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Former Light Welterweight and Welterweight champion, Ricky Hatton, recently officially retired, think Amir Khan has what it takes to beat Floyd Mayweather Jr., if and when their fight actually materializes and happens. Hatton, besides being a boxing champion not too long ago, knows a thing or two about Mayweather, losing to him in 2007 and later training with his father.

Well, despite Hatton being a former boxing champ, meaning he should be full of pride and arrogance even after the fighting days are over, the Manchester City fan acknowledges that Amir Khan might possess skills and natural gifts that denied him his chance of beating Mayweather four years ago, but will help the Bolton-born boxer on his quest to beat the undefeated American champion.

Hatton came in to the heavily promoted Floyd Mayweather fight with a 43-0 record, as the British media played the whole America vs UK card, creating what was probably the biggest Welterweight fight in nearly a decade. Hatton’s straightforward in your face style won him plenty of points in early rounds, but Mayweather adjusted, and after Joe Cortez (him again) ducking a point from Hatton (unfairly… food for thought) in the sixth, Hatton lost concentration and eventually the fight, getting knocked down twice in the 10th, having Cortez stop the fight.

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Floyd Mayweather immediatly praised Ricky Hatton after the fight – Ricky Hatton is one tough fighter. He is still a champion in my eyes and I’d love to see him fight again.Ricky Hatton is probably one of toughest competitors I’ve faced. I hit him with some big ones but he kept coming and I can see why they call him the ‘Hitman’. Recently, during the build up to the Victor Ortiz fight, Mayweather backed Hatton to enter the Boxing Hall of fame.

With this insider knowledge, Hatton is backing Amir Khan, two months away from his final Light Welterweight (26-1) fight against Lamont Peterson, to beat Floyd Mayweather. Amir is looking sensational and has never looked back from that first-round knockout defeat (2008 against Prescott), he’s won two world titles now at the light-welterweight division. Timothy Bradley would argue about who is in the No. 1 spot but there’s no doubt in my mind that it’s Amir Khan.

Khan’s height (5’10 as opposed to Hatton’s 5’6) and more measured and technical approach in the ring would make him more succesful against Mayweather than he was. Moving up a weight division was difficult for me because I was short. It’s easier when you have height and that’s what Amir will do. He’s maturing and looking bigger with each fight. My style was always 100mph and in your face, whereas that was probably tailor-made for Floyd a little bit. But Amir has a good reach, good hand speed and is always on the move.

Floyd Mayweather handles fighters who come at him at full speed rather well. Just look at Victor Ortiz, who was clearly out of his league in that WBC title fight this month. Khan offers something different, and should his hopes and prayers be answered, will have a chance to prove himself in 2012.

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As with everything Floyd Mayweather, there’s a Manny Pacquiao angle. Not for Amir Khan, who spars with the Pac-Man. For Ricky Hatton, who fought his final career fight against Pacquiao, losing by knockout in the second round. Like Mayweather, Hatton didn’t have too much respect for the World’s number one pound for pound fighter, not as he should have.

The fight pretty much ended Hatton’s career, who waited with the official announcement till this year. Like Mayweather, he also raised doubt about Pacquiao and the Preformance enhancing drugs involvement. I should have made the same blood testing demand as Mayweather did, he said looking back at the fight.