Pacquiao Vs. Hatton?

It seems that the fight between the pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao and the British sensation Ricky 'the Hitman' Hatton, will likely push through, however it may be delayed until next year.

The 29 year old boxer, Hatton plans on retiring after two more fights. The first one will be Paulie Malignaggi in Las Vegas for the IBO and IBF light-welterweight title. His last fight will either be Manny Pacquiao or Oscar de la Hoya at Wembley Stadium in front of 100,000 fans.

"I don't want to go on forever and would have done everything I dreamed off, so two more fights and then I think I'm done," Hatton told BBC Sport.

"In the New Year (2009) I’m hoping to fight either Manny Pacquiao or Oscar de la Hoya at Wembley Stadium in front of 100,000 people and after that I’ll probably retire," he said.

Hatton has a record of 44 wins and only 1 loss which came from the previous pound-for-pound champion Floyd Mayweather, Jr who recently retired from the boxing scene.

Although the fight between the two is sure to be another blockbuster, Manny is not really concerned on who or where he will fight next. During the interview after his latest fight with Diaz, he told reporters that it is all up to Bob Arum, his promoter, to decide who he will face. He said that he is willing to move up to 140 lbs for Hatton.

The other boxers that are being picked to line up against Pacquiao are Edwin Valero, Nate Campbell or Humberto Soto.

Sources said that Bob Arum has completed the deal with Edwin Valero's promoter. The said boxer boasts a 24-0 record wherein all of the wins are via a knockout, with the first 18 done in the first round.

However, it should be noted that the opponents of Valero are said to be weak fighters. This was well noted by Manny Pacquiao when he commented that "All Valero's opponents were tricycle drivers."

Indeed, Edwin Valero may still lack the skill to beat Pacquiao. Sure he has the punching power, but with the speed and defense that Pacman showed in his last fight, Edwin Valero seems to have a slim chance. But if he can land his punches, he will be a dangerous opponent for Pacquiao.