Boxing Fiends Hatton VS Pacquiao Thread

[FMJ The Best]

Keys To The Fight

Offense. Once upon a time, Manny Pacquiao was a one-dimensional offensive fighter. It sure was some hell of a dimension, though. No one could figure out his little hopping straight left to the head, delivered from a southpaw stance. Sometimes he would set it up with a jab, and that was as close as he came to a second dimension. The Pacquiao of today looks nothing like the Pacquiao of 2005. His primary weapon is still that left cross. But he has a right hook. He has an uppercut. He works to the body. He can counterpunch. He's the total offensive package. Hatton has always had a fairly varied attack. His preoccupation is landing a left hook to the body, but he has a good straight right hand, and after sealing away his jab in hibernation for a few years, he brought it back in his last fight, against Paulie Malignaggi, to great effect. He's never been much of a counterpuncher, if I were looking for a weakness. Bob Arum, Pacquiao's promoter, says Hatton is hopeless against southpaws, but there's not a big body of evidence to suggest that; Luis Collazo, Arum's evidence, was also bigger than Hatton and is trickier than most.

What separates them is how they attack. Pacquiao likes to dart in and out, or, once inside, land a shot and turn and land a shot and turn. Hatton historically has wanted to get inside and stay there -- pressure, corner, maul, assault, tie up and reset. Hatton fought a little more on the outside against Malignaggi, although that probably had something to do with Malignaggi tying him up every time he got close. The only fighter in years who has been able to dull Pacquiao's offense at all is Juan Manuel Marquez, a master of timing, spacing and counterpunching, but Pacquiao still connected plenty. The only fighter in years who has been able to dull Hatton's offense at all is Floyd Mayweather, Jr., a defensive wizard and immaculate technician with cosmic physical speed who outmuscled Hatton in clinches to an unprecedented degree but still got hit more than usual. The clash of offensive styles is one of the most enticing aspects of this match-up, from an entertainment standpoint. Both men are first and foremost offensive fighters who want to be pressing the attack, just in different ways. In this category, they are about even.

Defense. Defense has taken a backseat for the vast majority of Pacquiao's and Hatton's careers, but lately, that has changed. In his last two fights, Pacquiao's defense has been excellent. Much of it is the choices he makes on offense. He used to leave himself wide open when he charged in, but now, as mentioned, he attacks and moves, attacks and moves. He blocks punches and moves his head better than ever, too. As with many of these categories, Hatton has had three eras -- on the way up and when he had just made it, the middle stagnant years and now, the era where he is trained by Floyd Mayweather, Sr. In the second era, the only defensive maneuver Hatton had was to turn to different angles after finishing an offensive sequence. In the first and third, he showed head movement, too.

What I wonder about is the yardstick by which we have lately been able to measure the defense of both men. In his two most recent fights, was Pacquiao's excellent-seeming defense exaggerated by how slow David Diaz was and how weight-drained Oscar was? In his last fight, was Hatton's excellent-seeming defense exaggerated by how scared Malignaggi was of throwing punches for fear of injuring his brittle hands? I think the defensive improvement of both is real. I just don't know how their respective defenses will look when pitted against offensive machines like each other. These are pretty accurate punchers, Pacquiao and Hatton, who often make good defenses look bad. I suspect no matter how good each are defensively these days, there are going to be a lot of punches landed on both boxers Saturday night. As with offense, I think this category is relatively even.

Trainers And Strategy. Freddie Roach, Pacquiao's trainer, is the best there is right now. He sees fights and how they'll play out with remarkable foresight that borders on precognition. He's transformed the once-raw Pacquiao into a substantially complete fighter, and Pacquiao shows constant signs of improvement. Mayweather, Sr. is no Roach, but he's for real. He guided his son's early rise, trained Oscar De La Hoya in some of the fights where he was at his best and closed up holes in the defense of Chad Dawson during a brief stint training him. He excels at teaching defense, improving technical ability and enhancing speed. Hatton says Mayweather has taken his trademark ferocity and sharpened it, giving him combination punching and more. Still, Roach is the better overall trainer, and this is just Hatton's second fight with Mayweather compared to Roach's career-long alliance with Pacquiao. The trainer edge goes to Pacquiao.

