Pacquiao vs Hatton

On May 2nd 1929, a devastating tornado swept through Morgantown, West Virginia. Its path was a quarter mile wide and it ran through the Riverside, Seneca and Walnut Hill areas leaving destruction in its wake.

Exactly eight decades later, the world is about to witness another hurricane, as ‘Pound For Pound’ Philippino king, Manny Pacquiao, fights England’s Ricky ‘The Hitman’ Hatton for the IBO Light welterweight title at the MGM Grand in Nevada..

Pacquiao, who at the age of 12 fought his first fight for only 50p, is aiming to become a five weight champion. But for the IBO Champion, Ricky Hatton, the title seems irrelevant, as he claims that by beating his opponent he will become P4P, the best boxer in the world.

The P4P honour is one which every professional boxer dreams about. It is the ultimate prize in a sport were so much hard work and dedication is required. However, the road to becoming a P4P king is difficult, as you have to prove yourself time and time again, against the best boxers in the world, at multiple weights. Oscar De La Hoya, Roy Jones, Floyd Mayweather and Bernard Hopkins are all recent fighters who have held the accolade of being P4P kings. They boxed anybody and everybody, as they sought to perform to the highest standards that had been set by their predecessors.

Former flyweight and the current holder of the P4P status, Manny Pacquiao, did not become the ‘Man’ overnight nor did he get this recognition by overcoming a certain boxer. Rather, it was a succession of thrilling fights that all began when he claimed that he would “blaze a path of fury throughout Mexico.” He kept his promise as he climbed up the weights to destroy Barrera, Morales, Marquez, Diaz and Mexican-born, De La Hoya in fights that would do justice to any ‘Fight of the Year’ awards. It was only after these monumental battles, that he was accepted by the world as pound for pound the best in the world.

The 2nd of May will indeed be a day that will be remembered by boxing fans for many years, of that I am sure. The ingredients are there for this fight to be one of the best; however, a victory by Hatton will in no way give him the title of P4P king that he so desperately craves.

Neither will any true boxing fan accept that by beating Pacquiao, Hatton will become the best in the world. However, if he does overcome and somehow beats Manny Pacquiao, it will signal the beginning of his long and difficult journey to the promise land. And on his travels, he will need to fight all those considered to be worthy world-class challengers. He will need to perform feats of fistic brilliance like legends of the ring, such as, Leonard, Duran and Hearns. Only then, will Ricky Hatton be in contention to be the P4P King.

Source: eastsideboxing.com