Ricky Hatton talking to Juan Manuel Marquez about comeback bout?

Richard Schaefer of Golden Boy Promotions has said that Ricky Hatton is in the early stage of talks with Juan Manuel Marquez concerning a fight between the pair.

Manchester has been touted as the possible venue for any clash though no date has been mentioned.

Talking to the Ring Online (owned by GBP, one must point out), Schaefer said, “I’m going to be talking to the Hattons. And Marquez wants to do it. We’ll see if we can get it done.”

Hatton developed a good relationship with the American promoters and the Golden Boy himself was often seen by Hatton's side in his trips Stateside, especially in the long run up to his losing scrap with Floyd Mayweather Jr.

A source close to Team Hatton told me during my visit to see David Haye in Nuremberg that he was almost certain that Ricky would fight again.  If so, I had always assumed it would be a very winnable farewell fight at Manchester City's ground against the likes of Steve Forbes.

Juan Manuel Marquez does not fit this bill at all and would probably be a betting favourite anywhere other than Hatton-mad England.  Although he was stood on his head by Mayweather in September (in a welterweight match which massively favoured the American), it was only March 2008 when he took current force of nature Manny Pacquiao to a second split decision down at super-featherweight.

A fight like this would give emergent Hatton Promotions considerable bargaining power with domestic television companies; if Ricky is seriously contemplating this match perhaps that has something to do with it as he could fill out Eastlands with a far easier and still credible opponent.