It appears that the May 2 showdown between Manny Pacquiao (48-3, 36KO's) and Ricky Hatton (45-1, 32KO's) is a go, and soon enough, the official press tour to sell the fight to the boxing public will be underway.
At the laughter of many, years ago I predicted this fight would take place when few considered it. In what now appears to be a very prophetic moment, here we are, only months away from what could be the highest grossing fight in the history of the sport.
When you look at the celebrity effect surrounding these two 'little big men,' it brings the sport itself full circle, because decades ago, a non-heavyweight fight drew little global appeal. With interest in the sport dying down and the once highly esteemed heavyweight division in shambles, fight fans now focus their attention on two of the biggest global stars in the sport.
When you consider the heart and determination between Ricky Hatton and Manny Pacquiao, it's hard not to see this going down as an epic war, scaled back to a sheer battle of attrition. Manny Pacquiao is coming off of a statement fight that few felt he would ever be in position to have, let alone win. That feat (defeating the legendary Oscar De La Hoya), coupled with his recent accomplishments in the ring make him the only four-weight division Asian champion in the history of the sport, placing him on unparalleled grounds.
Across from him at center stage stands perhaps the biggest British phenom in the sport today. Joe Calzaghe and a few other Brits have made a great name for themselves, but Hatton's face-off against Floyd Mayweather jr. in December of '07 proved who the real British boxing icon is when he was able to fill an American venue (MGM Grand - Las Vegas) with rowdy British fans, subtracting Mayweather's home field advantage.
When you narrow down the fight itself, Pacquiao is the better pure boxer. But the x-factor here could be the fact that an extremely improved Ricky Hatton is now trained by Floyd Mayweather Sr. His antics and bravado make people overlook his worth, but few will deny that Mayweather is perhaps one of the best trainers in the sport today.
The major question in this fight will be how well Manny Pacquiao handles the bodily assault of Ricky Hatton. Pacquiao's improved boxing skills coupled with his speed will help him against most. But never in his career has he been tested to the body like he will be with Hatton.
Hatton is an inch taller, but has a two-inch reach deficiency. So the tale of the tape yields few answers into which angles the fighters may exploit as they put together gameplans.
It's hard to see a knockout in any scenario, but when you have two fighters with big hearts and a never-ceasing will to win, anything can take place. On paper, you'd have to give the slight edge to Pacquiao, but as we learn in the sport all the time, paper burns!
Source: examiner.com
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment