Pacquiao-Hatton PPV numbers something to celebrate, even if Arum refuses

For the past two weeks I've been asked constantly about the pay-per-view numbers for the May 2 Manny Pacquiao-Ricky Hatton fight, boxing's biggest fight of the year so far.

The eagerly anticipated showdown was promoted wonderfully. There was great buzz all week in Las Vegas and an electric atmosphere inside the MGM Grand Garden Arena on fight night, not to mention a spectacular second-round knockout victory for Pacquiao.

However, the period at the end of the sentence -- the pay-per-view buys -- has been missing because Top Rank promoter Bob Arum, who co-promoted the event with Golden Boy Promotions, refuses to disclose the figures for reasons that are beyond me.

He sure gave me an earful about it this week while dropping several words that wouldn't be appropriate for an ESPN.com blog. In the one statement he made that I can quote, he said (loudly), "We did very well. Everyone involved in this event did a good job, but it's nobody's business what the numbers are but ours and the fighters. I'm not gonna release the figures."

For whatever reason, Arum doesn't want to give them out, nor will he allow his partners at Golden Boy or HBO PPV to disclose them. What does he have to hide, anyway?

However, being a resourceful kind of guy with pretty darn good sources in the boxing business and television industry, I got the number, Arum's secrecy be damned. From what my sources tell me, the fight sits at about 825,000 domestic pay-per-view buys with the likelihood that when they're all counted, the total will reach 850,000 or more.

That means the fight generated almost $50 million from the American pay-per-view, a huge number that doesn't even take into account the pay-per-view figures from Hatton's turf in the United Kingdom, where the fight easily could have done 1 million buys. Nor does it take into account the live gate of $8,832,950 or the closed-circuit ticket sales of $575,750 in Las Vegas alone. There's also a pile of cash from the rest of the closed-circuit and international television sales, a seven-figure license fee from HBO for the delayed broadcast rights, sponsorship money and merchandise revenue.

How big was Pacquiao-Hatton? If you take away heavyweight pay-per-views involving Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield as well as the Oscar De La Hoya fights, it's the second-best ever. Only Floyd Mayweather Jr.'s victory against Hatton in December 2007 did more business, generating 915,000 domestic buys.

The bottom line is that Pacquiao-Hatton was a massive success, something Arum should be proud of instead of trying to hide, especially because this was the first big fight of the post-De La Hoya era. I stopped trying to figure Arum out a long time ago, but his decision on this topic makes no sense.

At a time when many have questioned what would become of the boxing business in the wake of the retirement of De La Hoya, the all-time pay-per-view king, Pacquiao-Hatton answered the question with an emphatic, "Yes, there is still life in this business."

When a 140-pound fight in which neither participant is American can do a number like 850,000, especially in the midst of a brutal recession, it's celebration time. And it's not the end, either. A whole series of fights involving Pacquiao and Mayweather can get the public excited and generate big numbers. With Mayweather out of retirement and set to face Juan Manuel Marquez on July 18, you can bank on another fight that will generate in the 500,000-buy range. And, eventually, when Pacquiao and Mayweather finally meet in the fight the public is already demanding, I believe it may rise into the 1.5 million-buy stratosphere.

Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer and HBO PPV chief Mark Taffet acquiesced to Arum's insistence that official numbers not be released on Pacquiao-Hatton, but neither of them is happy about it. I don't blame them. They want to talk up their success, not be muzzled.

So without disclosing the figures, Taffet did say, "Pacquiao-Hatton was a true megafight and establishes Manny Pacquiao as a true pay-per-view star. Most importantly, with Pacquiao-Hatton, Mayweather-Marquez and the great possibilities of matchups in the 140- and 147-pound divisions, we are entering a very exciting period for boxing fans and the sport."

Taffet is right, even if that wacky Arum doesn't want to acknowledge it with facts and figures.

Source: sports.espn.go.com

Manny Pacquiao given rapturous reception by Filipino fans in Manila

Tens of thousands lined the streets of Manila for the welcome home parade of Manny Pacquiao, following his two-round destruction of Ricky Hatton in Las Vegas on May 2.

Pacquiao returned home late last week following a government request that he stay in the United States for five days after his fight because of concerns over swine flu.
However, the world's No 1 pound-for-pound fighter was given an official reception by Philippine President Gloria Arroyo at the state palace on a day declared as a national holiday.

Adoring fans had braved the morning tropical heat to throng the streets of Manila, cheering and honking horns as Pacquiao waved to them from a truck decorated with Filipino flags that wound through the capital.
Office workers left their desks and showered Pacquiao with confetti, chanting "Manny! Manny!" while traffic blocked off side streets to allow the passage of the convoy of more than 30 vehicles, tying up traffic.

"He's the people's champ," said Danilo David, a 39-year-old government employee who filled his tank with two dollars' worth of petrol – half his daily pay – just to be a motorcycle escort for Pacquiao's convoy.

"We're happy and privileged to escort him around Manila," David said.
Pacquiao tossed red and white T-shirts that bore his picture and the slogan "King Of The Ring" into the crowd. "The reception was tremendous," he said.
The crowds were especially thick and enthusiastic at the impoverished district of Tondo in Manila's rundown dockyards, where a week earlier thousands had crammed a public gym to watch a free broadcast of the fight.

At the presidential palace, Arroyo played the part of a journalist, interviewing her guest about the Hatton fight for the benefit of the assembled Filipino officials, palace staff and members of Team Pacquiao.

"He was so busy watching my left that he did not see my right hand coming," said Pacquiao, who dropped the Mancunian twice in the first round before sending him to the canvas unconscious at the end of the second round.
"He was not able to adjust his strategy. He fights in a certain style and did not change."
His International Boxing Organisation junior welterweight title means Pacquiao, who started boxing as light-flyweight in his teens to escape poverty, has equalled the record of six world crowns in different divisions.

Source: telegraph.co.uk

Pacquiao a work of art but still in progress

Bob Arum is beginning to look at Manny Pacquiao the way an artist sees unfinished work that has potential to be a masterpiece.

"A grand painting," Arum said after Pacquiao began to show signs of enduring greatness Saturday night with a second-round stoppage, stunning and scary, of Ricky Hatton. "It's not all about the money. At least, that's my thinking."

Other than perhaps money, a canvas is about the only thing boxing and art have in common. From Floyd Mayweather Jr. to Miguel Cotto, Arum is more likely to paint by numbers preceded by dollar signs.

But there are elements in Pacquiao's brilliant emergence that suggest a future without any apparent limits. The next couple of years will determine whether he becomes an all-timer. A celebratory Arum said he has the chance to be the best ever, which on the promoter's long list of famed clients includes Muhammad Ali. Any parallel that includes Ali is a dangerous one and in Pacquiao's case might not be accurate, much less fair.

Pacquiao trainer Freddie Roach compares the Filipino to Henry Armstrong. But unforgettable fighters make their own history mostly because there just has never been anybody quite like them. Pacaquiao, with his sixth title in a sixth weight class, has a chance to do exactly that. They are all-timers for the way they fight, but also for what they say about their own times.

Consider Ali. Roach thinks Pacquiao is a better all-around fighter than Ali, who Roach says often coasted through fights because of his terrific talent. But Ali is an all-timer, also because he was the face and mouth for a noisy, politically charged era in the 1960s and 1970s.

In the 2005 film Cinderella Man, director Ron Howard and actor Russell Crowe resurrected the idea of what it means to be an unforgettable fighter with the portrayal of James Braddock, a mediocre heavyweight champ yet a man who staged a comeback that reflected his times, the Depression. After Braddock, there was Joe Louis, remembered for a victory over Nazi Germany's Max Schmeling in a 1938 rematch that was followed by world war.

Then there was Mike Tyson, who won't be remembered as a great fighter, yet is -- and I suspect always will be -- unforgettable for the crazy, profligate ways in which he represented the excesses of the late 1980s and 1990s.

Now, there is Pacquiao, a quiet Filipino who unlike Tyson would never assume he knows it all. Pacquiao's humility is a match for tough times in a world struggling to find ways to combat a lousy economy. There's no way to bully or trash-talk your way out of a nasty recession, although you would never know it from listening to the me-me-me Mayweathers.

Only the cool and collected Pacquiao throws punches and takes the very few that have landed over his past two bouts. But he always speaks as though he doesn't do it for only himself. He thanks instead of mocks the loser, who after all is a business partner. Next to the Mayweathers, Pacquiao's evident selflessness looks and sounds quaint. But during times when a lot of people have been humbled, Pacquiao's humility works. Also, it's echoed by Roach.

"You know, I'm only the best trainer in the world because I have the best fighter in the world," said Roach, who predicted a KO within three rounds before Pacquiao knocked down Hatton three times within two rounds in his first bout at 140 pounds.

From bout to bout, that Pacquiao humility is the definition of a fighter always looking to learn. There's been some talk that Pacquiao has only improved since his loss in 2005 to Erik Morales in the first of their three fights. I'm not sure that's accurate.

There was an evident plateau in a so-so decision over Marco Antonio Barrera a couple of years ago. Pacquiao wasn't spectacular on that October night in 2007, but the lesson plan in defensive tactics was played out perfectly with in-and-out, side-to-side movement that he has used with such effectiveness since then.

The guess here is Pacquiao, now 30, will surprise us again with even more new tricks against a long list of dangerous possibilities, also including Sugar Shane Mosley and Edwin Valero. Mayweather, the leader in the pound-for-pound debate, looms as Pacquiao's defining fight if all of the details can be worked out. In at least one Las Vegas sports book, the speculated fight already is listed as pick'em.

