Ricky Hatton “is one-dimensional and comes right straight at you,” Filipino pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao said yesterday when asked about the fighting style of the British banger.
Pacquiao and Hatton will square off on May 2 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and Pacquiao only echoed the sentiment of his ace trainer Freddie Roach, who had labeled the Manchester puncher as being a mugger.
“His style of coming forward each time is just perfect for Manny,” said Roach, who expects Pacquiao to show up at the doorsteps of the Wild Card Boxing Club in Hollywood on March 1 so they could begin their two-month training.
Pacquiao admits that while Hatton is armed and dangerous, he has the tools needed to tame the rugged Hatton.
Pacquiao and Hatton are actually going on a promotional tour of London and Manchester sometime in late-February and there is talk that Pacquiao will leave in the third week of that month so he has enough time to prepare for the tough grind while in training.
From England, Pacquiao and Hatton will proceed to the US accompanied by their handlers and promotional outfits and New York will be the first stop followed by Los Angeles.
A formal announcement will be held tomorrow by Team Hatton in England about the confirmation of the bout as the fighter?s legal adviser, Gareth Williams, has already gotten hold of the signed contract of Pacquiao.
Pacquiao, meanwhile, is spending some quality time with his loved ones in General Santos City while regularly attending his classes at Notre Dame College.
Like Pacquiao, Hatton remains on vacation mode but still does stand-up comedy in England, which is his other passion.
According to his agent Paul Speak, Hatton will go on a Caribbean cruise late this month and should be doing some light workout by February.
