WILL PACQUIAO-HATTON LIVE UP TO HAGLER-HEARNS

Both Freddie Roach and Floyd Mayweather Sr. have promised knockouts inside of three rounds, but will the highly-anticipated clash between Manny Pacquiao and Ricky Hatton live up to the lofty expectations of their trainers? While the styles of each fighter certainly could lead to the type of action witnessed on April 15, 1985, is there really enough bad blood between Pacquiao and Hatton to wage the same type of three-round war?

"I don't like him, and he doesn't like me. That's not the usual prefight talk; that's just the way things are," Hearns would matter-of-factly state leading up to his title challenge. "He's chicken. He ducked me for three years until he thought I got old. Well, I'm not old, and he's in for a helluva beating," then champion Marvin Hagler would respond. Perhaps it was the mutual dislike of each other that ultimately lead to the brawler, Hagler, knocking out the boxer, Hearns, after three rounds of non-stop, toe-to-toe action.

But unlike that classic fight which took place 24 years ago, there is no animosity between the two fighters set to square off in May. Where Hagler and Hearns despised each other, Hatton and Pacquiao share a mutual respect for one another. In fact, the only bad blood that does exist is between the two trainers. So what will happen this time around when another brawler squares off against another boxer...when another orthodox fighter takes on another southpaw…when another Hitman (45-1, 32KOs) clashes with Pac Man (48-3-2, 36KOs) on May 2nd? Well, although the circumstances may be slightly different, if you listen to their trainers, the fight will play out something like this...

ROUND 1
Hatton comes out fast, leaping in with a left hook upstairs that's blocked by Pacquiao. The tanacious Hatton pushes Pacquiao back to the ropes. Head down, he bangs a 1-2 to the body. Pacquiao fires back a vicious four-punch combo that momentarily staggers Hatton. Another 1-2 lands for Pacquiao. Hatton holds on. The ref separates them. Nice left hand lands for Hatton, but Pacquiao fires back with a 1-2 upstairs. Hatton digs a right hand to the body and lands two hard left hooks upstairs. Pacquiao grins and bangs his gloves as if to say he was unfazed by the punches. Both men clinch. Pacquiao dances away on his toes and fires his jab. Hatton presses forward. Left hand lands for Pacquiao. Hatton misses with a left hook to the body. Pacquiao lands a 1-2. Hatton still stalking as Pacquiao circles the ring. They trade jabs. Left hook to the body lands for Hatton. Pacquiao lands a left. Another. Hatton looks unfazed and continues to press forward. Woooooo...quick four-punch combo lands for Pacquiao and Hatton is cut. There's a cut over the left eye of Hatton. Hatton bangs a left to the body and pushes Pacquiao back to the ropes. Blood is pouring all over the face of Hatton. Pacquiao in the corner and Hatton continues to work the body. Pacquiao fires back. Both men trading non-stop in the corner. Two vicious uppercuts land for Pacquio. Hatton answers with a 1-2 upstairs that snaps the head back of Pacquiao. Great round! Great round! I give it to Pacquiao.

Pacquiao 10 Hatton 9

ROUND 2
Hatton charges out and lands a left to the body. Pacquiao dances away and lands a quick 1-2. Hatton presses forward. Pacquiao lands a jab. Another. Straight left lead lands for Pacquiao. Hatton leaps in with a left hook to the body, but misses. Another 1-2 lands for Pacquiao. Hatton lands a right upstairs. Wooooo...another right from Hatton snaps the head back of Pacquiao again. Left to the body lands for Hatton. Pacquiao dances away. Quick three-punch combo lands for Pacquiao. Hatton lands a jab. Another. Pacquiao retreats to the ropes. Some roughhousing on the inside from Hatton. Hatton digs a 1-2 to the body against the ropes. Pacquiao lands a left hook upstairs. 1-2 lands for Pacquiao that opens the cut back up. More blood begins to flow down the face of Hatton. Hatton answers with a 1-2 of his own upstairs. Pacquiao holds on. Hatton lands a nice right upstairs. Some more roughhousing on the inside from Hatton. Pacquiao covers up. Hatton digs another 1-2 to the body. Pacquiao lands a three-punch combo, but eats a HARD right hand from Hatton that snaps his head back. Both men trade jabs. Pacquiao lands a lead straight left. Nice left and a right lands for Hatton against the ropes. Hatton mauls Pacquiao against the ropes as he mugs him with elbows. 1-2 to the body lands for Hatton. Pacquiao works his way out with a three-punch combo. Another good round. A close one, but I give it to Hatton.

