It's finally official. IBF/WBA jr. welterweight world champion Ricky “Hitman” Hatton, 40-0 with 30 knockouts, of Manchester, England, will move up in weight and challenge WBA welterweight world champion Luis Collazo, 26-1 with 12 knockouts, of Brooklyn, New York. The world championship fight card was announced Monday at a press conference in Boston. The event will take place on May 13 at the TD Banknorth Garden, located on Causeway Street in Boston’s Downtown North section and will be televised live on HBO’s “World Championship Boxing” series.

"I had to come to the United States to prove myself," said Hatton Monday. "I fought for a long time in England and a lot of people thought I was a protected fighter."

Collazo stated, "His team is underestimating me. They're talking about a Floyd Mayweather fight that will give him recognition as the pound-for-pound best fighter. But he'll find out that at 147 it's a whole different ballgame."

In the co-featured 12-round fight which will not be televised, International Boxing Federation featherweight world champion Valdemir Pereira, 24-0 with 15 knockouts, of Sao Caetano Do Sul, Brazil, will make his first title defense against former former European, British, and Commonwealth super banamweight champion Esham Pickering, 29-4 with 11 knockouts, of Newark, England. Pereira won the title on January 20 with a 12-round unanimous decision against Fahprakorb Rakkiatgym of Thailand.

An exciting lineup of supporting bouts is planned to complete the event. All bouts are subject to change without notice.