“I could have had those rules, but I wasn’t bothered,” said Hatton, who has not fought again since losing to Pacquiao 13 months ago. “Maybe in hindsight, I should have done.
“I must admit, I fancied my chances against Manny. A few years ago he was getting knocked down by little men like [Juan Manuel] Marquez, then all of a sudden he is knocking out Oscar de la Hoya, myself and [Miguel] Cotto, who are powerhouses in comparison.
“It is a little bit strange. He could be on what Floyd is accusing him of [performance-enhancing substances], or it could be that he is just a great fighter who has improved. We will never know.”
A fight between the five-weight world champion from the Philippines and Mayweather had been scheduled to take place earlier this year, but was cancelled when Pacquiao refused to accede to demands over Olympic-style, pre-fight blood-testing.
Now the bout could be back on.
In an interview on US television recently, Pacquiao revealed he had asked his mother if he could take one more fight, to which she agreed. That could yet be the fight the boxing world wants, between the two men regarded as the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world.
All it needs is for Mayweather to agree to it, according to Bob Arum, the chief executive of the Top Rank promotions company.
“Manny Pacquiao’s first goal is to get Mayweather in the ring,” Arum was quoted as saying this week. “This drug-testing nonsense – I think it was nonsense but Manny has now agreed.”
Hatton, who at 31 is the same age as Pacquiao, also expects the differences to be ironed out. “Floyd is of the opinion he may possibly be taking something illegal, and that is why he is asking for certain tests to be done,” Hatton said.
“It is a grey area for people, and they are puzzled as to what is going on. They just want to see the fight.
“Manny will say Floyd is running scared of him, asking him to do certain tests, Floyd will say he is guilty. But I think it will happen eventually.”
The Manchester-based Hatton, has been exploring the possibility of setting up an academy for aspiring fighters on these shores during a trip to the UAE this week.
He believes there is untapped potential for the sport here, led by the large expatriate communities from boxing-loving nations such as the UK and Philippines.
However, he had a warning for the Filipino expatriates, predicting that Mayweather would likely prove too strong for their hero if the fight does finally come to pass.
“I would like to think Manny would win, because I have a lot of time for him,” Hatton said. “He is a great man and a great person.
“I think Floyd is too good defensively. He is so hard to hit, and I think he might ultimately just have a few too many tricks up his sleeves for Manny.
“I think they are both greats, no matter what they do now. Whoever won a fight between the two of them would become an all-time great.”
Hatton, who also lost to Mayweather, admitted it would be unlikely that he would return to the ring for a rematch against the winner.
Gareth Williams, the chief executive officer of Hatton’s promotions company, was reported in the UK media yesterday as saying the Mancunian fighter had “unfinished business” in the ring.
However, Hatton scotched that speculation as “paper talk”, and added: “At the minute, I have no desire to come back.”
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