By Rick Reeno
Tomorrow night, at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, “Pretty Boy” Floyd Mayweather Jr. (38-0, 24 KOs) will defend his WBC and Ring Magazine welterweight titles against the son of Manchester, Ricky “The Hitman” Hatton, is (43-0, 31 KOs). Two young fighters in their prime. Two undefeated pound-for-pound champions. Two of the most popular fighters in the sport. The best junior welterweight facing the best welterweight. It’s no mystery why the fight is generating so much buzz.
The staff of BoxingScene comes together to voice their opinions, strategies and predictions for the big fight.
Michael Katz - It's more than just my admiration for pub crawlers. Ricky Hatton has the style, and quick feet, to give Mayweather his toughest test to date. Indeed, the Englishman does have a chance to win - and don't let anglophobes tell you differently. But all I'm afraid Hatton is going to do is bring out the best in Mayweather and Floyd will win an unexpectedly spectacular fight - by points, unless Hatton's face gives out late.
Mitch Abramson - I could base my prediction on HBO's 24/7, but then I would have the fight a draw. Neither fighter distinguished himself in the series, nor did the series distinguish itself to viewers. I grew tired of hearing Mayweather bragging about how rich he is. I know Floyd we get it...oops, now I sound like Hatton did on the show, complaining of Mayweather's blather. In the ring, Mayweather should be too elusive, too accurate with his counters, while Hatton gamely follows him around. I would like to see Hatton win. I think it's better for boxing, but Mayweather is still in his prime, and a prime Mayweather should win on cuts by round ten.
Patrick Kehoe - Floyd Mayweather Jr. at the height of his powers, sitting as WBC welterweight champion should not lose to Ricky Hatton. Focused, powerful and looking to make it a brutal inside war though Hatton may, Mayweather has seen and felt and over come it all before in the ring and that includes pressure and power and speed and injury and the derision of the crowd.
And yet... What if Mayweather has to resort to flicking and fleeing to gain a technical advantage and run toward the finish line? What will he have lost in winning?
After all, Hatton's the smaller guy - jr. welterweight king looking for HBO pay per view gold - statistically speaking, and according to "Pretty Boy" himself, about on the technical level of one of his sparring partners. A taunt it was designed to be; still, could it prove be Mayweather who will feel the pressure to prove his boasts, to engage in meaningful exchanges with Hatton on the inside? Of course, then he moves nearer Hatton's power game. And that's not taking into account Hatton being able to force Mayweather into a prolonged struggle with his own quality.
Can the welterweight champion's ego handle being tagged as Mayrunner, the guy who had to run from little Manchester Ricky? Or does this become Ali-Frazier I in miniature?
Looks like there might be fireworks any way you look at it!
Tim Smith - Floy Mayweather by decision. Speed is the key factor in this fight. Mayweather's got speed to burn, but I'm not sure that Hatton, even leaping forward, has enough quickness to catch Mayweather with enough shots to do any damage
Lem Satterfield - Floyd Mayweather by decision, or late-round stoppage on cuts. He could get caught, go down, but he’ll get up.
Bob Canobbio/CompuBox - Mayweather by unanimous decision as he rallies to win late rounds.
TK Stewart - The eloquent Larry Merchant once said, "There ain't a horse that can't be rode or a rider that can't be throwed." And that's something that I choose to remember at times like this when a guy like Mayweather appears to be unbeatable to everyone. But boxing history tells us that just when a guy is perceived to be flying higher than all of the rest, is when he often spirals down in flames. Don't believe me? Ask Joe Frazier or George Foreman or Mike Tyson. Hatton is a helluva fighter and he has a style that will present Mayweather with some problems. Remember that a "34 year-old, one handed, part-time fighter" (Leonard Ellerbe's words to describe Oscar De La Hoya) pushed the great Floyd all the way to a split-decision. Hatton is quicker, faster, stronger and is better on his feet than Oscar was by the time he fought Floyd. Floyd has been fighting a collection of old men and what he calls "C level" fighters for a while now.
Like Joe Calzaghe, Hatton is better than the majority of the American press gives him credit for. So, I like Ricky Hatton to be more active and land the harder punches and to win the fight by a close decision.
