Khan: I'd fight Hatton

Hitman fight excites Bolton fighter

Last updated: 1st June 2009   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Khan: I'd fight Hatton

Friend or foe: Khan is keen on fighting Hatton (Paul Speak)

It would be a brilliant fight for the fans to see but we have to leave that to the promoters. It would be a brilliant fight because of our styles.

Amir Khan on Ricky Hatto
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Amir Khan has completed a u-turn by claiming he would now be interested in fighting Ricky Hatton.

Khan, who will face Ukrainian Andreas Kotelnik for the WBA light-welterweight title on June 27, had previously denied that he would fight the Hitman.

However having seen Hatton come unstuck against Manny Pacquiao, he has now switched his stance.

Khan, who spars with Pacquiao and is trained by Freddie Roach, told The Daily Telegraph: "It would be a brilliant fight for the fans to see but we have to leave that to the promoters. It would be a brilliant fight because of our styles.

"I'm a boxer, he's a pressure fighter. But we'll leave it to the promoters. If it doesn't come off, it does not bother me."

Hatton has yet to decide on his future plans following that second-round knockout - but there is little doubt over the financial lure of a fight with his fellow Lancastrian.

Problems

First up for Khan, though, is his world title showdown with Kotelnik at London's O2 Arena.

Kotelnik has lost just twice in his career - close decisions to Bradford's Junior Witter and Souleymane M'Baye - and beat Welshman Gavin Rees for the WBA belt.

However Khan is confident he can achieve his dreams of becoming world champion.

Khan said: "This fight with Kotelnik is a big night for me, the fight I've been working towards for my whole life.

"Kotelnik does just enough to win a fight, and does enough to give fighters problems. It's going to be a hell of a fight, and we are ready for it.

"I'm ready. It's four years since I became a professional, I'm training with a great coach, one of the best in the world, in one of the best gyms in the world. Stepping up from lightweight to light-welterweight, I'm going to be a lot stronger, making the weight a lot easier, and holding my power."

Comments (64)

Jonny Oates says...

Shut the hell up all u weird non boxing watching idiots. Ricky Hatton has lost twice to the best 2 fighters of his generation and is our greatest boxer of this generation!! Calzaghe fought has beens and never was beens, Khan lost to a no hope slugger and got knocked down by two journey men. Witter well dont get me started, typical all mouth no substance 'yeh il knock ricky out even though i lost to 2 fighters not in his class' who else lewis?? lost to who what were when why Rahman, Jonny Yaaaaaawn Nelson, Prince oooooops i get knocked down but cant get up again hamed?? Ricky is a 2 weight numerous times world 'British legend champion'. Hatton should fight Khan, mainly due to the fact that a below par ricky hatton destroyed the so called next big thing in malinaggi and a pumped up hatton in front of a manchester/english crowd would produce a tszu like performance. KAHN DONT MAKE ME LAUGH!!!! even against barrera he only won due to a clash of heads. An old pro like barrera would of destroyed khan if he could have seen out of 2 eyes!!! If Amirs got balls he should take a rematch with presscott then talk about average fighters like witter, beat a few of them then maybe he could fight a legend like ricky!!!!

Posted 00:07 16th June 2009

Malkit Singh says...

Khan is not going to win because he just isn't strong enough, come on you hatton!

Posted 21:31 14th June 2009

John Simpson says...

Why cant Khan fight Murray and stop being a chicken!!!

Posted 12:16 14th June 2009

Lawrence Doof says...

i hope ricky doesnt take this fight because i dont think he will win his best days have been and gone but i think its a bit embassing that kahn wants to fight hatton after this loss when he went on record before saying he would'nt fight him he should be aiming for the guys at the top. willie limond has a terrible knockout record and still managed to put this guy down thats. whats the point having speed when one good punch puts u on the canvas

Posted 18:02 13th June 2009

Elliot Schreiber says...

Hatton Would Kill Kahn Without A Doubt !

Posted 12:09 13th June 2009

Terence Scannell says...

Hang on a minute everyone! Let Hatton take on Presscott. If Hatton is the hands down fighter some of you claim he is then Presscott will KO him. Hatton is still young and has fought some of the best if not greatest fighters in the world, Kosta Zyu! for example. Memories are short when a fighter gets beat. As for the guy that said Calzaghe only fought has beens get a life, he tried for years to get to the USA and when he did he delivered! I was there in Vegas against Hopkins and believe me close up Calzaghe battered him. Back to the original Point Hatton is a legend and fearless. All he has to do is beat Presscott and then we will see what Khan has to say. Hatton to win on points split decision Thats only my opinion

Posted 06:28 5th June 2009

Dan Goddard says...