I don't think Pacquiao's strategy is going to be much different than it ever is. Asked about his strategy, he wouldn't say much, but noted, "People know my style -- in and out, in and out..." Hatton has said Pacquiao's predictability is one of the reasons he'll unseat the pound-for-pound boss. Strategy-wise, I wonder about what Hatton will do. He sounds like he thinks he can outbox Pacquiao, and Diaz -- a Pacquiao foe who tried to outbrawl Pacquiao -- thinks it's his only way to win. But given the dynamics of the fight, I have to think he's better off making it a rough, mauling affair. Hatton' likely to have the strength advantage. Pacquiao is untested against a body puncher of Hatton's magnitude. Pacquiao really got taken out of his game earlier in his career against the only mauler-type fighter he's ever really fought, Agapito Sanchez. Maybe Hatton thinks he can box his way in, and there's some evidence that he's capable, even though he's no Marquez. What gives me pause about thinking he will is that Pacquiao's speed is going to be huge in this fight, and because he can counterpunch now, Hatton's going to have to take some serious fire to invade Pacquiao's personal space unless, perhaps, he makes things messy. Pacquiao says he's been working on fighting on the inside, but I don't know if a skill he's ever had to use, and as sponge-like as he has been in absorbing Roach's lessons, one fight is a pretty quick turnaround on that fast-food order, to mix my metaphors. He doesn't have the advantages on the inside that Mayweather did, either. The answer to these strategic issues is arguably THE key to the fight.

Mindset. I just don't have any serious questions about either man's fighting heart. I wonder how much better each of them would be if they had fewer regular outside-the-ring distractions -- partying for Hatton, being a renaissance man/national icon for Pacquiao -- but once they get in the ring, they fight until they have nothing left. They are both immensely mentally strong, and they both have taken this fight incredibly seriously, so even the outside-the-ring distractions are minimal from the standpoint of how they've trained. Hatton did get flustered against Mayweather, Jr. when the referee appeared to be partial to Mayweather, and Pacquiao did get flustered against Sanchez. That's about the only knock you can find on either's willpower and concentration. Here we have yet another wash.

The Referee. In virtually every Hatton fight, the referee is a very important man. For most of his career, he has clinched excessively, he has sometimes hit low, and he's just generally a rough dude. The only exception was last time out, when Hatton didn't do any tying up at all. But for the most part, he's an effective and honest inside fighter. It's simply those grey areas where he skirts the line between being dirty and being an upright albeit mean customer up close that make the referee important. Ideally, the referee will weed out the worst offenses but let Hatton do his business inside.

The referee for this fight is Kenny Bayless. Some think he is the best referee in the world. I say he's right up there with Steve Smoger, my personal choice. Bayless managed the Pacquiao-Marquez rematch, and he warned Marquez for low blows but never deducted a point. I thought it was the right call. Bayless also managed the Hatton-Malignaggi fight, and if anything, I thought he should have warned Malignaggi more for excessive holding. I think he'll let Hatton fight his fight, although he might issue some warnings; Bayless likes to stay out of the way. If anything, Bayless is an advantage to Hatton -- there's no doubt in my mind that Joe Cortez hurt Hatton's chances of beating Mayweather, Jr. by cracking down on him hard, although Mayweather almost assuredly would have beaten Hatton regardless. This time, I see no such impediments, although Cortez' history hadn't suggested he'd do what he did, either.

[FMJ The Best]

Size. This is the most interesting variable in the fight. Manny Pacquiao started his career as a 106-pound teenager. 140 pounds is worlds different than that. And yet, in his last fight, against Oscar De La Hoya at 147 lbs., Pacquaio shredded a naturally bigger man like a killer whale toys with a baby seal. To a certain degree, though, that was a distorted image of Pacquiao at a new weight, since De La Hoya's own weight was definitely too low, and no matter how much credit I give Pacquiao for winning so resoundingly, there is no doubt -- not even from Pacquiao's trainer, Freddie Roach -- that De La Hoya's anemic, emaciated condition was a big factor in the outcome of that bout. Every other fight, practically, we hear that Pacquiao has outgrown his latest weight class, and every time he moves up, I wonder whether he's gone one step too far. At junior welterweight, this is the first time I've heard Roach say Pacquiao is really, truly comfortable in a division. And Roach doesn't want Pacquiao to fight much above 140 from here on out. He thinks this weight is Pacquiao at his best.