Pacquiao 19 Hatton 19

ROUND 3
"Manny, keep the jab in his face. Keep moving and don't let him touch your body son," Freddie Roach could be heard telling Pacquiao in the corner. Pacquiao comes out dancing on his toes and lands a quick 1-2. Jab lands for Pacquiao. Hatton bulls forward and tries to maul him again with some elbows. Referee Kenny Bayless warns Hatton about the dirty tactics. Pacquiao circles around the ring and lands a lead straight left. Hatton jumps in with a left hook to the body, but misses as Pacquiao dances away. Hatton presses forward and backs Pacquiao up to the corner. Some more roughhousing by Pacquiao as he lands a 1-2 to the body. Pacquiao works his way out with a quick combo. Now there's a break in the action as Bayless wants the doctor to take a look at the cut. Thankfully, the action resumes. Hatton leaps in wildly and lands a left hook to the body. Pacquiao grins and bangs his gloves together again. Hatton bulls forward and lands a 1-2. Pacquiao fires back and lands a four-punch combo of his own. Lead straight left lands for Pacquiao. Hatton just eats it. Another lead straight left lands for Pacquiao. Hatton eats it again and presses forward. WOOOOOOOOOO...right hand, left hook and a BIG right uppercut lands for Pacquiao and Hatton is down. He's down! Hatton is flat on his back! Bayless picks up the count at 4, 5, 6....Hatton rolls over and tries to get up....8, 9....Hatton barely beats the count to make it to his feet, but he looks done. His legs are done! Bayless looks him over...THAT'S IT....IT'S OVER! Kenny Bayless calls a halt to the action. Pacquiao raises his hands to the crowd before kneeling in the corner to say a prayer. The crowd is going crazy!

Pacquiao TKO3

Okay...so maybe it's just wishful thinking...maybe we're asking too much of Manny Pacquiao and Ricky Hatton. Expecting them to put on a performance on par with the three-round war that Marvin Hagler and Thomas Hearns participated in might be a little unrealistic. But wouldn't that be great? With the recent retirement of Oscar De La Hoya, wouldn't it be nice to know that the sport of boxing far transcends any one big name? That it's the fight itself, not the name of the fighter, that compels fans to watch a clash of styles guaranteed to produce fireworks. On May 2nd, let's hope that both fighters put on a performance that lives up to the predictions of their trainers.

SOURCE: http://www.fighthype.com/pages/content4643.html

Hatton-Pacquiao: Sideshow battle continues

The gesture seemed, well, almost genuinely nice.

Then again that was only at first glance. Factor in the escalating war of words that Ricky Hatton and Manny Pacquiao’s trainers have bombed on each other in the last few weeks, and every media member inside the cramped IBA gym Thursday afternoon knew nothing good could come from the gift setting on the table.

“Just another joke from the (Freddie) Roach. But Roach is the joke,” said Hatton’s trainer, Floyd Mayweather Sr., who offered up a big smile after opening the hand-delivered box from Top Rank publicist Lee Samuels, complete with a bright-red ribbon on the outside that read “second place.”

Inside there was a bottle of weight-loss supplements from Roach’s own line, Fighting Fit, a T-shirt with Pacquiao’s trainer’s likeness and a typed note from the usually reserved Roach instructing Hatton (who jokingly refers to himself as “Ricky Fatton” for his fondness of beers between fights) how to take off those last few pounds before his May 2 megabout with Pacquiao at the MGM Grand.

“They too late,” said Mayweather, who smiled for the cameras before holding up Roach’s shirt. “We’ve been there and done that and we ain’t even done yet. Look at Ricky, he’s got an eight-pack. They don’t want ‘Slick Rick’ to beat up the ‘Pac-Man.’”

Hatton stopped skipping rope to take part in the gag.

“Does the package say to be gentle?” he joked.

Thursday’s scene was just the latest installment in the ongoing sideshow battle between the top-tier trainers who threw their first personal punches long before Hatton and Pacquiao’s “The Battle of East and West” tour began in Manchester, England, in late February.

Don’t expect it to slow much in the next 16 days leading up to the junior welterweight title match.

Hatton doesn’t seem to mind though.

“It would be a very boring sport if we didn’t have personalities like this,” said the current IBO and Ring Magazine world junior welterweight champ, who has never lost at 140 pounds.