Khan got KO'd by an unknown, and he is not fit to carry Hattans spit bucket!

Posted 23:30 4th June 2009

Mike Southwell says...

i think hatton should give khan this fight. it would be great 4 british boxing. if hatton wins which is the most likely outcome but not a guarantee then he can retire on a high note. a fitting end 2 a fantastic career. if khan wins which is not an impossibility because hes got in my opinion the best trainer in the world in freddie roach and is definetely the future of british boxing then it will like ricky passing the torch over to khan and saying good luck son. And i think khan would win if the fight happened , sorry ricky but khan is on the way up and your best fights are behind u. Hatton is a ring legend but Amir khan is the next legend. But ... THERES ONLY 1 RICKY HATTON.. WALKING ALONG SINGING A SONG WALKING IN A HATTON WONDERLAND !!!!

Posted 20:37 4th June 2009

Sean Monroe says...

Firstly we dont know what would have happend in the fight with barrera. The cut on his head that night was the deepest cut i have seen in a while in boxing and i think its an absolute joke that amir khan had all this praise after he beat a guy who was 35 and probably finished, had a massive cut in his head. Khan caught barrera about a million times and didnt hurt him....barrera caught amir once briefly and shook him....when people talk about pacman and hatton fight they forget that pacman is probably the 2nd best fighter in the world after mayweather. Hes an unbelievable fighter. Regardless of the way hatton fights, khan would be destroyd! For boxing skills yes he aint that bad a fighter but his chin is really weak and i still think he would be battered by prescott again. Hatton is an amazing fighter who mayb has had to many fights and been around too much.....he would still destroy khan tho

Posted 13:17 3rd June 2009

Duncan Clark says...

Name me a champ in the division who is weaker than Kotelnik??? NONE!!! Khan is touted as this and that he has never fought anyone of stature at least not when they are at their prime! He was knocked out EASILY by Prescott and the fact that anyone rate's him alongside Hatton is unbelievable!! He was beaten by Mayweather and Pacquiao no shame in that, Khan wouldn't have made it past the 1st round against those 2! Don't get me wrong Khan may get better, however he is not the king evryone thinks he is, and if he can't beat Kotelnik he may as well give up because Kotelnik is the worst champion at the weight I have ever seen!

Posted 12:50 3rd June 2009

Jav F says...

Khan has some way to go before Hatton, I'm not sure he's asking for a fight just thinks it would be good. Generally all true boxing fans would think that. Hattons a great fighter, just lost to two awesome fighters, nothing wrong with that. Khan has allot to prove, he knows that and I'm sure he'll put on a display in his next fight. A question for all true boxing fans, does any one know what happened to Briedes Prescott?? Let me tell you he hasn't done much. Khan should have beaten him then and with Roach behind him he would destroy him now. Theirs no sense in a re match for a boxer like Khan. Boxing is a business as well as a sport, no revenge missions in this game. It was lesson that Khan needed, and i'm sure he's learnt and become much better.

Posted 12:02 3rd June 2009

Mark Oxtoby says...

in my opinion , khan should fight ricky hatton because as boxers its about your legacy and courage. khan will go on to great things i believe and when he gets to the top that is when he has to callout prescott again and put right the blemish on his record. as for ricky his own undoing will be himself. i love ricky hatton as a pro but he doesnt listen to the people who make you the boxer you are. he treats his body wrong between fights and then doesnt listen to the people he hires, recipe for disaster and he paid the price twice. floydmaywether and pac-man are a great example of boxers who have devoted their life to a great sport and have achieved great things because of this, a fight between them will be spectactular and a real treat but i do think pac-man would win, why? floyd has said that money and power is his fuel and the whole camp boasts about their greatness and what they will achieve, to much of this and you start to lose sight of the real goal and beleiving your own hype and pac-man is a warrior who just wants to fight and prove himself to us all. pac-man is a great role model to kids and adults on how to overcome even the hardest of tests and come out the otherside fighting and smiling. ricky vs khan would be a great fight but ricky has to change in himself to win or khan will ko him just as quick as pac-man did. good luck to you both and keep representing uk boxing to the full.