Ricky Hatton's track record at junior welterweight is unimpeachable. We don't have to rely on what his trainer says, or speculate. He's a lifelong 140-pounder who has owned the division since 2005. When he moves above that, he's out of his depths. And because of his lifestyle -- beer, beer, and more beer -- it's not possible for him to move lower, either. Although he's got shortish arms (65" reach) and passable height (5'7 1/2") for the division, he's had a significant physical strength advantage over virtually every opponent he's ever fought at junior welterweight. Pacquiao has slight reach advantage (67") and is one inch shorter, so that's negligible. Although both men will weigh in at 140 the day before the fight, it's widely expected that Hatton will rehydrate fight day to about 155 and Pacquiao to 147, and because Pacquiao outweighed the dehydrated De La Hoya when they fought, that means Hatton will be the biggest man Pacquiao has ever fought as a professional. How will he handle Hatton if they get into clinches? Will Hatton's wrestling tactics wear Pacquiao down? I don't know. I wouldn't at all be surprised if Pacquiao proved the stronger fighter Saturday. Based on the track record, I'm expecting Hatton to have the size edge. It could be Hatton's best chance in the fight.

Speed. Hatton says he's going to be faster than Pacquiao in the ring. On this count, Hatton is hallucinating. I am not dismissive of Hatton's speed. It's always been better than he's given credit for. He's got quick feet that allow him to hop in and out, and his hand speed is pretty good. New trainer Floyd Mayweather, Sr. has made it a point to focus on improving Hatton's speed, and there were slight signs of that in his last fight, when he beat speedy slickster Paulie Malignaggi to the jab repeatedly. But I think that was at least in part a timing question. It's likely Hatton, with more time under Mayweather's guidance, will be faster still than he was against Malignaggi.

The reason Hatton is delusional is because if you were to pick one area where Pacquiao excels above all, if you were to pick that one asset where he stands out, it's speed. He's got gobs of speed. Gobs and gobs. Watch the first round of any Pacquiao fight. Observe how stunned each and every opponent is the first time he gets hit with a straight left. The punch hurts, but what really confounds them is that they've never, ever, ever fought anyone who is that quick. David Diaz, who fought Pacquiao in his lightweight debut, openly spoke in awe in his corner after the 6th round. It wasn't the power that was bothering him. "His punches are just too fast," Diaz said. Of course, speed complements power and creates its own damage, too; speed kills, the saying goes. And Pacquiao has fast feet, too, that allow him to move in and out, attack from angles and avoid damage. At every new weight, Pacquiao is leagues faster than everyone he fights. I hate to be so categorical, because fighters have said things I thought were crazy before only to prove me wrong, but there is no universe where I can imagine the speediest, most improved version of Hatton is within light years of even a sluggish Pacquiao. The more Hatton closes that gap, the better off he is, but the man who has given Pacquiao the most trouble, Juan Manuel Marquez, effectively conceded speed in the fight and relied entirely on spacing and timing.

Power. Power, size and speed are all somewhat related, so I'll spend less time on this. I think Pacquiao is historically the better puncher, and his knockout ratio -- 36 KOs in 48 fights -- is a bit better than Hatton's -- 32 KOs in 45 fights. As he's moved up in weight, I think there's been an ever-so-slight drop off in Pacquiao's power, though. He's never been a one-punch knockout artist, but it's been a long time since he's scored a bunch of quick knockdowns in a fight like he used to regularly. Everyone he's knocked out of late, he's picked apart, worn down and eventually knocked out or forced into submission. Some of that may be a reflection of the sturdy chins of his recent opponents like Diaz, but then, Erik Morales had a good chin before Pacquiao blitzkrieged him in their third meeting.