“We’ve got two of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world fighting, and arguably two of the best trainers in the world fighting. They just want to get one over on each other. I wouldn’t read too much into it. They’re both excellent coaches.”

Hatton (45-1, 32 KOs) is banking on his second bout under Mayweather’s tutelage to be the biggest and best of his career.

“A lot of people thought (Paulie) Malignaggi would beat me. In the end I think I outjabbed him, and was very, very quick myself,” Hatton said of his 11th-round TKO win over the New York native in November.

“After just seven weeks with a new team, I think that was probably the most impressive thing I’ve ever done. I believe we only scraped the surface, because we only had seven weeks.”

While several boxing pundits believe Pacquiao (48-3-2, 36 KOs) will be too fast for Hatton, “The Hitman” disagrees.

“I’m not saying I’m quicker than Manny, but I think people are focusing a little more on the size and power factor. I’m pretty quick myself. And even more so with my new camp,” Hatton said.

“You can have the fastest hands in the world, but it’s all about timing. If you don’t throw them at the right time, they won’t land on anything and it won’t matter.”

Unlike his outspoken trainer, Hatton doesn’t blatantly dismiss Pacquaio’s skills or accomplishments, but the 30-year-old does believe too much credit was given to Pacquiao for his lopsided win over Oscar De La Hoya in December, which ultimately sent “The Golden Boy” into retirement.

“I don’t want to be disrespectful to Manny for his best win of it career, but I don’t think it was particularly hard to beat Oscar that night,” Hatton said.

“I think he just had a body in front of him for the most part, he was able to pretty much do as he pleased. He probably looked faster than he actually is and he might have looked stronger than he actually is.”

Mayweather didn’t sugarcoat his feelings about Pacquaio’s big win, and said if he had been in De La Hoya’s corner that night Pacquaio would not be facing Hatton in May.

He even went as far as to say that Hatton could be victorious against Pacquiao without him.

“He could win this fight without me. I feel that good about it,” said Mayweather, who with a win by Hatton will be rewarded with a large trophy that reads "No. 1 Pound-for-Pound Best Trainer in the World."

“I got control in the corner so I’m not worried about it. But Manny's got Roach, so he should."

SOURCE: http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2009/apr/17/megafights-sideshow-battle-continues/

It will be a quick fight – Roach

Manny Pacquiao believes he has Ricky Hatton all figured out.

Amid the non-stop clicking of the cameras and a torrent of questions, Pacquiao exuded confidence on Wednesday when asked about his fast-approaching clash with British banger Ricky Hatton at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

“We already know what to do,” said Pacquiao, who hosted a large contingent of mediamen at the Wild Card Boxing Club in Hollywood.

“Just stay off the ropes and do all the fighting in the middle of the ring,” said the Filipino southpaw, widely regarded today as boxing's best pound-for-pound.

Pacquiao’s trainer was more direct to the point — and blunt.

“This will be a quick fight,” Roach told Lance Pugmire of the Los Angeles Times. “Ricky's a tough guy, but we'll knock him out. I'll bet my house on it.”

Top Rank chief Bob Arum was also on hand during the open workout and was on a high as he was waiting for his flight to the Philippines from Los Angeles later in the day.

“The media day was well-attended and even CNN was there and they're doing a long feature about the fight. It was unusual,” said Arum, who arrives in Manila this morning to be at ringside for this weekend's double world championship fight at the Araneta Coliseum.

Next up for Pacquiao, according to Arum is a special day at the AT&T baseball park in San Francisco on Tuesday where the SF Giants play the San Diego Padres. Pacquiao is throwing the first pitch.

“Manny will be training at 11 a.m. then after he trains we fly to San Francisco,” said Arum. “Then we head back to Los Angeles.”

Team Pacquiao motors to Las Vegas on April 27 and Roach is set to make arrangements for the use of the IBA Gym on Euclid Street, the training facility that he uses whenever Pacquiao is in town for a fight, shortly.

Told that Hatton and trainer Floyd Mayweather Sr. camp out there daily, Roach said he expects to have his way for the use of the gym.

“I am friends with the owner,” said Roach.

SOURCE: http://mb.com.ph/articles/202585/it-will-be-a-quick-fight-roach

Manny Pacquiao taking Ricky Hatton threat seriously

Manny Pacquiao, currently the world's best pound-for-pound fighter, is refusing to take his forthcoming bout with Ricky Hatton lightly, admitting the British boxer could represent one of his toughest opponents.