Posted 10:29 3rd June 2009

G Man says...

Khan would win, no doubt about it, too fast and too technical for hatton !

Posted 08:34 3rd June 2009

Jamie C says...

to be honest, i wouldnt like to see hatton get in the ring with khan because i think khans speed would be too much for hatton. khan will be quicker, better stamina. but i would like to see hatton knock his head off to shut khan up. but then again, i think hatton might get beat by khan. hatton should retire now, get into promoting or train boxers. or take 1 easy fight to finish with a win

Posted 06:13 3rd June 2009

Hussain Ali says...

first of all if this potential fight did happen i can see khan outclassing hatton, hel use the ring and invite hatton forward and then make him miss make him pay,hel be too quick, we all know ricky cant box and has absolutley no defence skills watsoever, hatton is not hard to beat, money mayweather took him to school and so did pacman with the same repetitive mistakes hatton made, and now its time for ricky to go, the cold hearted truth is that ricky simply is not good enough, he doesnt have the xfactor, the mexican fighters and american fighters are head and shoulders above the rest

Posted 03:03 3rd June 2009

Yas Khan says...

Amir Khan should show some respect to hatton, hatton unlike fighters like joe calzaghe went out and fought the best in there prime.Hatton losses came from two of the best fighters on the planet and he will always have that respect that he did not avoid them.And now when the lion looks weak the pretender wants to take him out and i feel its not befitting for khan to challenge hatton but to magnify hatton as a true legend and a peoples champ.s

Posted 02:46 3rd June 2009

Josh Hooley says...

Amir Kahn is so overated. He has been bigged up but he has thought nobodys that make him look good. He has thought 2 good people the first good person he thought knocked him out in the first minute, the second Berrera was a very good boxer and if the clash of heads wouldnt have happend Berrera would have wiped the floor with him. Kahn should fight Berrera again first. But although KAhn is overated i still believe that with his pace he would beat the hitman although i am a big ricky hatton fan. Depends is kahn skilled enough under the intense pressure of Ricky i dont know the fight could go both ways but i would love to watch it.

Posted 22:18 2nd June 2009

Stevie Boy says...

ive read alot of comments on here, and agree with a few points- firstly Hatton shoud'nt retire he just needs a good trainer- and should listen to him- maybe enzo calzaghe??!! during the pacman fight mayweather snr kept telling rick to- put his hands up! as he knows ricky has no defense! same old ricky walks in hands down and trys to bully pacman- same thing happen with mayweather- ricky got bored of boxing and got text booked!!- The problem with Amir is everyone around him is pumping him up telling him hes the next big thing etc etc and hes starting to believe it - hence him calling out hatton. If amir wants respect - he should go and fight prescott! i wonder why he hasnt? maybe daddy roach hasn't figured out prescotts secret formula yet? or maybe hes just protecting his fighter as he knows prescott would k.o him. i am a big ricky fan - but think of it this way- hatton has no defence and wont be able to block khans 100 punches per second- but if ricky catches amir once - its game over!! same thing with pacman- ricky never really caught him- pacman was too well prepared- and i belive khan will be too- one thing people have to remember- khan boxes hatton doesnt! Khan is defo overated and should fight prescott!

Posted 15:09 2nd June 2009

Jack Jones says...

Most of the comments below are absurd criticizing Khan... Newsflash everyone Pacquaio the pound for pound champion believes Khan is the fastest boxer he has ever sparred with! SPEED KILLS! im sorry to say but Khan's speed would be too much for Hatton...and it would sadly end Ricks career,Khan is a talented skillful boxer who is able to outbox Hatton..but Hatton is by no means a Boxer he is a brawler, the only chance Hatton would win this is by a happy go lucky hook or uppercut. It seems to me Khan is still recieving alot of hate we should be getting behind him! But he should be focussing on Kotelnik and talk about the likes of Hatton etc after he wins!

Posted 15:07 2nd June 2009

Adrian Barrass says...

Will anybody give me ten to one on Hatton beating khan hit man will knock khan round like a rag doll .khan should not be put in the same building as Ricky Hatton never mined the same ring .I suppose it will get a lot of people out of the credit crunch just put your money on the MAN HIT MAN HATTON go get him RICKY show him the proper white hope not the pretender

Posted 14:33 2nd June 2009

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