Hatton targets Hall of Fame win

Ricky Hatton believes the 2007 will be the year where he books his ticket to the Boxing Hall of Fame. If every boy who laces the gloves dreams of becoming a world champion, world champions dream of the institution in Canastota, New York.

At present, Scot Ken Buchanan and Ulsterman Barry McGuigan are the only Britons to be inducted into the Hall of Fame while still drawing breath. But Hatton believes his next fight – should he win - will at least entitle him to consideration from Canastota.

At a press conference in his hometown of Manchester Monday, the Hitman confirmed his June 23 clash with Mexican icon Jose Luis Castillo at the 17,000 capacity Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, and Hatton vowed a win worthy of remembrance.

“I’ve taken some criticisms for my last performance,” Hatton said of his easy but somewhat unsatisfying decision over Juan Urango last month. “But in any long career you can’t expect to be at your very, very best every single time. And Jose Luis Castillo is a fight where both of us will have to be at our absolute bests if we don’t want the sh*t kicked out of us.

“I don’t take a backwards step and neither does he so I think this fight will be one of the best in a good few years.”

Hatton, 42-0 (30), admitted that the former two time lightweight king was perhaps the biggest challenge of his life.

However, the two-division world champion and reigning IBO junior welterweight champion added that he is relishing mixing it with another pound-for-pound talent.

He said: “I’ve beaten one legend in Kostya Tszyu and instead of fighting old men, has-beens or whatever, I then fought other champions in my next three fights. I think beating the likes of Carlos Maussa, Luis Collazo and Juan Urango does look good on my CV. But I think beating Jose would be just as good as the Tszyu win and I think it will be an even bigger and better fight.

“When I beat Kostya Tszyu I beat one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world and Jose undoubtedly falls into that category as well. You become a great fighter by fighting great fighters and Jose is one of them.

“If I win in June, I think I’ll have justified myself as a Hall of Famer, although I leave that decision to others.”