The battle over the fight between Ricky Hatton and Manny Pacquiao is continuing with camps claiming they have deals to take on Floyd Mayweather Jnr.
It has now become a fight within a fight: Pacquiao, the world’s pound for pound No 1, against Hatton, one of the world’s top three fighters in terms of pay-per-view revenue and travelling fan base.
The brinkmanship, which has been taken too far by both negotiating teams, has ultimately created a stalemate. Veteran promoter Bob Arum, 40 years in the game, who represents Pacquiao, has been “shocked” by the levels to which the teams have been prepared to go to secure the rights they are demanding.
When the fight does happen ? and it will ? expect it to have a new edge. Gareth Williams, Hatton’s legal counsel, said he had been left “utterly bewildered”, claiming that they had already agreed a 50-50 split with Top Rank’s Arum before Christmas.
Williams said: “We had no reason to doubt his [Arum’s] word because he’s very well respected and has been in the game a very long time. Every day for the past two weeks I’ve been told we will have a signed contract the next morning, but the mornings have come and we’ve had no contract.”
The upshot is that Hatton is now seeking an alternative fight, with the winner of Juan Manuel Marquez and Juan Diaz, who meet in an eagerly-anticipated lightweight clash in Texas on Feb 28, in the frame.
But he also looking at Oscar De La Hoya and Mayweather. “Any of those fights could be done in June, and could be in England,” said Williams.
Hatton’s father and manager, Ray, also talked yesterday of a rematch with Mayweather, who might be returning to the ring, or De La Hoya.
The latter could fight the Mancunian at Wembley stadium, with the winner earning a meeting with Mayweather, who has beaten both of them.
“We had been in discussions with Floyd Mayweather’s people,” Williams revealed. “And even Oscar has said that he would still like to fulfil his dream and fight in a big venue against Ricky in England.”
It may mean two major fights in the UK involving Hatton and big names, most likely at Wembley and the City of Manchester Stadium.
But this story of the Hatton-Pacquiao struggle is not over yet.
Richard Schaefer, chief executive of De La Hoya’s Golden Boy, who represent Hatton in the US, railed yesterday against Pacquiao, insisting he was “disgusted at [his] behaviour”. Schaefer added: “He’s a spoiled young kid who doesn’t know how to behave. What a waste of time, money and effort. Am I surprised he’s changed his mind? No. He did it to me two years ago. We had booked the planes, the hotels, printed the press kits for the press tour. It was all ready to go, a big production.” However, a counter-punch came swiftly from the Philippines, where Pacquiao said: “They were quoted as saying that if I do not sign their contract, they already have offers for them to fight in the British Isles with 80,000 people watching. Now, it is obvious that they were just bluffing.”
Pacquiao added: “I want to fight Ricky Hatton if the terms are right and fair. I beat Oscar De La Hoya when he said he was still on top of his game. I proved I can fight at any weight level and I won two different titles in two different divisions, also, last year. Now, I say to Ricky Hatton, ‘Let’s get it on’, without the middlemen. You called me out, now I say we fight.”
Expect an announcement at some point in the future. When, who knows? But Hatton-Pacquiao is destined to happen. Such is the nature of these ‘super-fights’, and the egos of their negotiating teams.
