Schaefer back at work trying to make Hatton-Marquez

Speaking with FanHouse's Lem Sattefield, Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer says he's getting back to work trying to set up a fight between Ricky Hatton and Juan Manuel Marquez. Schaefer says that Marquez will defend his lightweight world championship in June on HBO (no opponent named), and he believes Hatton plans to fight this summer in Manchester. Then, says Schaefer, the two could meet in Manchester late in the fall.

Marquez (50-5-1, 37 KO) won the lightweight championship from Joel Casamayor in 2008, and defended it last year in the Fight of the Year against Juan Diaz. He then moved up to welterweight to face Floyd Mayweather Jr., and was easily beaten in September. There were discussions for Marquez to fight Amir Khan on May 15, but it didn't happen.

He's willing to move up to 140 or even "slightly higher" to face Hatton, which is his No. 1 priority right now.

Hatton (45-2, 32 KO) hasn't fought since being knocked out in two rounds last May by Manny Pacquiao.

There is, of course, no guarantee that Marquez and Hatton -- or either -- escapes a summer fight without a loss, which could kill interest in them fighting each other in the fall. Right now, rumors seem to indicate that Juan Diaz would be in the lead to land a rematch with Marquez for June, as Michael Katsidis is set to fight Kevin Mitchell on May 8 in England and there are few other viable options at 135 that HBO would be interested in televising. Marquez-Diaz II could be another fabulous fight, and even with Diaz struggling twice with Paulie Malignaggi in his last two fights (you can argue he should have three straight losses on his sheet, and he's lost three of his last five officially), the momentum of their first bout being named 2009 Fight of the Year across the board is big. There'd be plenty of interest in seeing them match up again.