JE Grant - On its face this matchup should thrill boxing fans everywhere. Two talented, undefeated fighters who've won real world championships (as well as a few bogus belts) and two men who have convincingly defeated top fighters in doing so. The central difference is that one of the men, Floyd Mayweather, is a mega-talent in almost every facet of the game, while his opponent, Ricky Hatton, is a clear notch below him on the ability scale. Mayweather has a proven chin, radar-like defense, and adequate power as a welterweight. Hatton is a killer at 140 but at 147 his vaunted body punching is simply above-average. Mayweather will likely outspeed, out-maneuver, and generally out-perform Hatton in every department. No one will walk-over Hatton and he will pressure Mayweather throughout. He is willing to go all out with complete abandon and that gives him a slight chance. Very slight. Expect Mayweather to contently dominate round after round as Hatton is frustrated in his attempted bull rushes. A truly great fighter beats a truly good fighter. Mayweather by 12-round decision.
David P. Greisman - The strategy rarely calls for attempting to out-box Floyd Mayweather. Rather, the idea is to pressure, to pump of the volume, to force "Pretty Boy Floyd" to get down and dirty.
For Ricky Hatton, that might not be the best idea. Then again, against Mayweather, has anyone of late shown there to be a best idea?
Although Mayweather's walk-around weight is much less than that of the Mancunian Mauler, the current pound-for-pound claimant has adjusted well to welterweight, bringing to the table a good mix of speed and strength. He won't weigh the most, but he could look like the bigger man against Hatton, and it would not surprise to see him be better as well.
Not that Hatton won't try. This is the biggest fight of his career, and he's bound to look better at 147 than he did in his previous appearance at that weight, a win against Luis Collazo. Hatton has but one choice -- to make it a fight, forcing himself to adjust to Mayweather's footwork and hand-speed, and exposing his tender skin to Mayweather's sharp punching.
Expect blood. Expect back-and-forth shifts in momentum. And expect most of the rounds to go to Mayweather, with the win coming by way of unanimous decision.
Jake Donovan - My usual reaction to a Mayweather PPV fight is "Mayweather by decision." For this fight, I believe Floyd will go beyond the status quo, forced to stand his ground after Ricky gives him all sorts of hell early. The 1st half of the fight will be competitve. The 2nd half, not so much. Ricky's stamina issues become apparent after Floyd finds a way to neutralize the "Hook-N-Hold". Floyd ditches pot-shotting, and slices Ricky apart en route to a cuts stoppage in a fight that will not quite match the hype (it'd have to be Fight of the Year to do that), but nevertheless proves to be entertaining. Mayweather TKO in 11.
Cliff Rold - Hatton brings two things to the table that give him a good chance: deceptively fast feet and the ability to use his short arms to throw compact shots. Mayweather isn’t going to have to look to land on Hatton, but Hatton has shown a solid chin in the past and looks to be in fantastic shape. Combine that with his tenacity and work rate and he’s likely to land more against Floyd than any of his previous foes.
Can Hatton land enough to win is the big question, caveated by the question of whether Mayweather would lose a decision at all given his current economic strength and relative home field advantage. I suspect not, though I give Hatton a great chance. If not for the epic foolishness I felt in watching my pick of Carlos Baldomir over Floyd Mayweather evaporate like a raindrop on the sun, I might be prone to pick the upset. Instead, I’m staying safe and going with Mayweather by narrow, perhaps even controversial majority decision in a fight that has the world screaming rematch. Don’t be surprised by a violently argued draw either.
Dave Sholler - It's easy to get caught up in the pizzazz surrounding this fight, but in the end, the bout is about the basics. Ricky Hatton is a durable fighter who likes to work on the inside and impose his will on the opposition with thunderous body shots. While he isn't the smoothest technician, Hatton has found success doing the little things like body work well.
Hatton's opponent, Floyd Mayweather Jr., is by far the most complete athlete in the sport. His patented shoulder movements make hitting him nearly impossible and his lightning quick combinations complement his underrated offensive prowess.
To keep things short and sweet, Hatton needs to do work on the body to be successful against Mayweather. He needs to pummel the Pretty Boy's core in hopes that he drops his hands and exposes his million-dollar smile. Unfortunately, the task is easier said than done. Come fight night, Floyd will keep Hatton at the end of his jab and land bombs when the Brit tries to move in for body shots. It should be more appealing than Mayweather-De La Hoya, but in the end, the king keeps his throne. Money Mayweather by unanimous decision.
Paul Gallegos - As much as I hate to bet against Floyd and the track meet, I feel that Ricky will be on his game and somehow catch Floyd with powerful body shots to slow him down. Ricky via stoppage in 9.
"JC" Casarez - Expect Hatton to fight every second of every round while making it rough on the inside for Floyd. This will be very similar to the first Castillo fight with the difference being Hatton's quick feet and his relentless pressure. Floyd will have his share of moments but I feel the judges will look at El Ricky's activity as the deciding factor in the close rounds giving Hatton the win. Hatton by split-decision.
Alphonso Costello - Ricky Hatton’s punch and clutch will put John Ruiz’s jab and grab style to shame. He will slow Floyd Mayweather Jr. down by making him waltz instead of doing the running man. Nevertheless, Mayweather tangos his way to victory thanks to the help of his Argentine sparring partner Carlos Baldomir.
Ronnie Nathanielsz - Ricky Hatton is another brave Brit but he's going to find out that he needs much more than a fighting heart - although that helps - to beat such a classy fighter as Floyd Mayweather.
Mayweather is the complete package - his got quickness, tremendous defensive skills and believe me he may want to cement his place as No.1 in the pound-for-pound list and let his hands go. If that happens it will be lights out for Hatton.
It should be an exciting fight while it lasts and a great way to end a great year in boxing.
Larry Tornambe - Floyd has never seen the kind of pressure Hatton will bring to the ring on Saturday. Hatton will not be able to land anything cleanly to earn an edge in the fight. Floyd's hand speed will get him out of certain trouble and lead him to a decision win.
John Hively - Floyd by decision in a close fight. This could be Floyd's toughest fight since the first Castillo battle. I think Hatton has a good shot at this if he can apply the pressure continuously and throw the left hooks to the head after throwing his right, preferably straight rights. When opponents have thrown the straight right, on occasion, Floyd has tilted his head to the right, resting his right cheek on his right shoulder, hands too low to protect his face and jaw. When he's done this, he's been wide open for the left hook. In the overall scheme of things, however, Floyd has too many skills for Hatton, but we may be able to see how rugged he really is. Will he fade under Hatton's pressure. Maybe, but by then his lead will most likely, but not necessarily, be insurmountable. Hatton has a good shot at winning.
Don Colgan - Mayweather is too fast, too talented and has too many weapons in his arsenal. Floyd will outclass Hatton from the opening bell. He will outpunch him two to one in a bout that will resemble Mayweather-Gatti, except that Hatton, is a far more formidable foe and will land from time to time. An 8th round TKO win for Floyd over a brave, battered Hatton, who won't go down yet absorb a thorough battering.
Dave Wilcox - This might be one of the most one-sided Superfights in recent memory. I love Hatton's mentality and toughness, but he is overmatched in this bout. Come to think of it, that seems to be the case for most Mayweather opponents. Good ol' Ricky will do his best but in the end, his face will be a bloody mess. It should be target practice in this one for Pretty boy.
Hatton will have his moments early on to excite his large fan base but he won't be able to keep pace with Mayweather's speed and crisp punching. This one will end on cuts by round 11. Mayweather by TKO.
Dan Creighton - Floyd Mayweather Jr. in a big tenth round knockout.
James Blears - Floyd enjoys a six-inch+ reach advantage over Ricky, which will only be significant if Ricky keeps his distance instead of charging in. Rocky Marciano had the shortest reach of any heavyweight champion including Tommy Burns. But his fabulous physical conditioning enabled him to soak up everything Jersey Joe threw at him, until he was able to land his bomb in the unlucky thirteenth.
With Ricky, it won’t be one blockbuster punch. Rather the unrelenting blister of blows he inflicts upon Floyd throughout what must evolve into a war, rather than a master class of quicksilver boxing.
Floyd looked pretty forlorn in the closing rounds of his first bruising encounter with Jose Luis Castillo. He also looked quite close to being overwhelmed in the opening rounds by Oscar before the golden glitter turned to tarnish, and wore off those ageing legs of Mr De La Hoya.
There’s no smoke without fire! Rumors have been surfacing about Floyd’s hands. Sure they’re brittle, but it’s more than that! There’s something untoward, and up with them right now. Although Floyd previously punched through considerable pain to dismantle a game and brave Diego Corrales, his mitts are in considerably worse shape today. At a guess I’d say it’s serious tendon or metacarpal problems.
This could be a significant factor as the fight wears on.
Ricky is bursting with power and confidence and he’s at his peak. I feel Floyd is slightly veering towards a downward slope, although he still retains much more than just touches or brush strokes of artistic genius.
