Boxing: Hatton is ready to Weather the storm.

Byline: By MARK STANIFORTH

RICKY HATTON is ready to throw his best-laid plans out of the window and jump straight into a career-defining super-fight with Floyd Mayweather.

Hatton's camp insist they would welcome a call from the WBC light-welterweight champion, who saw his own intended showdown with former welterweight king Zab Judah fall through this week.

Judah was surprisingly beaten by Colombian opponent Carlos Baldomir at the weekend, voiding a previous agreement for him to meet Mayweather in a big-money match-up later this year.

Hatton's father and business manager Ray is still sifting through offers to stage the Manchester "Hitman's" first trans-Atlantic title defence in late April or early May.

Ray Hatton said: "The Mayweather fight has been on the cards ever since Ricky beat Kostya Tszyu - and if someone came along and said 'Here is the Mayweather fight' we would take it.

"We are very close to finalising a deal for his next fight now, but what we do know is that Ricky is going to be fighting in America in either April or May."

Mayweather's uncle and trainer Roger has indicated his charge will now turn his attention to Hatton, saying: "They're the best in their division, so it adds up.

"Floyd wants it, and people are trying to make it."

Meanwhile, Dennis Hobson has now emerged as the favourite to promote Hatton's next fight in association with an unnamed American p romoter.