Since Filipino sensation Manny Pacquiao put on a master class in beating the Golden Boy of boxing Oscar De La Hoya on December 6th, it seemed inevitable who Pacquiao would take on next. Britain's Ricky Hatton had already lined up a summer spectacular against Oscar De La Hoya, who was widely expected to beat the smaller Pacquiao.
Everyone expected Pacquiao to fill that void and take on Hatton instead. After all it was a match that made much more sense; both fighters preferred weight at this time is the light welterweight limit of 140lbs and their aggressive styles seemed to ensure a fabulous contest. Negotiations between both camps initially appeared to be going smoothly with some rumours a verbal 50/50 deal was agreed. A May 2 date was mooted and Las Vegas appeared to have won the bidding to stage this fantastic matchup between two of the most exciting and well supported boxers in the sport of boxing.
Alas, it was not to be. Today, it was officially announced - crucially from parties on both sides of the negotiations - that the May 2 fight was now off and both fighters were looking at other options. For the sport of boxing this is undoubtedly a huge blow. With UFC gaining popularity, boxing needs to make these big fights happen to keep it's lead over the MMA franchise, which seems to continually be gaining momentum. Fights like Pacquiao vs. Hatton are also the sort of fights that boxing needs to attract new fans; this would have seen both fighters in their prime, in a real pick 'em fight rather than the usual tirade of a young unbeaten champion against an experienced but limited opponent.
