Pacquiao confirmed he would be keen to take on the Manchester 'Hitman' after dominating a slow De La Hoya with speed and accuracy from beginning to end, scoring an eighth-round technical knockout victory at the MGM Grand.
He told Sky : "My job is to fight in the ring, (arranging opponents) is the promoter's job.
"I can fight any time, anywhere. I can go to England to fight Hatton, no problem."
The prospect of Hatton and Pacquiao going head to head would capture the imagination of the British boxing public, and reports indicate Wembley could stage the fight in around six months' time. Hatton's father, Ray, has already confirmed the London stadium is one of several venues under consideration for the prospective light-welterweight clash.
Holding the fight in the UK would appeal to the legions of supporters who have spent a small fortune following Hatton in the United States, and the gate receipts from a Wembley clash would be vast. Hatton might also gain some advantage from having a home crowd behind him, and he is apparently relishing the prospect of taking on Pacquiao, who turns 30 - Hatton's age - later this month.
Hatton said: "Manny's proved again that he's pound-for-pound the number one in the sport and I still might get my dream of becoming the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world."
If promoters can arrange the fight, Hatton would expect one of the toughest contests of his career.
Pacquiao's confidence is soaring, and having started his career at light flyweight, his achievement in moving through the weights and remaining a formidable fighter has convinced him he can take on anyone. It was a dazzling display against De La Hoya by the world's best pound-for-pound fighter, who mixed right jabs with straight lefts and completely overwhelmed the 35-year-old 'Golden Boy'.
De La Hoya's left eye started to swell in the third round and became more and more bruised as the bout went on.
"After that first round, I felt confidence," Pacquiao said. "He was swinging for the big shot. After the second round when I heard the bell ring, I thought, 'I got him'. He was just looking for one shot."
Pacquiao completely dominated the seventh round, nearly knocking De La Hoya down on more than one occasion with multiple combinations. Referee Tony Weeks would have been justified in stopping the fight and the ring doctor warned De La Hoya he would not let him take much more punishment.
De La Hoya continued to get pummelled and looked defeated as he strolled back to his corner at the end of the eighth.
His team decided that the fight should not continue just before the ninth round was set to begin.
Pacquiao's promoter Bob Arum favours a clash with Hatton for his boxer's next challenge.
"I know Ray (Hatton)," he said. "We'll sit down, we'll talk, that's probably the most logical fight to be made - Manny against Ricky Hatton at 140lb.
"Obviously Manny would want to fight at 140 and so would Ricky. That's probably number one on the drawing board. But let the kid have a great Christmas and New Year, and then we'll sit down to business."
source: telegraph.co.uk
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