Hatton, meanwhile, has been knocking out top-level junior welterweights for forever. Like Pacquiao these days, Hatton has historically not scored massive knockouts -- he's picked people apart, worn them down and eventually floored them for good or forced them into submission. You know what I think is interesting, though? Pacquiao is reportedly knocking out sparring partners left and right. That's not the norm for fighters as I understand it. And a size advantage doesn't necessarily translate into a power advantage. Hatton may very well push Pacquiao around, but last year, heavyweight Monte Barrett pushed David Haye around but it was Haye who knocked Barrett down repeatedly and out. I'm going to say here that I think the power wattage will be pretty comparable, but Pacquiao should have a few extra watts.

Punch Resistance. Pacquiao, Hatton recently noted, has been knocked out by body punches before, Hatton's specialty. But that was a long time ago, when Pacquiao was enduring weight struggles, which make a boxer ripe for a body punch KO. Since he's been on the elite level, Pacquiao hasn't been knocked down. He's been given the "wobblies" (as they say Hatton's U.K.) once or twice, most recently by Marquez last year. But Diaz, a decent-punching lightweight, never even kind of phased Pacquiao with anything he landed. De La Hoya, emaciated or no, has historically been a good puncher, and nothing he landed on Pacquiao caused him any trouble whatsoever. Still, Pacquiao has probably never faced a body puncher as good as Hatton. Marquez and Marco Antonio Barrera are good there, but not so single-minded.

Hatton's punch resistance is a significantly bigger question mark. In four of his last six fights, he's been hurt pretty bad at least once -- including to the body by Juan Urango. In one of those fights, his only loss, he was knocked out by Floyd Mayweather, Jr. I wonder how much of that is related to his beer mug weight-lifting program between fights. Hatton's chin was magnificent against the ultra-hard-hitting Kostya Tszyu in 2005. But the older a fighter gets, the less he can afford to slack off on training between fights. All indicators are that for this fight, Hatton didn't slack off as much as he usually does, which will give him a smidge better capability to stand up against the blows of his opponent this go around than if he had adopted the full "Ricky Fatton" routine. But unless moving to junior welterweight significantly diminishes Pacquiao's power or ability to take a shot, it's Hatton who is weaker here. Pacquiao very well could hurt him to the head and body.

Age And Stamina. Both Pacquiao and Hatton are 30. There have been some hard years in their for each man. They've been in punishing fights against elite opposition. Outside the ring, they've both kept busy with extracurricular activities, with Hatton partying and Pacquiao acting, singing, running for political office, studying for his college degree, filming commercials, giving to charity and, back in his younger days, reportedly womanizing, ******** and ****fighting it up. And yet, both looked fresh as daisies in their last respective fights. Pacquiao appears to be in his physical, fighting prime after a brief period where he slowed down a little. Hatton looked to be on the decline for a while there, too, but he really does seem rejuvenated by his new trainer. If anything, Hatton's rode his body harder, so Pacquiao might have a little less mileage on his odometer.

In a sport where even journeymen boxers have the kind of endurance that is uncommon to any other sport, Pacquiao and Hatton are unbelievable in the stamina department. Hatton never stops coming with frenetic energy. He's had his late fades, often because of accumulated punishment from his opponent. But where Hatton is exceptional, Pacquiao is supernatural. The most underrated part of Pacquiao's game is that his stamina is off the charts. He hits as hard in the 12th round as he does in the 1st, and he brings his own frenetic energy to bear. Hatton's good here. Pacquiao's better.

[FMJ The Best]

Ricky Hatton: This Is My Shot At Building A Legacy

It is Legacy, with that capital L, and as he drives down Las Vegas Boulevard on his fifth assignment here and sees again the neon flashing his name, this time in the company of Manny Pacquiao, the pound-for-pound champion who each day seems to be invested with new and mystical powers, the meaning of it for Hatton, aged 30, has crystallised into some epic detail.


"I'm thinking about my legacy now because I know that while I believe I'm still at my prime there isn't that much time left and I have learnt that a fighter only gets one shot at being something special and it can go very quickly," he says.


"So, yes, I know how I want it to end. I don't think of myself as too long in the tooth, but I'm wiser than I was, and I love it that the odds are so much in favour of Manny Pacquiao. I know I can beat him and then I also know what I want to do after that.