Ricky has to work as he’s never worked before and avoid getting tagged by razor sharp precision blows as he comes in. He simply mustn’t take three punches to get off one of his own.
Floyd is great. But he’s not invincible, and he’s beginning to feel the aches and pains passed on by Father Time which poses the greatest threat to his wonderful array of Jove like talents. I’m convinced Ricky is going to fight Floyd to a virtual standstill and win a unanimous points victory. But he’s going to have to pay quite a price, which will probably involve plenty of lumps, bumps and at least one nasty cut, which will have to be handled astutely.
Carlos Irusta - Mayweather, by points. He’s to smart, too fast, more clever and tactical. Hatton is always looking to slug it out, but in his last few bouts, he showed some kind of declination in his rhythm, and Floyd is too elusive for him.
Amy Green - Not being a fan of Ricky Hatton, my prediction is at best, predictable. He hasn't impressed me against Urango, Castillo or Colazzo. And his resume of opponents prior to them are pretty unknown and of uncertain quality, versus Floyd's. Floyd will be able to outsmart and escape Hatton's bursts of ferocity and keep his pound for pound title intact at the end of the evening, and Ricky Hatton will serve as further proof that the Rolling Stones are still the greatest thing to come from England to the United States.
Ernest Gabion - I am going with the upset of the year and maybe the last few. I really
think stylewise Hatton is the type of fighter that could give Mayweather all the issues he can handle. Hatton is quick of foot and hand, is relentless, and shows no intimidation or fear when faced with Mayweather. For the physical marvel Mayweather is, he hasn't shown the same prowess at 147 he has displayed from 130 to 140. He is a bit slower, far less active, and somewhat less mobile. Hatton has shown he can be the same fighter no matter who they put in front of him and I think this is no different. It's going to be up to Mayweather to adjust to what Hatton is doing not vice versa and I think that is where we will see Mayweather's 0 go. I like Hatton by unanimous decision.
Sammy Rozenberg - Floyd Mayweather by a comfortable decision.
Joe Harrison - Hatton's making a big mistake in facing today's best pound-for-pound boxer, Floyd Mayweather Jr. It will be a real battle, with Ricky's high pressure style of boxing making it a difficult evening for Floyd. On the other hand, Hatton did not look quite as effective when he fought at the welterweight limit against Luis Collazo. Put him in the ring with someone like Mayweather at the welterweight limit, and Hatton's chances of victory are slim to none. When it comes to boxing, anything can happen, and it is possible for Hatton to pull off the upset. Yes, it is possible, but it will not happen. Expect Hatton to show a lot of heart, but he will be overwhelmed by Mayweather's superior skills. Mayweather by decision.
Patrick Conner - Floyd Mayweather Jr. by unanimous decision.
Jaime Estrada - Mayweather by decision, I think he is the more complete fighter.
Bradley Yeh - There are a few assumptions that I have made in order to predict this fight; I have assumed that at least the Ricky Hatton that fought Tyszu will show up, as anything less probably will not do. I have also assumed that the Mayweather that fought Oscar and Gatti or Corrales will also show up. With that foundation laid Mayweather still has advantages all over the place in terms of speed, arm length, evasiveness, possibly (speed/technique assisted) power, corner ability at marquee level, state of mind when the going gets tough (ability to stick to a game plan), experience with quality welterweights, experience with champions in their prime, and the list goes on.
Hatton often launches from a distance, and this will give Mayweather opportunities that other Hatton opponents haven’t properly capitalized upon yet. Hatton is cleverer with his fight plans than some are giving him credit for, and his ability to consistently & powerfully attack from angles created either with foot work or arm placements has paid dividends almost every time he is presented with an opponent he can hit – Mayweather will not be quite so accommodating.
If you believe that the Mayweather that handled the welterweight/light middleweight DLH quite easily will not beat Hatton - who is still really a light welterweight, then Hatton is your man – but only by KO in my book. Otherwise, unless you like unconventional betting risks, you must go for the superior athleticism & accomplishments of Pretty Boy Floyd that will almost certainly capitalize on the fact that, for all his strengths, Hatton’s game plan is still quite predictable.
Whilst I envy Mayweather’s skills & accomplishments, I think it would be great for boxing for Hatton to win, but I am not sure that he will.
