2008-02-27 11:03:02 UTC
Ricky Hatton is set to take Juan Lazcano on May 24th at the the City of Manchester Stadium, or Wembley Stadium a week later. Hatton is hoping that IBF light-welter champ, Paulie Malignaggi will fight on the undercard with the anticipation of a possible title clash at New York's Madison Square Garden sometime in the autumn of this year.
Sporting Life is reporting that negotiations between Hatton and Malignaggi are now at an advanced stage. If Malignaggi falls through, then Ricky's father and business manager, Ray Hatton, has a back-up plan for a fight with the WBO Champ, Ricardo Torres.
Quoted by SportingLife.com, Ray Hatton stated: "Malignaggi is the favourite at the moment if we can come to an agreement. We are very, very close but we don't rule out going the other way and going Torres in Las Vegas."