Five for Fighting

Ricky Hatton's dad, Ray, has told BBC sport that his son will fight five times in the next two years, twice next year and then three times in 2009. He also says definitively that Junior "The Hitter" Witter will not be Ricky's next opponent. For those of you unaware of Junior Witter, he is a British 140 out of Yorkshire who currently holds the WBC light-welter belt. He's a bit past his best, as they say in the Jolly Old, and he's been angling for an all-England showdown (read: stupid freaky money) with Sir Fatton for years now. For his part, Ricky never has seemed much interested in giving him the time of day, and I must say, I see his point, because I'm not all that bloody well convinced that the 'it Man can 'andle the 'itter.

Junior recently said that he would gladly let Hatton take the lion's share of the money in order to get the fight made, and there no doubt would be a lot of money for this bout in England. But money is clearly not the issue here, especially not after Ricky's big payday with Money May. No, the issue is this - Witter would be a difficult opponent for Hatton, and if, on the heels of his Floyd humiliation, he were to then lose to a fellow Brit who's been calling him yellow for years, well, suddenly the Mancunian masses might turn their attention back to football and the dole. And where would that leave Ricky? Back in the pub, innit. Darts and chips, darts and chips. Fancy a pint? No indeed, I have no doubt that Hatton's next victim will be exactly that - a victim. One wonders if Carlos Maussa is available for a rematch.