By Ronnie Nathanielsz
Filipino boxing hero Manny Pacquiao has been warned to watch out for IBO light welterweight champion Ricky “The Hitman” Hatton’s dirty tactics in their Las Vegas showdown on May 2.
The warning came from WBA featherweight champion Chris John’s Australian trainer Craig Christian.
Australian website Sports Nut quoted Christian as claiming Hatton was “one of the dirtiest fighters out there”
He said Hatton “will rough up Pacquiao or try to for sure” claiming the British fighter would use “the same brawling tactics that led to the knockout over Kostya Tzsyu.”
Although Christian said he thinks Hatto is too strong for Pacquiao at junior welterweight and even predicted a Hatton knockout victory in six rounds, the trainer said “it will be an action-packed fight because I don’t expect Pacquiao to back-off.”
Christian advised trainer Freddie Roach and Pacquiao’s handlers to expose Hatton’s dirty tactics before the fight “to put the referee on alert.”
Roach himself earlier told insidesports.ph, Standard Today and Viva Sports that he was watching out for Hatton's tactics and claimed that the British fighter pushes his opponents against the ropes, throws a couple of punches and then grabs so his opponent can't hit back.
