The chances of a British super-fight between Ricky Hatton and Bradford's Junior Witter appear further away than ever.

Hatton is planning a triumphant homecoming after elevating himself among his generation's pound-for-pound greats with a crushing win over Jose Luis Castillo.

Talks are already under way for Hatton to headline a stadium show in either Manchester or London later this year after almost 10,000 travelling fans roared him on at the Thomas & Mack Center.

Hatton insists only the very biggest names will fit the bill for the remainder of his career, but it seems that WBC light-welterweight champion Witter is not part of the Hitman's' fight-plan.

Hatton said: "There are a lot of big fights out there and ultimately my main goal is Floyd Mayweather because he is regarded as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world.

"I think that win and the manner in which I did it sets up fights against the likes of Mayweather, Miguel Cotto and Paulie Malignaggi.

"There are a lot of good fights out there and I want to be fighting world champions and the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world."

Witter - who is due to defend his title in late summer against former champion Vivian Harris - has regularly thrown down the gauntlet to his domestic rival.

He said on the eve of the Castillo fight: "Once Ricky has got rid of Castillo there will be no better fight out there for him than me.

"Nobody really cares about the other champions out there and the likes of Mayweather have moved up in weight or are threatening retirement. It would be the ideal homecoming fight for Ricky."

Tantalisingly, Hatton said last September that a match-up could be made: "It is a fight Junior and I have always wanted. I don't see why, if Junior makes a couple of defences, I can't fight him."

But it appears the odds of that happening are lengthening by the day, with money a major factor.

Now that Hatton is back in the Americans' good books, he can command bigger paydays than ever before, and with mega-money match-ups with Mayweather and Oscar De La Hoya moving a step closer, the Manchester ace will force Witter to bide his time at the back of the queue.