Boxing: Hatton Back in Two Months After Surgery

Ricky Hatton has been told he could return to training in only two months after successful plastic surgery to repair the facial damage sustained in his world light-welterweight title unification fight against Carlos Maussa.

After Hatton had stopped the Colombian in the ninth round to add the World Boxing Association belt to the International Boxing Federation title he already held, it was predicted he would face a long break after sustaining gashes over both eyes. But the 27-year-old champion's father and manager Ray Hatton said yesterday his son should be able to go ahead with a planned defence of his titles in May.

"Richard had the operation only an hour and a half after he left the ring," he said. "The worst cut was the one over his left eye, but the surgeon said he may as well have the same procedure on both cuts while he was there. Because he was able to operate so quickly, the surgeon is saying the healing will be quick, perhaps only six weeks."

Hatton and his father have been invited to Las Vegas as guests of the US cable station HBO this weekend to watch the world middleweight title rematch between Jermain Taylor and Bernard Hopkins, and Hatton will have several meetings to assess his options.

Hatton's opponent is likely to be the former WBC champion Arturo Gatti. The 35-year-old Canadian is not the fighter he once was, and lost his WBC crown to Floyd Mayweather in July. But his rumbustious style, not dissimilar to Hatton's, would make for a thrilling fight. "The money they are talking about is astronomical," said Ray Hatton. "More than anything we have ever seen before."

Hatton is believed to have earned £1.5m from Saturday's fight and may be being offered more than twice that to face Gatti, but Ray Hatton added: "We don't need to be rushed into anything. Now Richard has two belts, the rest are coming looking for him."