Pacquiao vs. Hatton

BRITISH SUPERSTAR RICKY HATTON wants to end his fight career by taking on either Filipino ring icon Manny Pacquiao or charismatic Oscar de la Hoya early next year.

That is, if Paulie Malignaggi won’t step aside in their showdown for the IBO and IBF light welterweight title and allow a megabuck Hatton-Pacquiao showdown in November.

In an interview with BBC Sport, the 29-year-old Hatton said he will fight twice more before hanging up his gloves against either Pacquiao or De la Hoya at Wembley Stadium, where he hopes to lure 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,” the 29-year-old Hatton said.

After wresting the World Boxing Council lightweight crown of David Diaz on Saturday, Pacquiao announced his preference to challenge Hatton in the 140-pound division.

Malignaggi, however, insists Pacquiao will have to wait until 2009 to get a crack at Hatton, who enjoys a huge following in Britain.

“I’ve heard talk that I could step aside for Pacquiao, but I don’t see the necessity for that,” Malignaggi told Edwin Anderson of Mirror.co.uk. “There’s no need for me to take step-aside money. I’m going to fight Ricky Hatton in the fall.

“This is the opportunity I’ve been waiting for and if I took step-aside money, I’d basically be selling out and not giving myself the opportunity I’ve always craved.”

If Malignaggi remains adamant, Pacquiao will defend his 135-pound title against Venezuelan knockout artist Edwin Valero on Nov. 8 in the United States.