Malaki ang tiwala ni Ricky Hatton na tatalunin niya si Manny Pacquiao habang nagpaplano ito ng isang Caribbean cruise bago siya magsimula ng kanyang 12-week training sa inaabangang laban sa May 2 sa Las Vegas.
Kahapon nagdaos ng press conference si Hatton sa Village Hotel sa Ashton Under Lyne na malapit sa Manchester upang ihayag ang kanyang pagnanais na makaharap si Pacquiao at tanghaling bagong pound-for-pound champion.
Muling kinuha ni Hatton, na itataya ang kanyang IBO lightwelterweight crown laban kay Pacquiao sa MGM Grand, si Floyd Mayweather Sr. upang magsanay sa kanya kasama si Lee Beard.
Natutuwa ang Briton na magaganap ang laban, matapos ang ilang linggong pagdududa sanhi ng hatian ng premyo. At para sa dalawang boksingero, kikita sila ng hindi bababa sa tig-$15M kada isa.
“With the on-off, on-off nature of last week, I was devastated. Finally it came to a head last week and I said to my dad (Ray Hatton, his manager) and my lawyer Gareth Williams that if it was not on by (last) weekend, we would have to call it off,” wika niya sa British press.
“I really needed to know in my mind who I was fighting because the whole family are just about to go on our annual cruise - we’re off to the Caribbean - until mid February before I start a 12-week training camp with Floyd (Mayweather Sr) and Lee Beard.
“I will be speaking to Floyd shortly, but it looks like I’ll go to Vegas for eight weeks this time before I fight,” dagdag ni Hatton, na umaasa ng panalo na maaaring patungo sa rematch niya kay semi-retired Floyd Mayweather Jr..