First, Mayweather has to get past Juan Manuel Marquez on July 18 in a bout announced Saturday despite some confusion about the contracted weight. Marquez said they had agreed on 143 pounds, give or take a pound. Mayweather adviser Leonard Ellerbe would only say "it was a welterweight (147-pound) fight.

The Mayweather-Marquez winner presumably moves on to Pacquiao, although I'd like to see Pacquiao face both, regardless of what happens on July 18 at Las Vegas' MGM Grand. Marquez lost a split decision in March 2008 in the rematch of a 2004 draw with Pacquiao. But the fight was close and the post-fight debate remains unresolved. A lot people still believe Marquez won. There's only one way to resolve that one, although I suspect Pacquiao would prefer to move on and beyond Marquez, who might be that one fighter with the right style to stop his ascent.

Meanwhile, the Mayweather possibility is the piece that could complete Arum's vision of a masterpiece if -- and there are at least couple of those -- Pacquiao can beat Cotto and perhaps Mosley at a catch weight a few pounds lighter than 147.

But negotiations for Mayweather-Pacquiao look problematic at best. Arum said last week that he would not deal with Mayweather representative Al Haymon. Arum did say that he would bargain with Golden Boy promotions CEO Richard Schaefer.

In announcing the Mayweather-Marquez fight, Schaefer acted as Mayweather's promoter and even staged an argument with Golden Boy owner Oscar De La Hoya, who spoke for Marquez. It looked like a gimmick. But if it means Schaefer will speak for Mayweather in negotiations with Arum, it's pretty good gimmick. Maybe even an artistic one.

Source: cbssports.com

Pacquiao returns home despite flu fears

Boxing idol Manny Pacquiao returned to the Philippines early Friday despite a request from Manila that he delay his hero's return as a precaution against the spread of swine flu from the United States.

Pacquiao, often considered the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world, cemented his reputation Saturday night when he knocked out British boxer Ricky Hatton in the second round of a match in Las Vegas, Nevada.

A low-key welcome that included three of his four children greeted the 30-year-old boxer at Manila International Airport.

A homecoming parade initially planned for Friday has been moved by the Philippine government to Monday, which President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo declared "Manny Day."

Pacquiao, dubbed "Pacman" by fans, spoke briefly to reporters, telling them he felt safer from the swine flu in the Philippines, where there have been no reported cases of the disease, than he did in the United States, where nearly 900 cases have been confirmed.Manny's low-key homecoming

On Wednesday, Philippine Health Secretary Francisco Duque asked the boxer to go into "self-quarantine" either in Los Angeles, where he was after the Las Vegas fight, or in Manila.

Pacquiao returned to Manila, but did not go into quarantine, although the large public celebration was delayed.

Pacquiao grew up poor in General Santos City in the southern Philippines.

He found boxing as a way to lift himself to fame and riches, yet he remains self-deprecating outside of the ring.

It is this combination of being a fierce fighter in the ring and a smiling deferential one outside that has helped turn him into an idol.

Source: cnn.com

My postfight sit-in with Pacquiao

LAS VEGAS -- The day began like so many other Sundays after a big fight: I woke up in my MGM Grand room a bit weary after a long week, and not looking forward to a tiring day of cross-country travel back home to Northern Virginia.

I followed my usual routine by packing, working on Monday's weekend scorecard and fielding phone calls and requests for radio interviews around the country from those who wanted to talk about the fight.

In this case, the big fight was Manny Pacquiao, the world's best fighter, against Ricky Hatton. Pacquiao had obliterated Hatton in two rounds only hours earlier to win the world junior welterweight championship, a title in a record-tying sixth weight class and a record-setting fourth lineal championship.

As usual, I planned to hang around my room working while waiting for my 4:21 p.m. flight. (Thanks to the lovely Stephanie Heller from the MGM public relations team, who always takes care of me with a late checkout.) I was also planning to have lunch with a friend who lives in Las Vegas before heading to the airport. (Yes, I had the upgrade.)

The PacMan had devoured Hatton, scoring two first-round knockdowns and then putting him to sleep with a massive left cross -- one of the greatest knockouts I have ever witnessed ringside -- just before the end of the second round.

Little did I know at the time that some 15 hours later I would have an unexpected audience with the pound-for-pound king in his private suite at The Hotel at Mandalay Bay, where I would rewatch the fight with Pacquiao, who was seeing the video for the first time.

It was quite a day. Here's what happened:

I got a call from my buddy Brad "Abdul" Goodman, the Top Rank matchmaker with whom I have been friends since the early 1990s, long before either us began our current boxing gigs. Goodman, who lives in Las Vegas, had been asked by Pacquiao adviser Michael Koncz if he could burn a DVD of the fight because Pacquiao wanted to see it.

So Goodman called me to see if I wanted to get together a little earlier than planned. He would pick me up at the MGM and I'd go with him on his errand to Mandalay Bay to drop off the DVD, then we'd have lunch there. Sounded good to me, so I finished packing, wrote as much of the weekend scorecard as I could, and checked out.

Goodman picked me up, and off to The Hotel we went. It turned out that Koncz and Pacquiao and crew were running a little late because Pacquiao, a devout Catholic, had attended church Sunday morning and was in no rush to get back. He had stayed after the service to take pictures with fans and sign autographs.

Goodman and I had lunch, and afterward we ran into Top Rank boss Bob Arum and his wife, Lovey Arum, in the lobby. They, too, were waiting for Pacquiao to return because they were meeting friends whom they had promised to introduce to the boxer.

While we were all waiting, Pacquiao's superstar trainer, Freddie Roach, showed up. It was quite a scene.

Several hotel guests had approached Arum to take pictures with him, which he happily posed for. One Japanese guest apparently had recognized me from my television appearances and asked if I would also pose in the photo with him and Arum.

But once Roach arrived, the guests turned their attention to him. At one point, about a dozen people had gathered around him and spontaneously began applauding him for a job well done.

Then Arum's guests showed up: Nevada Sen. John Ensign and his two children. Arum introduced me to the senator and we chatted for a bit. Turns out Ensign is a huge boxing fan and one-eighth Filipino, so he was excited to meet Pacquiao and have him pose for a photo with him and his kids.

Finally, we got word that Pacquiao was back, apparently having arrived through a private entrance. So we were summoned. The gathering crowd wanted to get into our elevator, but security wouldn't allow it. Up to the top floor of The Hotel we went. When we exited the elevator, there were people and security everywhere, but we were led down the hall to Pacquiao's room.

Inside the massive suite, at least 20 people could be seen hanging around and eating from a buffet that was set up in the main room, which had a spectacular view of the Vegas Strip. While the rest of the group -- Arum, his wife, Goodman, Koncz, Ensign and his kids -- were ushered into Pacquiao's private bedroom in the suite, I had to tape a previously scheduled phone interview for ESPN SportsCenter at that exact moment. Great timing, huh?

I found a quiet place on the other side of the suite, did the interview and then went to the bedroom, where a large security guard nodded at me, opened the door and allowed me in.

The room was split in two. Pacquiao's wife, Jinkee, was on one side of the partition packing for the long trip home to the Philippines. On the other side, about 15 other people were gathered near the couch and chairs and the big TV. Pacquiao, of course, had the best seat as the DVD began playing. In front of Pacquiao on the table was a plate with a large steak he was working on, a big bowl of rice and a side of assorted fruit.

Ensign and his kids met Pacquiao, talked for a few minutes and had their photo taken. Pacquiao couldn't have been more gracious. Then the Ensigns and the Arums left, leaving the rest of us to watch the fight.

One of the people in the room was Father Marlon Beof, Pacquiao's spiritual adviser, who, as it turns out, is a regular reader of mine and a huge fan of the ESPN.com boxing page. I thanked him for that. Who knew my blog and weekly notebook appealed to the Catholic priest demographic?

As we watched the ring walks and intros, Pacquiao's guests were quite excited. At one point, Pacquiao said to me as the fight was beginning, "My first time seeing this. Easy fight." Then he broke out into a broad smile.

As the fight went on, I asked Pacquiao if he was enjoying watching his dominant performance.

He answered "Yes" and broke into another broad smile before taking a big bite of steak between rounds.

When HBO announcer Jim Lampley exclaimed "It's a Pacquiao storm" at one point in the fight, Pacquiao repeated the line and broke out into another big smile.

He was talking to the TV as well. During the second round, he kept telling his image on the screen to "jab, jab." Roach has that approach ingrained in him, it seems.

While most of Pacquiao's guests were cheering his every punch, Pacquiao was staring intensely at the television and taking bites of his steak.

When the knockout bomb landed on Hatton's jaw, the room went crazy. But Pacquiao had a very serious look on his face and crossed himself, as though he was praying for Hatton to be OK, though he already knew it to be the case since the fight had been the previous night.

Still, that's the sort of guy Pacquiao is.

He looked at me again before I could say anything and said, "Yeah, it's a good shot."

You think?

"I felt it on my knuckles."

I asked him if he thought it would be the knockout of the year.

"Yeah, I think so," he answered.

Then, without being asked, Pacquiao volunteered: "People think Hatton is bigger and stronger than me. I don't think so."

And then came another smile.

Between the big knockout he had just watched and the juicy steak he had put away, Pacquiao seemed content as he leaned back on the couch with his hands behind his head.

It's good to be the king.

Once the fight was over, folks began to file out of the room. As I was leaving, Pacquiao stood up, laid a man-hug on me and thanked me for coming.

It was my pleasure.

Source: espn.go.com

Ricky Hatton: " I Never Recovered From The First Punch"

Ricky Hatton says that he never recovered from the first punch that Manny Pacquiao was able to land last Saturday in Las Vegas, the counter right hand, that sent the Manchester fighter down for the first time in the fight, not long into the first round of their bout at the MGM Grand.

