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Roach: Switch in style won't be good for Hatton
Roach: Switch in style won't be good for Hatton
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abs-cbnNEWS.com | 03/04/2009 12:20 AM
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American trainer Freddie Roach thinks Ricky Hatton’s upcoming effort to change his fighting style will not do him anything good.
The boxing hall-of-famer said that once Hatton mixes it up with Pacquiao, “The Hitman” would likely revert to what he does best: brawling.
"They'll have a gameplan coming into the fight but after the first round he'll go back to his natural style... he'll revert to what he does best -- and that's fight,” Roach told TheSun.co.uk.
"Ricky talks about having worked on his defense and head movement but he is what he is. He's been doing this for a long time,” he added.
Roach said that not even Floyd Mayweather Sr. can improve Hatton into an in-and-out boxer.
"Floyd is trying to improve him but I don't think you can change Ricky at this point in his career,” said the US trainer. "If he tries to outbox Manny and fights like Floyd teaches, then he'll lose.”
Pacquiao himself started out as a slugger and it took Roach more than half a decade to convert the hard-hitting Filipino into a slip-sliding boxer he is today.
The Filipino champ is scheduled to trade punches with the Britain’s biggest boxing star on May 2 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Roach conceded that brawling might be Hatton’s best strategy against Pacquiao.
"That's good for him in some ways because that's the best shot he's got at beating Manny,” said Roach.
However, he said Pacquiao’s trademark speed will eventually catch Hatton.
“Manny will get to him in the later rounds and will knock him out at some point,” said Roach.
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abs-cbnNEWS.com | 03/04/2009 12:20 AM
Printer-friendly version | Send to friend
American trainer Freddie Roach thinks Ricky Hatton’s upcoming effort to change his fighting style will not do him anything good.
The boxing hall-of-famer said that once Hatton mixes it up with Pacquiao, “The Hitman” would likely revert to what he does best: brawling.
"They'll have a gameplan coming into the fight but after the first round he'll go back to his natural style... he'll revert to what he does best -- and that's fight,” Roach told TheSun.co.uk.
"Ricky talks about having worked on his defense and head movement but he is what he is. He's been doing this for a long time,” he added.
Roach said that not even Floyd Mayweather Sr. can improve Hatton into an in-and-out boxer.
"Floyd is trying to improve him but I don't think you can change Ricky at this point in his career,” said the US trainer. "If he tries to outbox Manny and fights like Floyd teaches, then he'll lose.”
Pacquiao himself started out as a slugger and it took Roach more than half a decade to convert the hard-hitting Filipino into a slip-sliding boxer he is today.
The Filipino champ is scheduled to trade punches with the Britain’s biggest boxing star on May 2 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Roach conceded that brawling might be Hatton’s best strategy against Pacquiao.
"That's good for him in some ways because that's the best shot he's got at beating Manny,” said Roach.
However, he said Pacquiao’s trademark speed will eventually catch Hatton.
“Manny will get to him in the later rounds and will knock him out at some point,” said Roach.
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