The WBC have told Manny Pacquiao he'll become their number one contender at 140lbs if he beats Ricky Hatton.
Sulaiman hands Filipino an incentive
World Boxing Council president Jose Sulaiman says that if Manny Pacquiao defeats Ricky Hatton at the MGM Grand, he'll become number one contender for the WBC's light-welterweight title.
Hatton-Pacquiao is scheduled for May 2. But there's no may, if or but, in what Sulaiman declared.
He stressed: "Let me tell you if he (Manny) beats Ricky Hatton, he will be number one and official challenger of the WBC for the title of the super-lightweight division."
In a letter to the WBC, and following his welterweight triumph against a depleted Oscar De La Hoya, Pacman relinquished his lightweight title to concentrate on trying to win the light-welterweight crown.
To date Pacquiao has had 18 WBC world title and international title contests, starting at flyweight, and reaching up to lightweight.
But to take his next giant step, he must first try to get past the pride of Manchester, who will be out to put a sizeable dent in the Filipino's ambition.
Sulaiman: "I think Ricky Hatton is a great fighter. He can beat anybody of his weight. But I believe the same thing about Manny Pacquiao. Manny is a great fighter, and he can defeat boxers of different divisions. As simple as that! He's a type of Henry Armstrong!"
He also stressed it will be a question of which style is the more dominant.
He explained: "Ricky Hatton comes into the ring to win. He moves forward, throws combinations of four or five punches and then he hugs the rival and stops him from countering.
"That is a very different style to defeat. Mayweather didn't let him do that. So it depends on Manny."
Current WBC light-welterweight champion Timothy 'Desert Storm' Bradley won the belt, and took a bow, after defeating Junior Witter in Nottingham. Witter is currently ranked number two in the WBC's ratings list, one place above Hatton.
Venezuelan Edwin Valero and Antonio Pitalua of Colombia, will fight for the vacant WBC lightweight title in San Antonio, Texas on April 4. Pacquiao won it by defeating David Diaz on June 28 last year.