Pacquiao knocked him out cold in the second round. The first loss of his career, a tenth round TKO to Floyd Mayweather Jr in December 2007 was tough. The second loss is proving to be just as tough to take.

"I am absolutely devastated. My head is in bits. I didn’t think I could cry anymore than after the Floyd Mayweather Jnr loss, but I certainly have. Pacquiao knocked me down from practically the first punch he threw and I never recovered," Hatton told The Sun.

"Maybe my attitude was wrong because I always wear my heart on my sleeve and I was straight in there. Maybe if I had gone a few rounds I could have won, but there was nothing I could do about it. I have felt worse after hard 12-round fights, because it was over that quickly and physically I have never felt better."

It was said to the paper by Hatton's mother, that Ricky wants a farewell fight in England.

Source: boxingscene.com

Swine flu worry puts Pacquiao return on hold

Manny Pacquiao has been ordered to delay his triumphant return to the Philippines as a precaution against the spread of swine flu from the United States.

The boxing sensation cemented his status as a national hero with a dramatic two-round knockout of Britain's Ricky Hatton in Las Vegas on Saturday night.

He was due to return home ahead of a "national day of celebration" on Friday, but that will now have to wait.

The Philippines health secretary on Wednesday offered Pacquiao one of two options: Stay in Los Angeles, where he went with his family after his victory. Or return home and immediately go into self-quarantine.

"He requested a home quarantine for Manny Pacquiao to stay where he is right now for another five days upon the advice of the country representative of the World Health Organization," said Dr. Eric Tayag, director of the country's national epidemiology center.

"And after five days, if he doesn't have any signs or symptoms, he and his entourage can travel."

The virus has an incubation period of seven days. Symptoms of swine flu are not apparent during the incubation period, and a seemingly healthy-looking person can pass it on during that time.

The Filipino government is concerned that the Pacquiao motorcade could spread the virus to someone in the crowd during the rally if any one in his entourage is infected.

The Philippines has not reported any confirmed cases of the H1N1 virus. But officials there are worried about the number of cases of the virus confirmed in California.

By Wednesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) had reported 49 confirmed cases in the state out of a total of 403 cases in 38 states.

Pacquiao told Filipino reporters he will make a decision by Thursday morning.

The "Pacman" has become the hottest property in world boxing, with massive interest in his home country backed up by a growing following in the United States.

CNN reported that a potential match-up with returning Floyd Mayweather Jr. would likely be the biggest grossing fight in ring history.

It is a far cry from his early years where he grew up poor in the General Santos City in the southern Philippines.

Such is his following, Pacquiao has toyed with the idea of entering politics, but for now is concentrating his efforts on retaining his status as the best pound for pound boxer in the world.

Source: cnn.com

It’s Pacquiao’s time! The pound-for-pound king captures 6th world title

LAS VEGAS, NV—WITH one devastating left hook, Manny Pacquiao showed everyone why he is the pound-for-pound best boxer in the world.

In front of a sold out crowd at the MGM Grand Garden Arena Saturday night, May 2, Pacquiao made quick work of The Pride of Manchester Ricky Hatton, the 140-pound IBO Light Welterweight Champion.

Pacquiao knocked the British champion down twice in the first round before finishing him off in the second.

"I mean I am surprised that it was that easy, but the fighter [Hatton] fights hard," said Pacquiao after the fight. "Our strategy was the one punch. Left hook. Right hook. That was going to be the key to this fight."

Pacquiao executed the game plan with perfection.

In the first round, Hatton started aggressively. He charged Pacquiao, clinched and threw short body blows. However, Pacquiao answered back. Pacquiao gained some distance and threw a quick left hook to the head that stunned the British champion.

He landed a few more combinations before knocking down the British fighter with a right hook to the chin midway through the first round. With the Filipino crowd on its feet, British fans were in disbelief.

Pacquiao pounced on Hatton again a few moments later. This time, Pacquiao landed a flurry of punches before a left straight to the head of Hatton fell the Englishman.

Pacquiao finished off Hatton in the subsequent round.

Pacquiao landed a left hook on the chin and below Hatton’s earlobe, a textbook knockout punch. Hatton was out before he fell to the canvas.

Referee Kenny Bayless immediately waved the fight over with one second remaining in round two.

"I was just doing my job in the ring and doing my best to make the people happy," said Pacquiao. "There’s nothing personal I was just doing my job this was a big for me as the De La Hoya victory.

Hatton was not made available for comment after the fight.

The British boxer was rushed to the hospital for precautionary measures, according to Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer.

"Ricky is desperately sorry to all his fans," said Garret Williams, the CEO of Hatton Promotions. "He got caught with a great shot. Congratulations to Manny Pacquiao. He is the best fighter, possibly of all time there’s no shame in losing to somebody like that."

"I thought Ricky would get him," said Floyd Mayweather Sr., after the match. "I don’t want to get into it more than that."

Before the match, Roach predicted a Pacquiao knockout in three, he’ll settle for two.

"Manny is unbelievable," said Roach at the post-fight press conference. "I’m the best trainer in the world because I have the best fighter in the world."

Roach said that Hatton was very predictable.

"Every time he throws the left hook and cocks it, he is wide open for the right hook from the southpaw stance," Roach explained. "We worked on that every day in the gym and it just worked beautifully."

"I knew it was over," added Roach. "Ricky fights the same way over and over. He doesn’t have the ability to adjust. I watched the tapes over and over the last few months. I know him as well as I know my fighters."

The win catapults Pacquiao in the boxing history books.

Pacquiao becomes the first Asian to capture six world titles in six different weight division - flyweight, junior featherweight, featherweight, junior lightweight, lightweight and now, junior welterweight.

He also joins Oscar De La Hoya as the only boxers to captures sixth different title belt in a different weight division.

The Hatton victory is Pacquiao’s fourth win in a row in a different division.

The win improves Pacquiao’s record to 49-3-2, 37 KOs. Hatton’s record falls to 45-2 32 KOs.

Source: asianjournal.com

Manny Pacquiao: Just Another Day at the Office

It will come to no surprise to all who know me, but I was very proud of Manny “Pac-Man” Pacquiao in his stunning knock-out victory over Ricky “Hitman” Hatton last night in Las Vegas. Manny Pacquiao has long cemented his place in the boxing hall of fame for me, and Saturday night was just icing on his induction cake. Going into this fight, Pacquiao was rated as the best pound for pound fighter in the world, but Hatton was not far behind him, usually rated around #8, so this would be a great showdown. Vegas had Pacquiao as an odds on favorite to win a decision, but we all know that doesn’t always work in a fighters favor.

Round one started out the usual way for both fighters, aggressive, but with Pac-Man starting to hit Hatton a lot more than the Hitman is used to being hit. Then at the 2:06 mark, Pac-Man hit Hatton with a devastating right that dropped Hatton for an eight count. At that point, even the English announcers were questioning whether Hatton would be able to weather the storm. When this occurred, I jumped up and cheered so loudly that it woke up my daughter Kayla, who came out to see what the clatter was all about, and stuck around to watch the rest of the fight. We settled back down for another 45 seconds or so until Pac-Man dropped Hatton again, but this time, my wife Kathy, my daughter and I all jumped up screaming for Pac-Man. At that time, we all knew it would be just a matter of time until Pac-Man finished off Hatton.

In between the round, Floyd Mayweather Sr. gave his fighter probably the worst pep talk I have heard since Emmanuel Steward quit a fighter’s corner to “go get a drink”. Floyd Sr, screamed at his charge that he should have heeded his advice earlier in his camp and not tried to fight Pacquiao early. That is like telling Abe Lincoln that he should not have sat in the presidential box at the Ford’s Theater on the fateful night. Hatton is a slugger and was always going to meet Pacquiao in the center of the ring every time.

The second round brought a renewed sense of confidence for Hatton, even having him land a punch that seemed to stun Pacquiao for a second and back him up. Soon after that punch, Pacquiao seemed to shake the cobwebs and decide to settle back into his game plan. Pac-Man seemed to learn that Hatton’s power did not have the effect that would hurt him, and he went to work on breaking down Hatton. Pacquiao seemed to decide that he would step up his attack on Hatton and at the 2:57 mark of the second round, the plan paid off bigger than Mine That Bird’s payoff at the Kentucky Derby. Pac-Man threw a left hook that not only dropped Hatton, but also knocked him into another world, as referee Kenny Bayless was waved off the fight. At this point not only was I going crazy, but my wife and daughter had been making enough noise to alert the rest of my neighbors to what had taken place. Pacquiao had scrolled his name in the history books with this fight, and shook off any doubt people had of his greatness. Questions raised after he beat Oscar De La Hoya into retirement, questions like “did he beat a shell of a fighter in Oscar” and “how will he react when he has a real puncher in front of him”, were all after thoughts at the 2:57 mark.

We all know that the in demand fight will be the newly unretired Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao, probably for late 2009. But where does Ricky Hatton go from here? Despite this loss, Hatton is still near the top of the light welterweight division. Hatton now has two losses on his record, but both of those loses come from fighters who were ranked the best pound for pound at the time Hatton step into the ring with them. Hatton should be able to bounce back from this loss and still be a major force in boxing once more. As for the Pacquiao and Mayweather showdown, this fight should happen, if and when Mayweather gets by Juan Manuel Marquez in July. The target date of a Pacquiao-Mayweather “Superfight” should be December 2009. Being a Pacquiao super fan, I can’t wait for that fight to happen! GO MANNY!

