Patrick McElligott’s MANNY “Pacman” PACQUIAO Vs. RICKY “Hitman” HATTON Preview

Posted on | April 24, 2009 | 2 Comments

Saturday, May 2 – at Las Vegas (HBO PPV) – 12 rounds, light welterweights: Manny Pacquiao (48-3-2, 36 KOs) vs. Ricky Hatton (45-1, 32 KOs).

PREVIEW BY: PATRICK MCELLIGOTT

Sports fans will be focused on one of 2009’s “Super Fights” next week, when Ricky “the Hitman” Hatton defends his IBO junior welterweight title against Manny “Pac Man” Pacquiao. The fight, which takes place in Las Vegas, is the subject of another HBO 24/7 series. Boxing magazines and web sites are featuring articles that indicate this match is one of the most important in recent years. More, people from other sports are expressing interest: Willie Mays, one of the greatest athletes in sports’ history, recently requested a meeting with “Pac Man.”

Part of the interest is due to the fact that both of these outstanding fighters are at or near the top of their game. Both are intense fighters, and enjoy sizable fan bases. Both are made for TV, both in and out of the ring. And both can be counted on to give 100% in the ring on May 2.

Another factor is that, should Pacquiao win, Pretty Boy Floyd Mayweather will come out of retirement, and face him late in 2009. Manny is considered by many to be today’s “pound-for-pound” best. Floyd retired after being recognized as the “pound-for-pound” best in the sport for several years.

Hatton, 30, is 5’7.5″ tall, with a 65″ reach. Pacquiao, two months younger, is an inch shorter, but has a 2-inch reach advantage. The Hitman has fought 274 rounds as a professional, with a 70% KO rate; Pac Man has fought 291 rounds as a professional, and has a 68% KO rate.

Hatton is an orthodox fighter; Pacquiao is a southpaw. Hatton is trained by Floyd Mayweather, Sr.; Pacquiao is trained by Freddie Roach. So, on paper, this appears to be a fairly evenly matched event. But the pages of magazines and web sites do not see it this way.

The Ring magazine, correctly known as “the Bible of Boxing,” asked 20 experts who would win. In the article, found in last month’s edition, 17 picked Manny, while 3 picked Hatton. More, 10 of those experts picked Manny to win by knockout.

Of course, these warriors are fighting on paper. They will settle this inside the ring, unless there is a controversial ending or disputed decision. However, Kenny Bayless is scheduled to referee, and I think that his skills in that role will allow the “best man” to win. Bayless, along with Roach and Mayweather, will play important parts in this fight.

Bayless will be impartial, but he will allow Hatton to fight on the inside. That is one of the keys to making this a good fight. And both cornermen know that the fight isn’t based on what happened in the ring when Pacquiao fought de la Hoya, or Hatton fought Pretty Boy Floyd.

If we want to look at strengths and weaknesses in previous bouts, there are better fights to focus on. Let’s start with Hatton. His intensity in the ring was most evident against the great Kostya Tszyu. Hatton fractured his face; that’s significant punching power. Hatton also KOed an aging Jose Luis Castillo with a vicious left hook to the body. And in his most recent fight, he KOed Paul Malignaggi, in a much more impression victory over the fast and talented fighter than Miguel Cotto achieved.

Hatton’s weaknesses have been in previous fights with fast “cute” fighters, such as Luis Collazo (in which Hatton “won” a bad decision). Also, against tough Eamonn Magee, Hatton got caught coming in, and was decked by a hard counter-punch along the ropes.

Pacquiao, who turned pro two years before Hatton, has a number of impressive wins over fighters like Erik Morales, Marcos Antonio Barrera, and Juan Manual Marquez. One of his greatest strengths, in my opinion, is his ability to adjust to his opponent during a fight. He has impressive hand speed, and has improved his footwork. Like Hatton, he can fight at a pace that very few fighters can match for 12 rounds.

Early in his career, Pacquiao was KOed twice. I think that was due, in large part, to his weakening himself to make weight. Yet both KO loses came in three rounds, suggesting that weight was not the only issue. More importantly, there have been times when Manny has not reacted well to problems in a fight. This was evident in the first Morales fight, in which he lost by decision. Also, the verdicts in both his fights with Marquez left questions in the minds of many observers.

It’s hard to pick a winner here. It’s easy to identify a way that each man can win convincingly: Pac Man has speed and power; the Hitman has power and brute force. I’ve found myself going back-and-forth, depending upon who I am talking to at the time (with Pacquiao fans, I pick Hatton, and with Hatton fans, Pacquiao). When I talk to myself, I think that Hatton is likely to pull off an upset. But, there’s still a week left …..