By Ben Dirs

Beating Kostya Tszyu would be a massive boost for Hatton

Amir Khan's heroics at the Athens Olympics brought into sharp focus the shortcomings of the professional game.

Eight million watched Khan's silver-medal performance, conclusive proof that punters will still flock to boxing if offered engaging fare.

Alas, the pro scene has stagnated to such a extent that even Ricky Hatton's normally fanatical support is starting to diminish.

WBU light welterweight champion Hatton, like Celtic world champions Joe Calzaghe and Scott Harrison, has spent the last 12 months treading water.

And promoter Frank Warren must land the "Hitman" a legitimate world title shot next year - hopefully Australia's Kosty Tszyu in the spring - for the sake of his charge and British boxing.

Danny Williams showed the benefits of taking a punt by demolishing Mike Tyson in July.

And despite being overwhelmed by Vitali Klitschko in December, more opportunities should present themselves now he is in the mix at world level.

British and Commonwealth heavyweight champion Matt Skelton and the increasingly enigmatic Audley Harrison may also want to step up in class while age is still on their side.

BIG FIGHTS TO HOPE FOR: Williams v Byrd/Ruiz Eastman v Hopkins Hatton v Tszyu Brodie v Harrison Froch v Reid

Surely 2005 will be the year Howard Eastman, English boxing's most unsung talent, finally gets a shot at middleweight king Bernard Hopkins.

The "Battersea Bomber" has been circling Hopkins for two years now and a tentative date has been set in February. Eastman thoroughly deserves his chance.

Stablemate Junior Witter will also be hustling for a world-title tilt in a bid to upstage his rival Hatton, with WBC champion Arturo Gatti or Floyd Mayweather possible opponents.

At featherweight, it's make or break time for Manchester's Michael Brodie after losing another brutal clash with Korea's Injin Chi in April.

Expect him to tail WBO champion Harrison over the coming months.

It is unlikely Dagenham's European champion Nicky Cook fancies Brodie at this stage, but he may take his first tentative steps on the world stage, as might British welterweight champion David Barnes, a stablemate of Hatton.

Meanwhile, Michael Gomez, another Mancunian, needs to start making waves at super featherweight before his moment passes.

At super middleweight, exciting British and Commonwealth titlist Carl Froch will continue to call out Runcorn's Robin Reid and Belfast's Brian Magee and hope one of them bites.

David Haye bit off more than he could chew when challenging IBO cruiserweight champion Carl Thompson in September, but he will draw comfort from Clinton Woods.

Woods, that boomerang of English boxing, will get a fourth world title shot in 2005 when he fights America's Rico Hoye for the vacant IBF light heavyweight crown.

A victory for the Sheffield bruiser could lead to a fight with Wales' Calzaghe, who has been looking for a foothold in the 175lb ranks for some time now.

As for WBO cruiserweight titlist Johnny Nelson, will this be the year he finally backs up his boasts and fights the rest of the best in his division?

While everyone will be keeping tabs on Khan in 2005, Dagenham featherweight Kevin Mitchell and Barnet light middleweight Darren Barker are two paid fighters to follow.

Mitchell, an ABA champion at 18, has already scored five first-round knockouts in 11 starts and could fight for his first title.

Barker, a Commonwealth champion in 2002, narrowly missed out on the Olympics. He has had two pro wins so far and will aim to make an impression on the domestic scene in the coming months.