Ron Gallegos - Tough fight to gauge: I’ve been following the shows on the fight and it's difficult to underestimate Hatton. He's a gritty kid who still lives and plays among "his people" at the local pub, the grocery, etc. His manager is from the grit level as well and he seems to have instilled the never die attitude in Hatton. The kid has no quit in him.
The real question of the fight is whether Floyd has lost anything. Is he mentally dismissing or "overlooking" Hatton. If so, I think that would be a mistake. From the training shots of Floyd, he still appears to be in top condition. So if he's mentally there, his condition will again be top notch and that's more than enough for anyone in his weight class.
I look for Floyd to box and frustrate Hatton for the first five rounds, and then he will begin to tattoo him with some power shots that will sway any judges still on the fence in his favor. he should win decisively in a unanimous decision. No knockout here.
Rick Reeno - I don’t see anything to make me go with Hatton in this fight. At the same time, the fight will be much tougher than Mayweather thinks. I’ve always felt Hatton was the kind of fighter who matched up very well for Mayweather’s style. I've noticed a pattern with fighters who manage to frustrate and give Mayweather problems. All of them, except Jose Luis Castillo, had one weapon in common - a good jab. Corley, Judah and De La Hoya gave Mayweather fits by using a crisp jab to set up their punches. Hatton's has a mediocre jab, and he won't be able to use it against a fighter like Mayweather, who sports a 72 to 65 edge in reach.
Mayweather, like Roy Jones, has a nasty habit of backing himself into the ropes and allowing his opponent to expend energy by unloading punches. The utilization of that strategy nearly cost him the fight against De La Hoya. Regardless of what Floyd says, I have a feeling he’s going to use the same strategy often and by doing so, the fight will be much closer on the scorecards. Sooner or later, like Roy Jones, this strategy will catch up to him, but not against Hatton. Mayweather by unanimous decision.
Guest Predictions Sent To BoxingScene.com
Iceman John Scully - I know a lot of people have been bringing up all the ways that Hatton can and will win this fight. Many have talked about his relentless pressure, his awesome body punching and his will to win to go along with his dogged determination as factors in why they will pick him to defeat Mayweather. And while I believe that Hatton is a warrior and a very determined individual who always comes to fight and is probably much more skilled than most give him credit for I also believe that Floyd is one of those guys, like a Ray Leonard, who has all the tools and gifts at his disposal.
I have actually trained in the gym out in Las Vegas when he was also training and while I am sure Hatton works hard in the gym I would find it hard to believe that he trains any harder than Mayweather. I also think that Floyd, like Ali and Leonard before him, is a guy who has the image of a boxer and a personality first but like those two guys did countless times, I think when the going gets tough Floyd will respond like a champion. If Hatton thinks he is just going to bully Floyd with no resistance coming back at him then I think he will be terribly mistaken. I also think that the majority of people that count all the ways that Hatton will win this fight also happen to be people who do not personally like Floyd and their opinions are more wishful thinking than anything.
As much as I think Floyd is very, very immature in his repeated bragging about how much money he has on HBO's 24/7, as much as I think his friend Leonard Ellerbe talks way too much trash about world class fighter for a guy who never fought for a living before, and as much as I think Floyd probably will not be remembered -for a variety of reasons- as a true and revered legend of the game so many years after his final fight like Leonard and Ali are now, I do think he is far and away the elite of today and everything in this equation points to his winning December 8 in very convincing performance.
Putting it another way, the night before James Toney and Roy Jones fought out in Las Vegas back in 1994 Roy's lawyer asked me for my honest opinion and I told him this: "James Toney is a very good, maybe even a great, fighter but all the things that make him great will never come into play -stylistically- against a Roy Jones." Substitute the names Mayweather and Hatton and you have my same prognosis for December 8.
Chris Smith, welterweight contender - I think Mayweather will win the fight, but it will be a tough fight. I think Mayweather will outbox Hatton.
Tarick Salmaci, of The Contender - Mayweather by an easy victory. He is going to demolish the smaller Hatton. Hatton has the perfect style for Mayweather.
Andre Berto, undefeated welterweight contender - Mayweather to win. He's too sharp and has too much skill he doesn't know how to lose.
Zab Judah, former champion and welterweight contender - I like Mayweather to win, he's too fast (for Hatton).
Dmitriy Salita, unbeaten junior welterweight contender - I think Mayweather is the favorite going into the fight. It's hard to doubt consistency especially at such a high level. I pick Floyd by decision, but if Floyd has a bit of a night off and Ricky is on, there is a chance for an upset.