Respect: Giving Ricky Hatton His Due Against Manny Pacquiao

With the so-called "Battle of East and West" between Ricky Hatton and Manny Pacquiao fast approaching, many fans and critics are throwing in their two cents on the outcome of the contest for Hatton's IBO and Ring Magazine light welterweight titles on May 2.

Currently copper deficient (dole application pending), I have reserved judgement for a later date. But I do feel compelled to put down a few words—if not in favour of Hatton as victor, certainly in defence of the man as a fighter.

In deference to common opinion, more often than not guided by what can only be described as patriotic fervour, many are touting Pacquiao to win as vehemently as one would the sun to rise in the morning. And while there is every chance the Son of General Santos City will raise his fist in victory on May 2, I feel that Ricky Hatton is not being given his fair due for this fight.

Chief among the denunciations of Hatton is that he is a "one dimensional" fighter. This argument unfolds thus: attempting to bully the elusive Pacquiao by clinching and wrestling, Hatton's armour will be dismantled as he blindly rushes into an onslaught of lissome jabs and whipping rights.

While Hatton's defensive flaws are well documented, I feel the above argument neglects the potency of the Englishman's pressure fighting style, specifically at his natural weight of 140 pounds.

Pacquiao may have slain a catalogue of worthy Mexican brawlers, but he has not fought within Hatton's 10-stone domain. Capable of unleashing eruptive combinations and purposeful body shots, Hatton will prove a far more tenacious and authoritative "bigger man" than did Oscar De La Hoya. With each additional pound, the pressure upon Pacquiao is magnified.

And unlike the laborious De La Hoya, who rooted himself almost static before Pacquiao last year, Hatton will be attempting to unsettle the Filipino's style by remaining rangy and persistent. He cannot, admittedly, match the speed of Pacquiao but that does not equate to sluggishness. Hatton has also proven he possesses fast hands, frequently unleashing flurries laden with uppercuts and body shots upon equally quick opponents.

To turn to another hackneyed point, there is the presence of Floyd Mayweather Sr., said by some to be simply perpetuating the myth of the Mancunian with punchy couplets. A professor of the defensive style, the Mayweather influence kept Hatton protected against gangly boxer Paulie Malignaggi last November.

While Malignaggi is not of the same mould as Pacquiao, a more defensively aware Hatton will level the playing field for the Briton. I think it's also apt to add that Pacquiao's defence is often split open by aggressive opponents who push hard to fight on the inside, precisely the dominion of the Hitman.

Finally, there is Hatton's record. Having fought 46 times, with only one loss, it is untenable to suggest that Hatton is “overhyped.” The charge that he was "protected" in Europe before crossing to America is one that can also be made of Pacquiao, who fought roughly as many fights in Asia before his crossing of the waters.

Frankly, I believe this argument to be little more than a nascent (and oddly rampant) attitude of American superiority: fighters from “elsewhere” are unproven until they crack the New World as one would a rotten nut. Hatton and Pacquiao's achievements are testament to the vibrancy of their respective domestic boxing scenes and should not be diminished. (Remember: of the 68 world title belts gently suspended in our globe's atmosphere, only 10 are claimed by Americans.)

A.J. Liebling, the hairless flâneur of the New York Prizefighting Ring, often alluded to the Tunisian philosopher Ibh Khaldun. Among many other things, Khaldun was fond of declaring that events routinely contradict what is expected of them, analogies frequently prove themselves imprecise, and our experiences are often more illusory than we'd like to admit.

With an underdog like Hatton—a hearty breed of fighter—confronting Pacquaio on May 2, commentators would be wise to keep these principles in mind before throwing down their coins.

Source: bleacherreport.com