"I want to fight Manuel Marquez, who is rated No 2 pound-for-pound in the world, and then I want to rewrite the Floyd Mayweather Jnr business – maybe at Wembley. That would be a good way to go, that would be some legacy, wouldn't it? And I believe I can do it. And, then, well, you wouldn't see my arse."


Some of the hardest judges would say that Hatton has quite enough on his hands measuring himself against the brilliantly marshalled furies of the little big man Pacquiao, who has turned a cult following in the streets of the Philippines capital Manila into worldwide recognition of his extraordinary power and technique, here on Saturday night. But then it is also true that as Hatton considers the challenge of the Pacman to his Ring Magazine and IBO world junior welterweight titles, his only defeat, by Mayweather, plainly remains utterly central to both his psyche and his strategy.


"I know all of Floyd's qualities, his brilliant defence, the way he throws punches, but I can't get it out of my head that I made it so easy for him. I ran in a straight line and before the fight I got involved in bull**** that really just wasn't me.


"I believe that with the help of Floyd Snr [Mayweather's abrasive and disaffected father] I have got back to the real Ricky Hatton, one who knows how to jab and has good balance – and I know my strength. I look at Manny and I think, 'Why should I worry about his power, he's not big enough to hold me off?' – but then again I'm not planning to just jump down his throat. Of course he is clever, of course he punches well, but the way he comes in after back- pedalling, gives you opportunities and if he misses, well, then, you get a real opportunity. I haven't seen Manny's Plan B."


Hatton's A Plan presumes that the lessons of his one defeat remain vivid enough to prevent him slipping into the traps which Mayweather Jnr exploited so clinically and that if it is indeed so, there is solid evidence that Pacquiao's ability to put away a naturally bigger and stronger man may have been seriously overestimated.


With relish he cites as his chief witness Oscar de la Hoya, the man on whose broken form the Pacman's image of destructiveness was so dramatically augmented last December.


"Oscar has made it clear how bad he felt against Pacquiao, how at one point he was thinking, 'Fire one punch and put me out of my misery.' Oscar had nothing, didn't have a leg under him, and that's how he felt, wishing that he could be put away with one punch. But Manny couldn't throw that punch and when I think of this, of course, it gives me confidence.


"Manny's trainer Freddie Roach is talking about me being put away in three rounds. Freddie is a nice man and normally he doesn't say so much so maybe he's getting a little concerned. Look, I'm not ******, I know Manny looked good against Oscar, but then why wouldn't he when you think of the reality of how it was, how Oscar was? However you look at it, I'm in a tough fight because you don't get to be the pound-for-pound champion of boxing without having a hell of a lot of ability. But I am going into this feeling better than I have before, and more certain about the way I have to fight.


"Two fights ago I might have thought, 'I'm bigger than him and I'm going to jump down his throat, I'm going to be King Kong, but I know now it can't be as simple as that. I have to recognise how good he is at certain things, bringing you to the punch, leaving you a little short, but I've always been able to cover the ground well, and you know I've never been in better shape.


"In the past they've said I've been too fat or too thin, but not this time. Floyd was delighted by the way I came into camp and when we had our last serious sparring session last Wednesday, and I gave the sparring partners a really torrid time he said, 'It doesn't get any better than this.' Normally, we have another serious session on Friday, but Floyd said, 'No, we're just right.' I haven't become a Buddhist monk overnight, but I'm well prepared for this, I am right."


Right enough, he believes, to give Pacquiao the fight of his life – "Filipino reporters keep asking me, 'How are you going to deal with Manny's power?' and I just say '**** off'" – and build on that legacy which he believes is already not so inconsiderable. "Not many British fighters have been the world's pound-for-pound champion and that would be a tremendous achievement. To be mentioned alongside my heroes like Nigel Benn, Chris Eubank and Barry McGuigan has always been my ambition."
In the meantime, as a rather grander legacy is submitted to the anvil of the Pacman, he reflects on the journey that has taken him from Widnes Leisure Centre to huge box office here. "Sometimes," he says, "I think of Widnes, 12.30, rain pissing down, and then how it was when I brought 35,000 fans here for the Mayweather fight, how I made old Vegas rock and roll. When I think of this it's not been a bad old road."


