The management of `Vicious' Vivian Harris has commenced negotiations with the handlers of former lightweight champion `Pretty Boy' Floyd Mayweather and Ricky Hatton for a possible October showdown with the WBA junior welterweight champion.
From his Florida home yesterday, Harris confirmed that his next fight will be on July 31 but declared that his team is working on a fight against the American Mayweather or English-born Hatton for October.
"I'll be fighting on July 31 on Showtime and defending my title but we don't have an opponent as yet. After that it should be either Hatton or Mayweather in October."
Mayweather will flex his newly-acquired junior welterweight muscles this Saturday against DeMarcus Corley in Altantic City, New Jersey.
Harris envisages battling the slick Mayweather or Hatton would not be a walk in the park but expressed confidence of topping them.
"It could be either of them. I really don't care; Mayweather or Hatton. I can fight one in July and the other in October. They are being hyped and once they are being hyped I want to fight them and when I beat them I want no excuses," the WBA champion said. A fight with either of the two has the potential to be Harris's biggest pay day topping the US$300,000 he collected for his last contest in the ring.
Harris said his management wanted him to focus on the October fight, but he was able to persuade them for him to take a fight in July. "I want to remain active. I told management that and they decided that we take the July 31 fight. I'm back in the gym I'm feeling fine and I just want to do what Vivian Harris does best and that is to whip all of them. I'll whack them good."
His opponent for the July bout should be known by the time he leaves for Guyana next Tuesday. The once-defeated Guyanese plans opening camp on June 1.
Harris, who will turn 26 on June 17, made the second successful defence of the title on April 17 when he defeated German Oktay Urkal in Berlin.