RICKY Hatton has turned down an invitation to Manny Pacquiao's birthday party in the Philippines but is being lined up for a less friendly meeting with the world pound-for-pound number one next year.
Hatton met the brilliant little Filipino after his shock victory over Oscar de la Hoya last week, when he went backstage to congratulate him.
And Pacquiao, whose win threw Hatton's own plans to fight de la Hoya out of the window, asked Hatton to join him in his hometown of General Santos City to celebrate his 30th birthday today.
Hatton had to turn down the invitation due to other commitments but the promoters of the two men have already begun talks about a possible May meeting in a Las Vegas ring.
Hatton's lawyer Gareth Williams admitted that de la Hoya's defeat ripped up the script that the two camps had been preparing for a Wembley showdown next summer.
He told M.E.N. Sport: "Manny's victory was a massive shock because we had anticipated Oscar would win.
"Ricky felt Oscar has got his weight wrong but it was an impressive performance by Manny.
"We had already been in discussions with them to put the Ricky v Oscar fight on, so it's back to the drawing board now. A fight with Oscar is no longer a possibility.
"Golden Boy have an interest in Manny, but Manny's promoter Bob Arum has made it no secret that he would like him to fight Ricky."
There has been talk of Pacquiao facing Floyd Mayweather Junior, previously named as the pound-for-pound king, but Pacquiao's trainer Freddie Roach feels Hatton would be a better fight.
As well as being bigger box office than the strangely unpopular Mayweather, the deal is also less political as Hatton's US handler Golden Boy Promotions also holds a stake in Pacquiao.
Roach said: "Hatton is the best fight out there for us right now, money-wise, style-wise. He's a hard guy. He likes to fight.
"It would be a very interesting fight. I think the world would love to see that and Manny always wants to give the world what it wants."
Hatton's trainer Floyd Mayweather Senior blasted back: "If they want Rick, they're going to get Rick and it won't end pretty for them.
"I love this fight for Rick. We will dismantle Pacquiao, guaranteed."
source: manchestereveningnews.co.uk
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