Hatton opponent named at long last by British Boxing Mar 23rd 2006

Ricky Hatton will challenge New Yorker Luis Collazo for the World Boxing Association welterweight title at the 17,000 seater TD Banknorth Garden in Boston May 13. Hatton will be challenging for his third world championship in as many fights as he begins his quest for American superstardom. This will be his first fight at welterweight. “It's an unbelievable fight for me,” said a delighted Hatton. “I get the opportunity here to become a double-weight world champion and the owner of three world titles. I'm challenging an American champion for a WBA title in America against a good, young, class-act southpaw. Then there's the added challenge of moving up 7lbs to welterweight. It is a real fight, a real title and a real opponent and I can't wait to show the Americans what I can do.” The event, which will feature a top class undercard as well as have a sister show headlined by IBF light heavyweight king Clinton Woods, will be promoted by Hatton's promoters Fight Academy and Banner Promotions in association with Collazo's promoter, Don King. The Foxwoods Casino will sponsor the event. Hatton said: “I feel very lucky to be fighting for yet another major belt and I want to thank Dennis Hobson, Art Pelullo, Robert Waterman and the entire team for getting me this chance. How many fighters, even very good fighters, don't even get the chance to fight for one proper world title? And I've got the chance to win three major world titles in three fights. “It's funny, just a couple of years ago we were reading that ‘Ricky Hatton is afraid to step up to world level' and ‘Ricky Hatton won't leave Manchester' but I think we've heard the last of that now.” Collazo's WBA belt is the second world title opportunity Fight Academy have delivered for ‘the Hitman', having already matched the Manchester marauder with WBA junior welterweight champion Carlos Maussa in Sheffield, England, in their previous fight with Ricky last November. Fight Academy's Dennis Hobson said: “When Ricky came to Fight Academy last November we promised to deliver big fights and that's what we are doing. We've had a little bit of bad luck with this May date, with opponents getting other offers, opponents getting injured on top of a bit of court room and political drama here and there but, in the end, we've pulled off a major coup and got Ricky a second title chance in our two fights with him. “For the record, it took Ricky's ex-promoter 39 fights to deliver a world recognised championship for Ricky - and Ricky had to hold him almost at gun point for him to deliver that one. “We've delivered two WBA world title fights in our two events thus far as the promoters for Ricky Hatton. “And for this fight against Collazo, Ricky will be making over three times what he did for the Kostya Tszyu fight last summer. “On May 13, Fight Academy will present more genuine titles on a single night than Ricky's ex-promoter will probably deliver for all of his fighters in 2005 and 2006 combined. We will be releasing full details of the other world title fights at our press conference next week but I can add that Kevin McBride, the man who ended Mike Tyson‘s career, will be taking on Chesterfield‘s Mark Krence on the Boston undercard.”

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