MANILA, Philippines?Ricky Hatton is looking at the megabuck fight between Oscar De La Hoya and Filipino icon Manny Pacquiao in two different ways: His money is on the Golden Boy but his heart?s for the acknowledged pound-for-pound king.
Hatton and two other superstars from different eras joined the growing list of predictions for the Pacquiao-De La Hoya bout with the three of them pointing to De La Hoya as the winner of the Dec. 6 match at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Hatton, the British welterweight star, told sportinglife.com, that he is hoping Pacquiao will win the bout but that he will place his bet on De La Hoya because ?the leap from lightweight to welterweight will be too much for the Filipino icon.?
?I think Oscar wins,? the English brawler was quoted as saying. ?He?ll be too big. When the fight was first mentioned, I just laughed it off. They?re like David and Goliath. Oscar dwarfs me, while Manny?s fought down at flyweight. By the time they get in the ring on the night it could be three weight divisions (in difference).
?No disrespect to Oscar, a friend, but for my own career I?d prefer Pacquiao to win. Then I could fight him at light welter for all the marbles,? added Hatton.
Pacquiao has included Hatton in the list of fighters he hopes to meet in a three-fight route to retirement. The reigning WBC lightweight champion has said that after De La Hoya, he hopes to fight Hatton next before trying to lure Floyd Mayweather Jr. out of retirement.
After those three matches, Pacquiao said, he will concentrate on promoting fights.
Julio Cesar Chavez and David Diaz also predicted victory for the Golden Boy in the match that has already reportedly earned $17 million from gate receipts and is predicted to earn $100 million more in pay-per-view buys.
Chavez, who lost to De La Hoya by TKO twice (in 1996 at light welterweight and in 1998 at welterweight), told 15rounds.com that the only chance the 5-foot-6 Pacquiao could win against the broad-shouldered 5-foot-10 De La Hoya is ?if De La Hoya doesn?t have hands.?
However, the Mexican boxer acknowledged as one of the finest lightweights ever, said that winning against Pacquiao won?t make him popular in his parents? native country.
?If he thinks beating Pacquiao will make Mexicans love him, he?s crazy,? said Chavez, who added that Pacquiao?s gung-ho style endeared him to his fellowmen. That despite the fact that Mexico?s famous sons, Juan Manuel Marquez, Marco Antonio Barrera and Erik Morales, all lost to Pacquiao.
?It is abusive to all Mexicans,?? said Chavez of De La Hoya?s claim that he will avenge their losses by beating Pacquiao. ?I just don?t know what?s in this for De La Hoya. He already has money. He has prestige.?
Chavez has been lobbying for De La Hoya to fight his son, Julio Cesar Jr., who is up against Matt Vanda on Nov. 1.
Diaz, whose lightweight crown Pacquiao took via a sensational 9th-round knockout last May, said the Filipino has ?a fighting chance,? but that De La Hoya definitely has the advantage, according to insidesports.ph.
