Prior to the knockout defeat at the hands of Floyd Mayweather, JR., IBO Light Welterweight Champion was considered too large of an opponent for the soon to be lightweight, Manny ?Pacman? Pacquiao. The mauling and physical style of ?The Hitman? would have seemed to be more than enough to maul and stop the Filipino sensation in the later rounds, but after an abysmal showing against Juan Lazcano, the idea of a match up between Hatton and Pacquiao makes sense and would be a competitive outing.
The set up fight to give Manny a title is in place as he challenges David Diaz for the WBC Lightweight Title on June 28th, and that will put him into a position to wheel and deal with just about anyone from 135-140 pounds. Diaz presents a challenge because he has heart, but he does not seem to have the chin nor the speed to keep up with the tornado that will engulf him in the ring. Pacquiao has to be considered a huge favorite and should make short work of this champion.
A promoter will typically ease the more marketable fighters up carefully through the divisions, looking for the easiest prey at the higher weights, which is the case here. Bob Arum isn?t stupid and follows this plan, which is why Diaz was chosen. Don King has done the same thing. When Felix Trinidad was moving up to middleweight, the selection was WBA Title Holder, William Joppy. Joppy was a talented fighter, but didn?t pack the punch to hurt ?Tito? and didn?t have the movement to confuse him. It was just a way for the Puerto Rican superstar to get his feet wet at 160 pounds. Pacquiao is doing the same thing.
The most logical opponent for Hatton as this time was the equally unimpressive Paulie Malignaggi, the IBF Light Welterweight Champion. At one point, ?The Magic Man? was considered a potential superstar, and even though he had lost badly to Miguel Cotto, he still maintained the potential to go on to bigger and better things. He was a brash kid that spoke well and used his skills to outclass his opponent, and awe the crowd. In his last two outings, however, he eked by, holding onto the title by the skin of his teeth. He was featured on the same card as the Hatton-Lazcano bout, in some attempt to get the public to demand these two meet up, but both fights were ugly, mauling affairs, and the win that Malignaggi had over Lovemore N?Dou was debatable. The demand for a Hatton showdown isn?t there, outside of perhaps the two men involved who are looking to unify the titles.
Ricky Hatton has only that one defeat to Floyd Mayweather, JR., but he may not have recovered from it mentally. When boxers lose, especially by knockout, you never know how they will return and if they can recapture the magic. You will often find an undefeated boxer having back to back losses because it takes them time to get back on track and get their confidence back. Hatton clearly won his bout with Lazcano, but all signs point to some mental lapses after his first defeat. He wasn?t sure of himself and seemed hesitant at times to rush in, being caught halfway, as if he couldn?t convince his body to go that extra space, which gave Lazcano plenty of opportunity to hit him with straight punches, most of which landed.
Although Hatton walked away with a wide decision to retain his IBO Light Welterweight Title, there were questions raised about what he has left. Lazcano has heart, but it?s safe to say that he is a rather slow fighter, but he was still able to land regularly and stun the British Sensation with his punches. There were times when Hatton was holding on for dear life. If Lazcano can land and hurt Hatton with straight punches, then it is feasible that one of the best punchers in the game with lightning quick straight punches could knock out an unsure Ricky Hatton.
Manny Pacquiao is as big in the Philippines as Hatton is in England. Both men have unwavering support, making this one of the biggest fights in boxing. Although Hatton has made the statement that he wanted a rematch with Floyd Mayweather, he would make more money and get the mega fight that he can win, needed to put his career back on the right track. Manny Pacquiao is the perfect opponent for him and vice versa.
Pacquiao has been referred to as the Mexican Assassin and rightfully so. He has made his career by destroying some of the toughest men ever to lace up the gloves. He made a statement to the world with a destruction of Marco Antonio Barrera, stopping the highly regarded boxer in the eleventh round, and dominating him in the rematch. He went on to drop Juan Manuel Marquez three times in the opening round, to battle to a disputed draw, which he probably should have won and then went on to defeat Marquez in the rematch. He knocked out Erik Morales two out of three times, and pummeled Oscar Larios. He is a wrecking ball. Not only is he a destroyer in the ring, but he has an ever growing fan base that are willing to pay top dollar to see him in action. He is not a safety first fighter. He is a mini Mike Tyson. He is a star in desperate times for boxing fans, and he is nearing the tail end of his career. A defeat of Ricky Hatton would be a good note to end his impressive run as a boxer.
What makes a bout between Hatton and Pacquiao so interesting is that it is first, a pick?em fight. Either man can win this, depending on which direction the fight goes. If Hatton is in freeze mode, in a position where he can be hit with straight punches, it is very likely that Manny may land the shot that puts him down for good. With the knockout by Floyd in his mind, and perhaps it is something that he never recovered from mentally, this feat may be an easier than expected one for the Pacman. Should Hatton maul and grab and wrestle the smaller man to the point where he loses the ambition to win, which is a Hatton special, we could see the Filipino legend crumble to the floor in the later rounds, which was probably the consensus prediction prior the Floyd Mayweather victory over Hatton, and the poor comeback against Lazcano.
Another thing that makes this very compelling is the styles of the fighters. Both men are aggressive and you would have to assume that both men would be trying for a knockout. Hatton, looking at the smaller man in front of him, may see the opportunity to impose this strength, while Pacquiao, knowing the defensive shortcomings of Hatton, may try to exploit them en route to a spectacular knockout win.
A fight between Hatton and Pacquiao would make a lot of sense should the Pacman succeed in his lightweight bid and Hatton remain in the position he is in, perhaps defeating Malignaggi to grab another title. Both men hold spots on most Pound for Pound lists and both men bring in the crowds. This fight will make a lot of money for everyone involved but will also make the most sense for both fighters.
