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Last Updated: Tuesday, 7 June 2005, 07:58 GMT 08:58 UK
Big names chase Hatton fight date
By Ben Dirs

Arturo Gatti
The trainers of WBC champion Arturo Gatti and WBO title-holder Miguel Cotto say their men would love a unification bout with new IBF king Ricky Hatton.

"Hatton-Gatti would be a good fight for boxing," Gatti's trainer Buddy McGirt told BBC Sport.

Cotto's father Evangelista said: "It has to happen. We don't know when, but think it's going to happen next year."

WBA champion Vivian Harris has also challenged Hatton, who claimed the IBF belt by beating Kostya Tszyu.

Neither Gatti nor Cotto's trainer ruled out the possibility of fighting Hatton in his home town.

"I would go wherever Arturo wants to go. If Arturo wants to go to Manchester, I don't see a problem," said McGirt.

He proved to be one of the best fighters in the world and our division is definitely the strongest in boxing
WBA champion Vivian Harris

"It's not a problem that Hatton stays in Manchester. He works hard and he's fought everyone that they've put in front of him."

Cotto Sr added: "Anything is possible. It all depends on the situation."

Guyana's Harris told Fightnews.com: "I definitely would love to fight Hatton in a unification bout.

"He proved to be one of the best fighters in the world and our division is definitely the strongest in boxing."

And representatives of American Diego Corrales have also said the WBC and WBO lightweight champion is keen on stepping up in weight and taking on Hatton.

They are eyeing bout on the same card as Joe Calzaghe's projected super-middleweight unification bout against Jeff Lacy in Cardiff in November.

Meanwhile, McGirt and Cotto Sr have baulked at Ring magazine's assertion that Hatton is now the division's undisputed champion.

"I always thought a lot of Ricky Hatton," said McGirt. "But Hatton's got to beat Harris and Arturo before he can claim to be the undisputed light welterweight champion."

Cotto snr said: "Miguel was surprised that Hatton beat Tszyu. He expected Tszyu to dominate the fight.

"But the Ring's decision to call Hatton the undisputed champion doesn't mean anything.

"The real truth will come out in the ring, that's why all these matches are being organised - to have a real champion at the end of the road."

Gatti must beat former lightweight king Floyd Mayweather on 25 June before he can start preparing for a unification bout with Hatton.

And the 33-year-old Canadian is a big underdog against the unbeaten Mayweather, who is considered to be one of the world's best pound-for-pound fighters.

Undefeated Puerto Rican Cotto meets Uzbekistan's Mohamad Abdulaev, who beat him to the gold medal at the 2000 Olympics, on Saturday.

Harris defends his belt against Colombia's Carlos Maussa on the undercard of Gatti-Mayweather.




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Interview: Ricky Hatton



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