Source: doghouseboxing.com

Roach plan solution to Hatton's brawler style

MANILA, Philippines – Following Freddie Roach’s game plan to the letter allowed Manny Pacquiao to score one of boxing’s most spectacular knockout wins when he flattened Ricky Hatton in just two rounds of their junior welterweight slugfest over the weekend at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The Filipino, now universally regarded as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world today, knocked the tough Briton twice in a furious action during the first three minutes of the 12-round bout.

A crushing left hook at the 2:59 mark of the second round ended it all, sending Hatton sprawling motionless on the floor as Pacquiao and his supporters celebrate at his corner.

“Ang strategy talaga naming ‘yung right hook, left hook," said Pacquiao, recalling the moments of the fight while traveling on the custom-made bus on its way from Las Vegas to Los Angeles.

In particular, he said those two kind of shots had been Hatton’s weak points in most of his fights.

“Kung maaalala ninyo, yung kay Mayweather tinamaan siya ng left hook," he said, referring to Hatton’s first career loss against Floyd Mayweather Jr., a 10th round knockout loss during their 2007 duel for the world welterweight title.

“Tapos yung ibang kalaban niya, ang nakapag-painda sa kanya ‘yung right at left hook din," he added.

Trainer Freddie Roach said it’s the only way to beat a strong brawler like Hatton.

“Every time (Hatton) throws the left hook and cocks it, he is wide open for the right hook from the southpaw stance. We worked on that every day in the gym and it just worked beautifully," he said.

“I watched the tapes over and over the last few months. I know him pretty well."

It didn’t surprise many that a right hook by Pacquiao proved to be the fight’s first significant punch 30 seconds into the first round. A minute and a half later, Hatton was down on both knees also by a Pacman right hook.

“Yung unang pasok pa lang ng right hook ko, alam kong pasok na yung strategy na ginawa naming secret weapon," said Pacquiao."Kaya nung tinamaan ko siya ng solid nung first round na unang bagsak niya, pumasok na agad sa isip ko na hindi na magtatagal ‘yung fight."

The 30-year old Filipino, who now adds the light-welterweight title to his championship collection that also includes crowns in the flyweight, super-bantamweight, super-featherweight and lightweight, said Hatton’s lack of defensive stance also caused his downfall.

“Kapag sumusugod siya, bukas talaga ang depensa niya kaya tinatamaan ko siya," he stressed.

And the moment that lethal left of his found its target, Pacquiao knew the fight was over.

“Nung last na tinamaan ko siya ng kaliwa, ramdam ko na hindi na siya makakatayo pa dahil solid na solid talaga. Nalalaman ko naman kapag malakas e," he added.

Pacquiao didn’t retreat in the comfort of his room until 3 a.m. of Sunday after attending the post-fight party arranged for him at ‘The Beach’ of the Mandalay Bay hotel.

He only had a chance to personally watched the replay of the fight shortly after the morning mass the day after held at his suite at the 60th floor of The Hotel.

Baring the soft spot in him, Pacquiao pitied Hatton a bit.

“Nung nakita ko nga sa replay naawa ako e, dahil yung mata niya nag-roll. Nakakaawa rin syempre," he said.

But as what he told his opponent from Manchester, England shortly after the bout, “it was a good fight, nothing personal." – GMANews.TV

Source: gmanews.tv

Hitman unsure over future

Ricky Hatton has told Sky Sports that he intends to become the "greatest promoter in the world", even though he is still not sure if he will box again.

The Hitman saw his hopes of becoming the best pound-for-pound fighter disappear inside six minutes against Manny Pacquiao in Las Vegas at the weekend.

A stunning stoppage loss saw the British boxer surrender his IBO light-welterweight title - and was quickly followed by talk of his retirement.

Still devastated at the outcome, Hatton admitted in an exclusive interview with Sky Sports News that he was yet to decide over whether to hang up his gloves or not.

Future plans

However, the Mancunian already has plans for a future outside the ring, insisting he will not "drift off into the distance" and leave the sport entirely.

"I really don't know at the minute because I never thought that (the second-round knockout) was going to happen," he said after being asked about his future in the ring.

"People are still going to see plenty of me. I'm going into promoting now and I've got a future with the youngsters. They are going to be fulfilling my dreams from here on in.

"I've worked with so many promoters and I believe I can do a great job at it. I believe I've been a great world champion, the best in the world. I believe I can be the greatest promoter in the world, that's the next avenue down which I'm going to go.

"But as far as physically boxing myself, I don't know what I'm going to do at the minute.

"I'm not going to drift off into the distance - boxing is my game. Sky Sports have been with me from absolutely day one. Whatever decision I make on my future Sky will be the first to know."

The 30-year-old believes the bout at the MGM Grand could have had a different outcome if he hadn't suffered such a horrendous start.

Pacquiao put him down twice in the opening round before finishing the fight just before the bell to end the second with a chilling left hook.

"If we'd have gone a few rounds it could have been different, but he caught me with practically the first punch he threw to be honest," Hatton insisted.

"I'd rather have been knocked out in two rounds than have somebody that has out-classed me for the full duration.

"I've lost twice and I've lost to the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world, it's not a bad way of looking at it, but I'm devastated.

"Maybe it could have been different, but that's boxing."

Support

Hatton - who had previously only suffered defeat at the hands of Floyd Mayweather Jnr - was quick to pay tribute to his army of supporters.

"I'm not going to say I'm the greatest British world champion we've ever had but one thing that isn't up for discussion is that there's never been a world champion from Great Britain that has had a fan base like Ricky Hatton," he added.

"In a credit crunch 30,000 people have come here this weekend. I think the most anyone else has ever had is 10,000. Nobody has ever had support like that.

"Whatever I decide to do, the following that I've had throughout my career has blown every other champion out of the water. For that I will be forever grateful."

Source: skysports.com

Pacquiao: special fighter now being compared to Roberto Duran

Manny Pacquiao is a special fighter. No question. He is now being talked about in the same breath as the likes of Roberto Duran. Yet he could go one further, having the propensity as he does to inculcate a game plan to perfection.

I wouldn't mind betting that if Floyd Mayweather Jnr defeats Juan Manuel Marquez - which one would favour him to do on head alone, not heart - if Pacquiao and Mayweather meet back here in Las Vegas in November, it will be seen as having parallels with Ali v Frazier, The Thrilla in Manila, at a lower weight.

Maybe it could be even be staged there. Regardless, it will pitch the dangerous hooks of Pacquiao (substitute) Frazier, for the sublime skills of Ali (Mayweather).

Criticise not, for it has its comparisons; the real difference being that it will be somewhere between 140lbs and 147lbs. It will be bigger than the recent battles between their foes in common.

Bigger than Mayweather v De La Hoya, greater than De La Hoya v Pacquiao. No 1 versus previous number 1. And I wouldn't mind predicting at this juncture, with the fight far off, that Pacquiao and Freddie Roach will pull of a game plan and strategy to defeat Mayweather, who will be returning after almost two years. Game on.

Pacquiao recognized that his own game plan had worked perfectly against Hatton. Yes, Hatton was very poor on the night, but take nothing away from Pacquiao. "After I knocked him down the first time with the right hook he was open for everything. I had a lot of respect for Ricky's power and that is why I worked so hard in training camp."

"Anything less would not have been sufficient to defeat him. One of the biggest advantages I have is that every fight is an opportunity to give honor to the Philippines. The Filipino people don't just give me their support, they also give me their strength, their pride and their love. It's an awesome power and a big responsibility. I am truly blessed."

Roach believes Pacquiao can get even better. "The scary thing is we still have not seen the best of Manny Pacquiao. I have never trained an athlete like Manny who after more than 50 fights is still willing to learn new techniques and is able to apply them. One of the reasons Manny is so hard to fight is because you never see the same Manny two times in a row. "

"He always has a new style making him totally unpredictable and impossible to anticipate. Plus his conditioning is supreme to anyone in the sport. He is an athletic phenomenon. I get a lot of credit for his success, but it's Manny who does the work in the gym and does the fighting in the ring. He's incredible. His last four fights have been at four different weight divisions. He goes up in weight. He goes down in weight. He fights the best in each division. He's a Manny for all seasons!"

Source: telegraph.co.uk

Pacquiao says: Personal game plan delivered KO blow

LOS ANGELES — Manny Pacquiao revealed on Monday the secret behind his unforgettable second-round knockout victory over Ricky Hatton over the weekend in Las Vegas.

While Pacquiao admits that Freddie Roach and his support staff played a pivotal role in the smashing triumph at the MGM Grand, Pacquiao said he also had his own game plan and the left hand that landed on Hatton’s jaw was a major part of it.

“I carefully studied Hatton’s style and the moment I threw that left hand and landed it on his jaw,” said Pacquiao, pointing to the area in his face where it landed exactly, “I knew he wasn’t going to get up.”

“I felt the impact of the punch up to here,” said Pacquiao, this time putting his right index finger on his left elbow.

Pacquiao said he always engages Roach in a discussion over the technique and strategy to be used and there have been several times when he would have his way.

“If I don’t feel right and comfortable with something that’s being discussed during training, I tell them and they would listen to me,” said Pacquiao, who hooked up with Roach in mid-2001.

With the exception of one fight--a loss to Erik Morales in March 2005 — Roach and Pacquiao have been playing beautiful music together.

Roach also admits that it is Pacquiao’s streak of wins that has elevated him to a higher status among the world’s finest cornermen.

“Manny Pacquiao makes me look good,” said Roach in a modest manner.

Their teamup is so successful that on June 12 in New York, Pacquiao and Roach will receive major awards from the prestigious Boxing Writers Association of America as “Fighter of the Year” and “Trainer of the Year,” respectively.

Still, Roach’s influence on Pacquiao has made the Filipino fighter what he is now.

