Boxing betting: who will Hatton box next?

Despite the boxing lesson handed out to him by Floyd Mayweather, Ricky Hatton has said he will fight on and the bookmakers are licking their lips with the propect of The Hitman getting back into the ring.The patriotic punt on the Manchester born fighter before he took on Mayweather meant that bookmakers were the real winners after the Pretty Boy's tenth round stoppage of the British fighter. Mayweather said after the event that Hatton was a true champion and the 29-year-old will now want to get back into winning ways as he sets his sights on his next opponent. William Hill make Oscar De La Hoya and Junior Witter the 2/1 joint favourties to next take on Hatton but while the interest surrounding a domestic and world unification of the light-welterweight division would appeal to a British audience, Hatton may be looking in the direction of De La Hoya as he seeks to capitalise on his popularity in the world market following the Mayweather fight. De La Hoya was behind the promotion of Undefeated (the Hatton, Mayweather fight) and will fancy his chances against the Hitman who again struggled due to the step up in weight. William Hill would make that fight 5/6 the pair, but if Hatton were to consider going back into the ring with the Pretty Boy then he is a 5/1 outsider after he was made to pay by Mayweather's greater reach and speed in Las Vegas. However the rematch may interest Hatton who would be street savvy to Mayweather's tactics and know that the purse would be as great as the reported £10m he earned for the fight at the MGM Grand. The bookies would certainly be interested in a rematch after their returns on the last fight, although many reported a surge of bets for Mayweather prior to the fight. William Hill had been a best-priced 13/8 about Hatton on the morning of the fight, but were forced into 11/8 after what the firm claim was "the greatest gamble ever on a British sporting figure." "But Mayweather also attracted some big cash," said William Hill spokesman Graham Sharpe. "One London-based customer landed a £94,000 payout after staking £60,000 on the American at 4/7, and another bet of £35,000 landing a payout of £55,000." Hatton is 2/7 to return to his preferred light-welterweight division the next time he fights, and 7/4 to fight next between July and September 2008 and 3/1 to not step into the ring at all next year.