar would probably be at a catch weight between welter and junior-middle, and I don't know if that would be suitable weight-wise because I'm a 10 stone fighter."

The likely opponent for Hatton this summer is super featherweight Manny Pacquiao, who will face Juan Manuel Marquez in a world title showdown on March 15th.