From an offense-oriented fighter who made his debut in June 2001, Pacquiao has metamorphosed into a do-it-all punching machine now regarded as the best boxer in the world pound-for-pound and appears headed towards becoming an all-time great.

On the horizon for Pacquiao are Floyd Mayweather, Juan Manuel Marquez, Shane Mosley and Miguel Cotto, who has an inside track over the rest since he is also under the Top Rank banner like Pacquiao.

Source: mb.com.ph

Pacquiao now in rare ring company

HOLLYWOOD - FROM POUND-FOR-POUND king to an all-time great.

That’s the giant leap Manny Pacquiao took on Saturday (Sunday in Manila) when he knocked out Ricky Hatton in their showdown for the Briton’s International Boxing Organization light welterweight crown at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

Pacquiao needed just two rounds to clinch his fifth world title and become the only boxer—living or dead—to have fought in four divisions in succession and won them all.

Not even the great Henry Armstrong, the only boxer to hold world titles in three divisions simultaneously, was able to match what Pacquiao has accomplished.

Showing an uncanny ability to hop from one weight division to another with ease, Pacquiao dethroned super featherweight champ Juan Manuel Marquez at 130 pounds, knocked out lightweight king David Diaz at 135 lb and stopped Oscar De La Hoya at 147 lb.

Then, in his very first fight at 140 lb, Pacquiao again defied the odds by knocking out Hatton, who was previously unbeaten at that weight for 12 years and 43 fights, with only a second to go in the second round.

As soon as the thunderous left hook landed on Hatton’s jaw, Pacquiao said he knew Hatton was out cold.

“Solid na solid,” Pacquiao told sportswriters near the back of the 56-seater luxury bus emblazoned with his image that brought back Team Pacquiao here from Las Vegas.

Top Rank head Bob Arum, who promotes Pacquiao’s fights, wants to pit him against Puerto Rican world welterweight champ Miguel Angel Cotto in November at Madison Square Garden in New York.

Other star fighters like welterweight Shane Mosley, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., Humberto Soto and Edwin Valero all want a piece of Pacquiao.

Also on the list are former pound-for-pound best fighter Floyd Mayweather Jr. who is coming out of retirement to fight Juan Manuel Marquez on July 18.

Actually, Pacquiao doesn’t mind who his next opponent will be, but said he would prefer to fight again in October.

“Anybody will do,” Pacquiao said in Filipino. “I can fight at 140, 147 or even at 135.”

Awed by Pacquiao’s mastery of Hatton, many ring experts have begun labeling him as an all-time great.

Boxing historian Bert Sugar, in an interview with Philboxing’s Hermie Rivera, said Pacquiao is definitely the best Asian fighter ever.

Sugar puts Pacquiao in the company of Joe Louis, Muhammad Ali and Sugar Ray Robinson.

And Pacquiao thinks he remains as a work in progress.

“I feel I can still improve my game,” said Pacquiao, who was in high spirits throughout the 320-km trip that lasted five hours.

Source: inquirer.net

Pacquiao silences Hatton fans, Floyd Sr.

Rafael's remark: Pacquiao is the king. He now is to boxing what LeBron James is to the NBA, what Tiger Woods is to golf. You get the picture. There is no doubt, especially after his utterly dominant and pulverizing knockout victory of Hatton to win the junior welterweight world championship. The pound-for-pound king not only cemented his status as the No. 1 fighter in the world, but he also went into the boxing record books. Here are the stats: He won a world championship in his sixth weight class to match Oscar De La Hoya's record. He now has won titles at flyweight (112 pounds), junior featherweight (122), featherweight (126), junior lightweight (130), lightweight (135) and junior welterweight (140). He also became the first fighter in boxing history to earn recognition as the lineal champion (the people's champion or the man who beat the man who beat the man or the real champion -- however you want to categorize it) in four divisions (112, 126, 130, 140). Further, it was Pacquiao's fourth win in a row in a different division (130, 135, 147, 140). He jumped up to welterweight in December and sent De La Hoya into retirement before dropping down for his first fight at 140 pounds, where Hatton had reigned as king for the past several years. But he proved no match for Pacquiao.

The PacMan simply ran roughshod over England's Hatton, who had brought an estimated 25,000 Brits to Las Vegas for the fight, many of whom didn't have tickets to the sold-out arena (16,262) but just wanted to be in town for the spectacular atmosphere of a big fight. No fighter travels his fans better than Hatton, and no fighter leaves his fans more disappointed in a big spot than Hatton. Many of those fans also had crossed the pond in 2007 to see Hatton get knocked out by then-No. 1 fighter Floyd Mayweather Jr. in a welterweight title fight in the same MGM Grand ring. But Pacquiao didn't need the 10 rounds Mayweather did. Pacquiao took him out in less than two rounds in a ruthless performance.

Under trainer Freddie Roach, who predicted a stoppage win for Pacquiao inside three rounds, Pacquiao has become a two-handed fighter. He used to be nothing but a left-handed fighter. Now, the blazing fast southpaw is a two-fisted machine. His right hook scored the first knockdown in the opening round, and Hatton was done after that. A second knockdown followed with a left hand. Then late in the second round, which Pacquiao was dominating, he landed a left cross that might be one of the greatest knockout punches ever in a big fight. The shot caught Hatton square on the jaw, and he was out before he hit the canvas. Upon impact, Hatton's head smashed the mat in a brutal scene. Referee Kenny Bayless, who is one of the best, didn't bother to count. Hatton was motionless in the center of the ring and needed medical attention after what is so far the clear knockout of the year.

Hatton had a great run, winning titles in two divisions, making tens of millions of dollars and drawing some of the greatest crowds in boxing. But his run at the top looks like it's over. Maybe he will fight again, but it's clear he never again will be on this level. If he does fight again, you can bank on trainer Floyd Mayweather Sr. being fired. The self-anointed greatest trainer in the world talked the talk and insulted Roach at every turn, but when it was go time, he crapped out and deserves to take his share of the blame for the loss.

As for Pacquiao, he rules boxing in the post-De La Hoya era. The fight the world wants to see is him against Floyd Mayweather Jr., who announced his unretirement hours before this fight. He'll take on old Pacquiao rival Juan Manuel Marquez on July 18. The winner, especially if it's Mayweather, against Pacquiao will be by far the biggest fight in boxing. It will happen eventually, because the money is just too great for it not to happen.

Source: espn.go.com

Hatton: I'm Devastated

All-Time Pacquiao

There was a time not too long ago when Manny Pacquiao - for all his accolades and achievements - was viewed as a flawed, somewhat one-dimensional fighter. As of last year, many boxing insiders believed that he'd go life and death with the likes of Humberto Soto. They also believed that he was considered the best fighter in the world pound-for-pound only by default because of the hiatus taken by one Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Well, in the wake of Ricky Hatton falling down like the London Bridge, that time is no longer. It's not even a debate as to who the greatest fighting machine in the world today is after Hatton was brutally knocked out in the second round by 'the Pac Man'. The discussion among the ringside media now focused on just where he stands all-time.

Yeah, all-time.

Just think about it, he began his career about the same size as Ricardo Lopez, won his first major world title at 112 (think Mark 'Too Sharp' Johnson), skipped all the way up to 122, where he mugged Lehlo Ledwaba, who was considered the best fighter in that weight division at that time in 2001. And soon he embarked on his battles against 'the Three Mexican Musketeers' of the featherweight division (Juan Manuel Marquez, Marco Antonio Barrera and Erik Morales), where he went a combined 5-1-1. He became the first Asian boxer to win world championships in four weight classes by stopping David Diaz for the WBC lightweight title and he then ruined two Golden Boy Promotions franchises by halting Oscar De La Hoya and now Hatton, who came into this bout as the recognized jr. welterweight champion of the world.

It wasn't so much that Hatton was beat. He was a considerable underdog for a reason. But he had come into that fight having never lost a fight at 140 pounds. Nobody, save perhaps Pacquiao's trainer Freddie Roach, expected him to get obliterated the way he did. A smashing Pacquiao left hand in the middle of the second frame sent him crashing on his back, not just out for the 10 count, but for about 10 minutes.

From the very onset he was simply outclassed. While he tried to charge Pacquiao with his customary aggression, he was met early on by a right hook that visibly shook him. Halfway through the opening stanza, you could see that Hatton's supposed advantages in strength and size were going to be easily negated by the Filipino's speed and precision. As his face got reddened from the slicing shots of Pacquiao, you got the sense this was David Diaz all over again. Only Hatton - whose chin showed signs of faltering last year versus Juan Lazcano - wouldn't be nearly as durable. He was knocked down twice late in the first and what took place in the second was just a mere formality.

“I believe that it's a hard punch," said Pacquiao of his finishing kick, "and I believe he could not get up." He's obviously as good at understatement as he is at boxing. That punch - which might end up being the Knockout of the Decade - was an exclamation point to a bold statement that Pacquiao has been making since his close shave versus Marquez last March. And the statement is very simple - I'm truly a great prizefighter, one of the best of this past generation, and any other era before it.

"Manny's unbelievable; he makes me look good," said his trainer, who has molded this masterpiece since 2001. "He's the best fighter in the world and that's why he makes me the best trainer in the world because he listens and I really love working with this guy. He's in his prime right now, he's on top of his game. He's just getting better all the time. Anyone in the world, he can beat them all."

On a day when a 50-to-1 longshot won the Kentucky Derby, Roach had to feel like Ron Turcotte riding Secretariat. At age 30, Pacquiao is just now hitting his stride as a complete, well-rounded fighter. No longer is he the guy whose technical flaws had to be overcome with his God-given speed and power. Now there is an intersection between his athletic gifts and his boxing acumen. It's uncanny to see Pacquiao and Roach work on something at the Wild Card Boxing Club, whether it be a certain combination, or a pivot step, and to have him execute it perfectly on fight night.

