Hatton Picks May for Return to Ring Against Lazcano

Ricky Hatton has vowed to come back "stronger, wiser and better" from his 10th-round knockout defeat against Floyd Mayweather in December and will return to the ring either at the City of Manchester Stadium on May 24 or Wembley on May 31 to defend his IBO world light-welterweight title against the 32-year-old Juan Lazcano of the United States.

Lennox Lewis's former manager Frank Maloney is being brought in as a one-off by Hatton to promote the event, which Hatton promises will not be held in the early hours of Sunday morning, as has become the norm for major British fights to accommodate US television schedules. Instead the fight will be on Saturday evening to guarantee a massive British audience.

If he wins, Hatton, 29, is poised to sign a three-fight deal with the powerful US cable television network HBO, which is likely to begin with Hatton topping the bill in autumn at New York's Madison Square Garden, probably against the popular Italian-American Paulie Malignaggi.

"I have never been in this solely for money. It has always been about challenges," said Hatton, a Manchester City fan. "I've gone past all my wildest dreams in boxing. The last few things I want to do are to top the bill at the world's greatest football ground, the City of Manchester Stadium, I want to top the bill at Madison Square Garden and I would like another crack at Floyd.

"HBO wanted me straight back in America, but I insisted on fighting in England for the fans. There were more than 30,000 of them in Las Vegas when I fought Floyd, and only a few thousand were able to get in to watch. So I owe them the chance to see me. I'll be damned if the last fight I have is me lying flat on my back."

Hatton played down any immediate possibility of a domestic showdown against his British rival, the WBC light-welterweight champion, Junior Witter. He conceded it was wise "to never say never" but added: "I'm not saying the fight won't happen. It'll happen, if it happens, when I want it. I don't need Junior Witter. Junior Witter needs me."