Whether Manny Pacquiao represents the end of it, as most of boxing suspects, is a possibility that Hatton is defying with some rough and trademarked eloquence. As legacies go, it is not a mean one. It speaks of a fighter who has fought real fights – and has plainly kept his appetite. So, for the absorbing moment at least, you can still feel the beat of that authentic old rock and roll.

[J.B.moneY.]

ricky can do it, i;ve done way too much analysis on this fight, i'm just keeping them brief

[FMJ The Best]

'Best ever' Hatton ready for Pacquiao

Ricky Hatton believes he is "the best he has ever been" heading into Saturday's showdown with Manny Pacquiao.


The "Hitman" takes a 42-1 (32 KOs) record into the light-welterweight fight at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, and is unbeaten in the 140-pound division, his lone defeat coming at 147 pounds when he was stopped by Floyd Mayweather Jr in the same ring nearly 17 months ago.


"This is the best Ricky Hatton's ever been," Hatton declared on Tuesday night. "I haven't lost too many rounds at junior welterweight, never mind fights, because I've been too strong."


He added: "But it's not just about 'the strongest man wins' in a boxing match. Other elements come into it, technical things, the game plan, things like that.


"Technically I was back to my best in my last fight and that was after only seven weeks with my new team. I think the difference between my last training camp and this one is night and day, technically."


The Las Vegas oddsmakers think Hatton is heading for the second defeat of his career when he goes in against Pacquiao (48-3-2, 36 KOs), who is widely considered to be the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world.
But the Mancunian is confident he will come out on top and has assured fans he was not leaving behind his aggression, nor would he be reverting to his less disciplined brawling style.


He said: "I am a pressure fighter. You couldn't say for the Malignaggi fight that I resorted back to the old Ricky Hatton.


"Everybody thinks because of my new trainer (Floyd Mayweather Sr) that I've turned into this twinkled-toed jab-and-move boxer. I haven't.
"I'm still aggressive, I'm still a body puncher, still as ferocious as ever; technically, I've just peaked it here and there, jabbing more, moving more, setting my attacks up. Everybody is saying I'll resort back, but resort back to what? I don't think I've changed a great deal, I'm just more polished in certain areas."

[FMJ The Best]

Pacman mobbed in Vegas

LAS VEGAS – In a fitting testament to Manny Pacquiao’s growing reputation as the most popular fighter in the world, pandemonium broke out when the boxing icon was formally welcomed at the Mandalay Bay Hotel during the traditional arrival rite as part of the promotion for his fight against Englishman Ricky Hatton.


Chants of Manny! Manny! Manny! broke out the moment the Filipino stepped out of the customized passenger bus that brought Pacquiao right in front of the hotel lobby just before noon of Tuesday (Wednesday, Manila time).

Wearing a printed polo shirt topped by a black suite to complement his black pedora hat he’s wearing, Pacquiao smiled for the cameras and waved to the more than 200 people that gathered outside and inside the hotel lobby.

Just before him walked his mother Aling Dionisia, who experienced for the first time the kind of reception her son had been receiving here as a boxing star.

Behind the star of the show follows his long-line of entourage that included trainer Freddie Roach, assistant Michael Moorer, close adviser Michael Konz, former Ilocos Sur Governor Chavit Singson, chief of staff Jake Joson and a sprinkling of Team Pacquiao members.

The ceremony was supposed to have Pacquiao granting interviews and answering a few questions, but Top Rank Promotions decided to do away with it after the mayhem created by his arrival.

“This is insane,” said Top Rank chairman Bob Arum, smiling but obviously stunned by the huge number of crowd that turned up for the event. “If we had stopped to do interviews, we could have been killed.”

“Luckily we got him to the suite, because he could have been trampled if we stay down here.”

After resting at his room on the 60th floor, Pacquiao sweat it out at the IBA gym with Roach at around 1 p.m. Early in the day, he jogged at the University of Nevada in Las Vegas campus and did some stitch muscle workout prepared by conditioning coach Alex Ariza to enhance his speed without losing power

[Bushbaby]

Well if its true that before Mayweather sr,that Hatton couldnt even hit the mitts,now he's doing it easy,thats saying a tonload about his coordination and maybe he is truly improved!!!