Currently training in Los Angeles before the fight in Las Vegas on 2 May, Pacquiao said the outcome was not in his hands. "I don't know – God will know," he admitted. "Of course I'm hungry for this fight, to win, because [it's my] first time to fight an English fighter. Right now we're in heavy training and I'm in 100% good condition.He's a strong fighter and he's a good fighter too and he's a champion, so I don't want to underestimate him."

Pacquiao has spent time identifying Hatton's weaknesses, and believes the 30-year-old Mancunian has chinks in his armour – including his "body punch". "He doesn't like to hit the body," said Pacquiao, "I won't tell you the other things!"

Another boxer whose weaknesses Pacquiao exploited was the recently retired Oscar De La Hoya, who the Filipono admitted is still his idol. The former Olympic gold medallist revealed his decision to quit on Tuesday with a 39-6 (30 KOs) professional record, four months after being outclassed by Pacquiao in Las Vegas. "Whatever happens people won't forget him as a good fighter, as the best fighter in the world. For me he's still my idol," said Pacquiao.

Pacquiao's trainer, Freddie Roach, meanwhile, echoed his sentiments about Hatton, believing the Briton to be a serious contender. However he does not think he is fast enough to upset his charge. "Manny has speed, power, boxing ability – so I think he will overwhelm Ricky in this fight," he said. "Ricky's a tough guy, no doubt about that. He's very resilient; he's tough. He comes to fight."

He also spoke critically of Hatton's trainer, Floyd Mayweather Snr. "He says he's the greatest trainer in the world but I think he's the only one saying that, and he's going to try and change Ricky Hatton," said Roach. "I think that's a mistake, in changing people, this late in their career. I don't think it's possible."

Asked if Amir Khan, who he also trains, would be sparring against Pacquiao, Roach said: "Style-wise he just wasn't the right guy." The former Olympic silver medallist Khan is set to take on the WBA light-welterweight champion Ukrainian Andreas Kotelnik in June. "The day after Manny's fight though I'll start getting him ready for his fight," Roach added. "I think he has a huge chance; I think he'll be a real champion and hopefully my next superstar."

SOURCE: http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2009/apr/16/ricky-hatton-manny-pacquiao-boxing

Pacquiao down to last few days of sparring

MANILA, Philippines - Manny Pacquiao sparred for 10 rounds against three separate boxers Tuesday at the Wild Card Gym as he neared the last few days of sparring for his May 2 battle with Ricky Hatton.

David Rodela, Raymund Serrano and Urbano Antillon alternated on Pacquiao who has gone over a hundred rounds now, with five more days of sparring before heading to Vegas.

Pacquiao and his huge entourage leave for Sin City on April 27 or five days before the fight. Once he gets there, it’ll be a matter of staying in shape, light drills and watching his weight.

Pacquiao will be back sparring on Thursday (Friday in Manila). The following day, his chief trainer, Freddie Roach, will leave for Puerto Rico to be in the corner of Gerry Peñalosa.

The 36-year-old Peñalosa, probably the oldest Pinoy boxing champion ever, will climb a notch higher to challenge the undefeated Juan Manuel Lopez for the WBO super-bantamweight crown.

The fight is set April 25 at the Coliseo Ruben Rodriguez in Puerto Rico, and the day after the fight Roach should again board the plane to re-join Pacquiao for his last week of sparring.

Pacquiao may do 12 rounds on Thursday, and then should start tapering off by going down to 10, eight, six and four rounds until they call it off. He normally logs around 150 of sparring in training.

It will be the second time Roach will leave the training camp for the Hatton fight. Last March, he was away for a week to attend to Amir Khan who fought and crushed Marco Antonio Barrera in England.

In Roach’s absence, Buboy Fernandez puts on the mitts, while ex-heavyweight champion Michael Moorer and fellow trainers Alex Ariza, Eric Brown and Nonoy Neri lend a hand.

Hatton has been in Vegas for more than two weeks now, training under Floyd Mayweather Sr. at the IBA Gym, the same gym being used by Pacquiao when he’s in town.

Hatton was a couple of weeks ahead in training but brushed off insinuations that he may be overdoing things heading to his defense of his 140 lb title against the reigning pound for pound champ.

SOURCE: http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=458110&publicationSubCategoryId=69