Simply put, his boxing IQ has caught up to his considerable skill set.

“You’re seeing something that is developing. And the thing that I love - and every professional athlete should take it to heart because so many of them reach success and then they know everything and they don't learn anything - this young man, Manny Pacquiao, learns every training session, every fight and keeps getting better and better. He is, just the way he lives his life and the way he performs, a lesson to every athlete, no matter what discipline, around the world," said his promoter Bob Arum.

An effusive Arum would continue by pontificating to the media, "I'm telling you, what I'm watching is something that is astounding. Usually, when a world-class boxer reaches the top, he can be good for a number of years but there's no improvement. This young man improves every, single fight. He's doing things that he didn't do two years ago. And every fight, he's doing more things, other things. His defense is tremendous, his reflexes now are tremendous and I have never, ever seen in the 40 years - and I'll say this without any hyperbole - I have never seen any fighter combine the speed and the explosive power that he does."

Arum, who can engage in hyperbole with the best of them, is correct; Pacquiao is a mesmerizing blend of speed and power that is now contained and controlled in a professional manner. He is the most lethal weapon in boxing, bar none.

There are no immediate plans for Pacquiao's future, although the usual names were thrown out there like Shane Mosley and Miguel Cotto, who would both have to come down in weight to make those fights a reality. And of course, there is a guy who officially announced his return to the ring on the morning of Pacquiao-Hatton.

"Mayweather, if he wants a part of this little Filipino, juuuust be my guest," said Arum. Based on how devastating Pacquiao looked on Saturday night, after facing Juan Manuel Marquez on July 18th, he might start calling out Ivan Calderon.

"I hope you enjoyed the show," said Pacquiao, who promised to sing at his post-fight party at the Mandalay Bay. "It's nothing personal, doing my job in the ring."

And right now, nobody does it better.

NO JOY

There was a lot of talk about friction in Hatton's camp that centered on Floyd Mayweather Sr. and his inability to get along with the rest of the camp. What I found very interesting - and disturbing to be honest with you - was that after the fight as I moved my way along press row to the aisle where the fighters make their way back to the dressing rooms, while Hatton groggily walked to the bowels of the arena, he was not accompanied by Mayweather Sr.

In fact, Mayweather Sr. wouldn't make his way for another 10 minutes or so. And as he did, he was taking pictures, signing autographs and smiling the whole way as if he didn't have a care in the world. Is this the way someone should conduct themselves after their fighter was savagely knocked out? And no matter what he says, he was in that corner and in fact was introduced by Michael Buffer, in a first. You may have had disagreements with Hatton and his team in the lead-up to that fight, but doesn't he deserve more respect than that?

If he was so willing to accept all the plaudits for his fighter’s victory and then call out Freddie 'the Joke Coach' Roach (as he calls him), then shouldn't he be willing to accept at least some accountability for what took place on Saturday night? I happen to get along with Floyd Sr., but in this instance he was completely out of line. As they say, when you point fingers, three of them come right back at you.

I always thought that this was a rather strange union, Hatton and Mayweather. Not only from a stylistic perspective of boxing, but also from a personality standpoint. And was it just me, or did anyone find it a bit strange and unsettling that on 24/7 that Mayweather had no problems in making a 'run for the border' and grabbing some Taco Bell and being tardy for his training session with Hatton? If he would do that while the cameras were on him, just how many times was he late before and after?

I was told that Oscar De La Hoya was infuriated by the results of the fight and had some harsh words for Mayweather Sr. afterwards in the dressing room.

WEIGHT?

One thing I found interesting about the bout between Mayweather and Juan Manuel Marquez on July 18th is that when the media asked just what the weight limit would be for this fight, they were told, '143, give or take a pound.'

Huh?

What is this, a pay-per-view main event, or a six-round swing bout on a club show?

FINAL FLURRIES

OK, so based on the last three Pacquiao fights, does the equation go like this: Diaz > De La Hoya > Hatton?....Seriously, did you ever think that Diaz would be more competitive versus Pacquiao than those other two?....Don't know about you guys, but I thought the most impressive prospect on that pay-per-view card was Matt Korobov, by far. I think this guy is the goods....I thought Urbano Antillon was solid in dispatching Tyrone Harris in five on Friday night at the Hard Rock in Las Vegas.....That was a pretty good scrap between Alfonso Gomez and Juan Buendia. Gomez would stop Buendia in the 8th round with a body shot....

Source: maxboxing.com

Beard: Hatton 'too excited'

Assistant trainer Lee Beard admitted Ricky Hatton left the gameplan in the dressing room before being knocked out by Manny Pacquiao in the second round of their fight in Las Vegas.

Speaking at the post-fight press conference with Hatton making his way to hospital for scans, Beard said that Hatton - who had promised a new-look style under the guidance of Floyd Mayweather Snr - turned the fight into brawl just like the old days.

"He just seemed to get over excited," Beard said. "He started off, he just got too excited and it just turned into a bit of a brawl basically.

"Manny was brilliant on the night as well but it wasn't that tactical.

"Both of them just stood there swinging. There wasn't any time for pivoting or feinting, they just kept swinging at each other.

"Manny caught him up inside and had quick hands up in the middle of Ricky and hurt Ricky a couple of times in the first round.

"Then in the second round Ricky walked onto the punch that counted. That punch would have knocked anyone down, it was that good."
For the fans

Beard reiterated that any decision on Hatton's future would have to be made by the fighter and no-one else.

"He's made a stack of money. He mentioned the fans and it really hurts him because he fights for the fans," he added.

"They came out in their thousands again for him and I think that affects him mentally, it hurts him.

"But it's all about what he wants to do, don't carry on fighting for the fans. You've got to think of your health as well.

"He got caught with some big shots in there and maybe if it had gone six or eight rounds there would have been more wear and tear. But he got caught early, it was only the second round and he got hurt a few times before then."

And Beard denied there was any rift with Mayweather Snr prior to the fight, adding: "Me and Floyd were laughing and joking beforehand - there's no problems at all.

"There have been rumours to stir up the camp, but there's no problems between me and him.

"Ricky drifted from the game plan - he turned it into a brawl and got caught."

Source: skysports.com

Ricky Hatton says sorry to fans after Manny Pacquiao defeat

Hatton lost his IBO and Ring Magazine titles in a crushing knockout by pound-for-pound king Pacquiao that sent the Englishman to hospital and led to calls for the 30-year-old to retire following the second defeat of his professional career.

Hatton received a brain scan at the Valley Hospital in Las Vegas immediately after the fight at the MGM Grand Garden Arena before being allowed to return to his hotel suite a few hours later.

He later made an apology to thousands of fans who had travelled to the Nevada desert city and had seen him lose after just five minutes and 59 seconds.

"I'm so desperately sorry for you all," Hatton said. "I thought I would win but it went wrong.

"I'm OK but so upset for the supporters. I didn't see the punch coming, but it was a great shot," he added. "I congratulate Manny. He is a terrific fighter."

Hatton was last night hosting a poolside party at the MGM Grand Hotel and appeared relaxed and unmarked following his ordeal the previous night as he posed for pictures with his younger brother Matthew, who had won his welterweight fight on the undercard.

Yet hours earlier, talk of a rift in the Hatton camp between American trainer Floyd Mayweather Sr and English assistant trainer Lee Beard was raised once again as a possible contributory factor to the defeat.

"It's an interesting point but the one person to blame is Pacquiao," Hatton Promotions chief executive Gareth Williams said on Saturday night.

Mayweather Sr only briefly appeared at the post fight press conference but had not sat on the chairs and taken questions alongside Beard and Williams.

"Lee's a lot more involved with Ricky Hatton than Floyd Mayweather is," Williams added. "Floyd Mayweather was brought in for 12 weeks to do a job and that's the end of it.

"He's finished now and we don't know what's going to happen.

"Lee Beard's with Hatton Promotions 365 days a year, Floyd Mayweather's there for 12 weeks before a fight and that's the difference.

"Probably the best way to describe (Floyd) is that he's on board as a consultant.

"Mayweather's come in to do a specific job.

"He doesn't control Ricky Hatton, he doesn't speak for Ricky Hatton, he speaks for Floyd Mayweather and if he doesn't want to be here, he doesn't want to be here."

Mayweather Sr had waged a war of words with Pacquiao's handler Freddie Roach throughout the fight build-up but despite the defeat insisted he was still the better trainer.

"Freddie Roach's man listened, my man didn't and I'm not going to take anything (away) from him," Mayweather Sr said.

"He overshadowed me today, but is he a better trainer than me? Hell no."

Asked to pinpoint the reason for Hatton's quick demise, Mayweather Sr said: "He should have kept his hands up better. If you want to talk about the mistake, that was the mistake – something I've been preaching and preaching and preaching about."

Yet Mayweather insisted, contrary to some reports, that it was not his place to tell Hatton to retire.

"I couldn't tell anybody to retire and I wouldn't suggest that he retire, I would let him do it on his own. I think that's the best way to do that," he said.

"Sometimes when people know they are through they might want to continue, try again, try one more time but at the end of the day the individual, whoever they may be, should make that decision.

"He tried twice, he failed twice so I'm just saying that strike three is out. It's his choice at the end of the day though."

Source: telegraph.co.uk

Dougie's MASSIVE Monday Mailbag

Manny Mania is in full effect after his awesome display of skill, speed, power, and precision against a woefully outclassed Ricky Hatton Saturday in Las Vegas. Fans and media aren’t arguing whether or not the Filipino idol is a great fighter, only where he ranks all time. As can be expected, the diehard Pac-Maniacs are convinced he’s the G.O.A.T., which has spurred at least 80 heated emails to Yours Truly, demanding that I reconsider the outcomes to my recent column “How would Pacquaio fare versus five all-time greats?” (http://www.ringtv.com/blog/617/how_would_pacquaio_fare_versus_five_alltime_greats/), which was written before PacMan’s destruction of Hatton.

I could devote seven or eight mailbags to defending my picks, but I’m not going to waste too much time or space doing so; mainly because it’s clear that most of the fans who take exception to my opinions in that column have not seen the prime versions of Wilfredo Gomez, Salvador Sanchez, Alexis Arguello, Roberto Duran, and Aaron Pryor fight. I’m more than happy to debate anyone who has watched at least three entire fights of these five all-time greats when they were in their prime, but I won’t waste my time with kooky fans suffering from acute PacMan Fever.

And be warned folks, I’ll quiz your goofy asses before exchanging emails with you on this subject. If you can’t tell me who my Fabulous Five beat to win their first world titles without referencing BoxRec.com I will dismiss you quicker than Pacquiao wiped out Hatton. I’ll ask you what happened in the seventh round of Duran’s rematch with Esteban De Jesus and if you can’t answer me, you can piss off.

But please stick around and enjoy this week’s MASSIVE Monday Mailbag.


DID YOU SEE THAT COMING?

Hi Doug,
I’ll keep it short since I know you will be inundated with emails.

So did u see that coming? I didn't. The bookies didn't. I'm certain Ricky Hatton didn't see it either. I had to watch the replay of the first knockdown from a different angle to see what happened. From one angle the punch seemed 'soft' but then from another angle I could see the devastating right 'crack' on Ricky's chin... that's when I went 'ooohh, its not that soft after all'.

I have to hand it to the Pacman & Roach combo (i.e. Batman and Robin). They work as one and seem to get better each time. Pacquiao has changed for the better since the last Juan Manuel Marquez fight. You could see it (if you hit slow-mo) from the quality of his punches and his movement across the ring. Now bring on Miguel Cotto and Shane Mosley at a catchweight. I don't think they have the movement, stamina and unrelenting volume punching Pac will bring... but they should see it past round two.

BTW, what’s with the bias with UK sites. Their headline is more like 'Hatton loses'. Checkout YahooSportsUK or SecondsOut. It's all skewed towards Hatton. Don't get me wrong, I like Hatton as a person too, seems like someone you can have a drink with in the pub but the disrespect for Pacquiao is astounding to me.

Keep up the great work! -- Perry, Sydney

What kind of headlines do you expect from UK sites? “The Sh__tman Goeth”? “Hatton squashed like a ‘lil b___h!”? “Manny-slaughter!”? (Credit for this last one goes to US publicist Fred Sternburg.)

Hatton was nearly decapitated. If the UK sites went easy on him in their headlines, good for them.

There’s no disrespect for Pacquiao, just a little compassion for Ricky. Nothing wrong with that. From what I was hearing from the British media while we were writing up our deadline pieces and post-fight columns on press row, I don’t think many handled Hatton with kid gloves in their stories. But I haven’t read all the post-fight stories on the fight. It was an exhausting week and weekend in Las Vegas, and to be honest, I’m a little burnt out on the Pacquiao-Hatton subject.

I covered the fight and I witnessed a great performance from a great fighter. I’m keeping it that simple. I don’t need to read volumes of post-fight analysis on Hatton’s 5-minute-59-second destruction.

Did I see that coming? HELL to the NO.

All you have to do is read the Monday and Friday mailbags from last week to find out how I viewed this matchup going into the bout. Like most US fans and media, I thought Pacquiao would win, probably by knockout, but most of us thought it would be a late stoppage.

Just as he did against Oscar De La Hoya, Pacquiao exceeded expectations. That’s what the pound-for-pound best boxer on the planet is supposed to do.


PLEASE REWRITE PAC VS. ALL-TIME FIVE

Hey Doug,
After seeing the bout yesterday between Pacquiao & Hatton, I wanna see you re-write your column and think long and hard how much you underestimated Pacman. -- Deacart

How did I underestimate him? The only matchup that dealt with a 140-pound version of Pacquiao was the Aaron Pryor fight and I had him losing by SPLIT decision!

Have you ever seen the prime Pryor fight?

I think I gave Pacquiao benefit of the doubt.


WHAT NOW!?

Doug -
The only negative facing PacMan now is that minus Floyd Mayweather -- a fight that isn't necessarily written in stone, yet -- is that unless he ventures into a ridiculously foreign weight class, there doesn't appear to be another "event" fight out there. I'd like to see JM Marquez III and Shane Mosley would be very cool but can you think of a mega event fight for him minus Floyd? -- Kevin Key, St. Cloud, MN

I think the biggest potential event for Pacquiao is the Mayweather Jr. fight because it would match two fighters with legit claims to the pound-for-pound crown (assuming Floyd got past JMM, which is not a given in my not-so-humble opinion), and both fighters are well known and respected by even casual boxing fans. However, there are enough “events” for Pacquiao to keep him busy for the next two years.

There’s the rubber match with Marquez (should the mighty Mexican master beat Mayweather two months from now), and 144/145-pound catchweight bouts with Miguel Cotto (if the Puerto Rican titleholder beats Josh Clottey next month) and Shane Mosley. Most elite fighters only fight twice a year these days, so those potential matchups would keep Pacquiao busy until the end of next year. By that time, young badasses like Edwin Valero and Victor Ortiz may have advanced and gained enough credibility and fan followings to merit a shot at Pacquiao.


HATTON'S FUTURE

Hey Dougie,
As a UK fan, I loved the coverage you gave of Froch and Hatton in their differently-fated American fights recently. How's this for an idea if Hatton decides he's too much of a warrior to retire yet: he goes after Timothy Bradley in a double world-title bout. Hatton would get a comeback fight which he could probably win, and then be a beltholder again, whilst Bradley gets the biggest payday of his career. He could then retire on a high, or fight Amir Khan in a UK superfight for the belt he's going to take off Andres Kotelnik in June.

If he doesn't do this, then Mayweather's latest move throws up another interesting possibility: their fight means Juan Manuel Marquez is likely to soon join Hatton on the list of his and Pacquiao's joint victims. A fight between them would be a great slugfest, the White Mexican vs a living legend of the ring, and Hatton's weight and age advantages could well see him triumph in that one as well. After all, if the winners of Hatton-Pacquiao and Mayweather-Marquez are apparently destined to meet, why not the losers too? Whatever he does, I know as a Briton that Hatton will never be eclipsed in the public's affections by David Haye, Carl Froch or Amir Khan, regardless of the extent to which their achievements in the ring eventually outclass his own. -- Dave, London, UK

I’m glad to hear that. Hatton’s definitely the most popular British fighter that I’ve covered in my 10 years sitting among press row, more so even than Lennox Lewis or Naseem Hamed.

I think he needs to get out of the game while he still has his marbles. He’s got great fans, a beautiful family and a lot of money in the bank. Why should he risk his cranium fighting the dangerous likes of JM Marquez and Timothy Bradley? Bradley’s too young, fresh and strong for Hatton, and Marquez is too damn good, period. Even green-ass Amir Khan is a threat to Hatton after the manner in which the Hitman was KO’d by PacMan. I would favor Marquez and “Desert Storm” to not only beat Hatton, but stop him by the middle rounds. If they fought at a 143- or 144-pound catchweight, I might give Hatton shot at beating Khan, but not at 140, which I believe Hatton can no longer make, I think the young man beats the veteran.

Hatton can fight Marquez or Bradley at any weight and it wouldn’t matter; I think they would whup his ass.

By the way, don’t count Marquez out against Mayweather, and don’t count Kotelnik out against Khan.


IMPRESSED, NOT COMPLETELY SOLD

What's up dude? What else can I say about Manny's performance other than it was devastating?! I'm pretty sure that Floyd Mouthweather's plan wasn't for Ricky to walk in with no jab and no head movement but I get the feeling that the result would have been the same no matter what Ricky tried. That being said, I'm not buying any stock until Manny dominates or just plain defeats a guy that can get out of the way of a punch. Until then, no more Hammering Hank comparisons.

(p.s. Abragu-Garcia was top shelf for pure violence. He won this one but I see him going home in a box if he fights anyone in the top ten.)

Holla back! -- Fleetwood St. Louis, Mo.

I agree that Pacquiao isn’t in Henry Armstrong’s league, but I have to give him credit for taking full advantage of the weaknesses or flaws of whoever is put in front of him. Since he went life and death with Juan Manuel Marquez he hasn’t just been beating his opponents, he’s been annihilating them. Of course, his last three opponents haven’t exactly been geniuses of ring generalship, if you know what I mean. They kind of invited those ass whippings, didn’t they?

That’s why a showdown with a bona fide defensive specialist like Mayweather Jr. or a rubber match with Marquez is what I want to see by the end of this year. Pacquiao is definitely the pound-for-pound king, and I consider him to be a great fighter, but right now there are a lot of all-time greats that I would rank above him if I were to compile an all-time great pound-for-pound top 20 or 30. In fact, I’m not sure if he would make the top 20.


IS A RE-ANALYSIS IN ORDER?

Hi Doug,
After Pacquaio's demolishion of Hatton, do you still stand by your analysis how Pacquiao would fare against the 5 greats? Please respond.

Thanks. -- Jeffrey from Vancouver

The power, poise and patience he showed in destroying Hatton definitely causes me to reanalyze the 140-pound mythical matchup with Aaron Pryor. However, his performance against Hatton does not cause me to reconsider or rethink the other mythical matchups in that feature because those involved the lighter-weight versions of Pacquiao (at 122, 126, 130 and 135 pounds) vs. my four favorite all-time greats in those particular weight classes (Gomez at 122, Sanchez at 126, Arguello at 130 and Duran at 135).

I only had the Oscar De La Hoya fight to go on when pontificating on how Pacquiao would fare fighting a fellow great at 140 pounds (he weighed in two pounds over the junior welterweight limit for that bout and performed flawlessly, but not with as much power as he did for Hatton, for whom he weighed in at 138). I thought he had the speed, footwork and versatility to go the distance with the great Pryor, but I wasn't sure if could match the Hawk's power. Maybe he could have. I don't know, but my hunch is that Pryor would have been able to take Pac's power at 140, and he'd still narrowly out-point him in a better fight than I envisioned last week, before the Hatton annihilation.


FANTASY FIVE MATCHUPS

Doug,
I have all the respect for your fighters that you've setup for Manny Pacquiao in your fantasy fights. But seriously, how could you honestly say that Pacquiao would win only one fight out of five (and in a very close match)??? That's just plain stupid man... Or you're just not that really good a boxing analyst as you are... Did you really put all factors into place? Don't you see how great a boxer Pacquiao is at the weight classes he's fought?? C'mon man, probably when he was at junior feather weight he was just a slugger who had a one punch weapon in his arsenal and no defensive tactics whatsoever... But you got to give it to him that when he started to reign in the featherweight division, he already had the chops...

You ought to come up with another article with a little more touch of reality that what really would have happened if Manny was to fight them at both of their primes at each of the weight classes.. Or maybe you should just wait first after he destroys the current world welterweight champ.. Or maybe after he runs over the former no. 1 pound for pound fighter Mayweather Jr in any weight class he prefers.. Then maybe your fantasy fights would have a more objective result.. Thanks... Best regards. -- Boxing Fan

There was nothing stupid about my analysis in that feature. You are wrong about Pacquiao having “chops” when he reigned in the featherweight divisions -- he struggled with Agapito Sanchez (at 122 pounds), he was schooled by JM Marquez after dropping the Mexican three times in the first round (at 126 pounds), and he lost to Erik Morales when they fought for the first time (at 130 pounds). Many fans and media believe Pacquiao lost to Marquez in their rematch (at 130). PacMan didn’t begin to put it all together until his lightweight fight with tough-but-limited David Diaz; Freddie Roach will be the first to admit this. It’s not out of line to believe that naturally bigger and stronger fighters with equal or more experience, talent and skill than Marquez or Morales would have beat Pacquiao.

No offense, but I think my analysis of how Pacquiao would fare against the likes of Gomez, Sanchez, Arguello, Duran and Pryor is more educated than yours.

I can tell from this email that you’re a diehard Pacquiao fan. You’re caught up in “Manny Mania” and you can’t conceive that anyone who weighed between flyweight and middleweight in the history of boxing could even come close to beating the version of Pacquiao we saw blast out Ricky Hatton Saturday night (even though Victor Ortiz, Edwin Valero, Marcos Maidana, Ricardo Torres, and Randall Bailey probably would have done the same thing to the weight-drained Brit), and even though you’ve never even seen an entire fight of 99.9-percent of the boxers who are enshrined in the International Boxing Hall of Fame.

That’s OK. I’m glad Pacquiao has such loyal fans. It’s good for the sport. I just hope you guys don’t become as obnoxious as Mayweather, Jones, Tyson, Klitschko, Lewis, and Hamed fans became in the late ‘90s and early part of this decade.


THE FRAUDULENT SNAKE IS BACK

Doug,
As always I hope all is well with you and your family.

While it's not ground-breaking conventional wisdom I can't help but comment on how Floyd Mayweather, Jr. once again reminds the boxing world who/what he truly is: A highly skilled boxer who *severely* lacks self-confidence (*Emphasis added). However, where he does not fall short is boxing acumen and outside-looking-in ring intelligence.

I see a fraudulent snake who'll shamelessly insult our (fans and media alike) intelligence to no end. He's not disillusioned as I've heard him described before, he simply isn't honest but it's not by accident. The essence of PBF cannot be found until more folks (like you and some others) ignore the noise masked by words and convoluted salesmen pitching a fight. Soon enough it comes to reading the tea leaves - allowing for observation to outweigh what we're told to think. Post-Castillo, PBF changed his modus operandi, though most seem to disagree with my cynical view - I don't get why.

In what's largely a 'group-think' media I'm sure a win over JMM will reaffirm Floyd's place at the top of the sport. Little context will be placed on the contest and the clever con man will prevail once again.

So my question for you: Do you think that Floyd truly believes he can beat Manny Pacquiao? If the concluding response is a resounding no, should all prepare for yet another teary-eyed retirement party come June 18th?

Have a good one. -- Sean

You know what I think of Floyd “Needs Money” Mayweather Jr: Great talent and skill, without a great heart to go with it. He won’t fight anyone he doesn’t KNOW he can beat. Before he fights an elite fighter that fighter has to first look vulnerable in some way. Pacquiao hasn’t looked vulnerable in any category in his recent fights, so I don’t think Mayweather will actively pursue the Pac-Monster after his July 18 showdown with JM Marquez.

And by the way, I think Marquez is going to shock the s__t out of Needs Money. When’s the last time Mayweather took on a fighter as smart, skilled, experienced and gutsy as Marquez? This ain’t Carlos Baldomir, a faded Oscar De La Hoya, or a made-to-order Ricky Hatton, this is Juan-Mother-F__king-Marquez he’s stepping in the ring with, the man who gave Manny Pacquiao pure hell last March and then knocked out Joel Casamayor and Juan Diaz.

This broke-ass fool better be ready to defend his legacy come July 18.

Source: ringtv.com

Pacquiao is still peaking after all these years

You could be forgiven for having expected something slightly less spectacular from Manny Pacquiao Saturday night, if for no other reason than it seemed unlikely he’d be able to top what he’d done against Oscar De La Hoya last time out.

Ricky Hatton is a young, strong, world champion fighter, and Pacquiao had set the bar very high against De La Hoya, “The Golden Boy’s” age and obviously desiccated state notwithstanding.

So it wouldn’t have been shocking if Pacquiao failed to reach the expectations he created against De La Hoya. Indeed, the possibility that he would not and could not is what Hatton and his team counted on.

“He has had two fights above 130 pounds,” Hatton said before the fight “One was against Oscar. No punches were coming his way. I could look like Sugar Ray Robinson if my opponent fights like that against me.”

So what does Pacquiao do? He walks through Hatton like he’s not there.

This gives rise to the somewhat harrowing question: how good is Pacquiao going to get before we see a drop-off? When will we know that he has peaked? We keep waiting for the drop-off that never comes. The bigger the challenge, the better he is.

The blowout of Erik Morales in their rubber match. David Diaz. De La Hoya. Now Hatton. The only fighter that’s made Pacquiao look human is Juan Manuel Marquez.

And they’re not done with one another yet.

It’s damn unnatural, is what it is.

Every fighter reaches an apex in his career when his performance represents the best he ever has been and ever will be, and everything that follows is necessarily down hill. The examples in recent history are myriad.

Roy Jones appeared at the very height of his powers when he outpointed John Ruiz in 2003. His very next fight, the first against Antonio Tarver, initiated his alarmingly precipitous decline.

Kostya Tszyu never looked better than he did while blasting out Sharmba Mitchell in their rematch in November 2004. Next fight? Mauled, submitted, and retired by Hatton.

Shane Mosley nearly decapitated poor Adrian Stone to cement his status as the best in the world pound-for-pound in July 2001. Then disaster came against Vernon Forrest, who appeared on top of the world himself until Ricardo Mayorga mugged him in 2003.

Cristian Mijares was one of the best in the world. Until suddenly he wasn’t.
Pacquiao? Outside of the pedestrian win here and there -- such as those over Oscar Larios and Marco Antonio Barrera in their rematch -- he seems to raise the bar in every fight.

“Nobody’s gonna beat this Filipino—nobody!” Bob Arum told the press after Pacquiao pancaked Hatton. “What this man did is astounding. I have never seen such devastating, tremendous speed and power in the 40 years I’ve been in this business.”

The term hyperbole was invented with Arum in mind, but you can see why he’s excited. We all should be.

Still, sooner or later the drop-off will come and Pacquiao will lose. It can’t go on forever.

But get comfortable. It could be a while.

Some miscellaneous observations from last week:

“Crafty Little Fox”? Poor Humberto Soto. Who heads up the Fighters’ Nicknames division over at Top Rank, John Waters?…

Who’s even happier than Pacquiao at how things turned out? De La Hoya. He took Pacquiao’s bombs for eight rounds. Hatton was snoring in two…

I’m astonished that so few are giving Marquez any chance at all against Floyd Mayweather, most because -- get this -- Mayweather is bigger! When will we learn?…

Pacquiao is wealthy, adored by millions, and the world’s best fighter. If you weren’t feeling inferior enough, he’s also polite, humble, and gracious. Great…

There’s only one…translucent guy stretched out on the canvas. Guess who?…

Yes, Matt Korobov looked good, but his opponent, Anthony Bartinelli, gets to go home to Valerie. Who would you rather be?…

In case you missed it, Julio Cesar Chavez has launched an “energy drink” in Mexico, claiming the concoction is what he drank throughout his days as a champion. Who knew beer was so healthful?…

In case you missed it II: John Duddy lost to one Billy Lyell in Newark, New Jersey last week. As a result, Duddy fans all over the New York metro area are drowning their sorrows in Chavez’ energy drink…

Can we all agree to stop calling something a fight of the year kind of fight before the first bell has even rung?

Source: ringtv.com