Can we get one thing straight – Hatton v Pacquiao, or Pacquiao v Hatton, isn’t the UK versus the Philippines. It is man on man, boxer on boxer. Or is it ? Pacman is part of the Filipino identity, an export who glistens with everything that is good about the group of islands making up a country in South-east Asia.
Is he representative of the machismo of the Filipino male? Humble, proud, prepared to put his heart on the line and fight for what he believes in.
Having spent time around Manny, if that is the case, he is near perfect as that kind of role model.
There has been much talk, mainly from fans on websites, of ‘respect’ from the fans as the last three weeks of negotiations have been batted across oceans.
There have been talks of winners and losers. What has gone on on the negotiating table will have no bearing on what happens in the ring. The fighters let their teams deal with that side of it.
Whatever anyone says, and however proud the working man of Manila and beyond is of their treasure, boxing has always been about the buck, and negotiators play hardball. Yes, Manny is the best in the world at the moment, pound for pound; yes, he was the fighter of 2008; yes, he will probably dismantle Hatton (probably, I repeat) with the newfound box-fighter skills and lateral movement he has developed under Freddie Roach which keeps him out of brawls.
But Hatton, financially, is one of the sports big hitters financially and physically. Hatton is quite brilliant with the media, and has an innate quality involving story telling and background information. His partnership with Floyd Mayweather Snr also has an intriguing quality about it, and without question, has dragged Hatton back to his basics, and potentially, back to his best.
Hatton, without question, has a huge following- those who travel, and those who will pay to watch it on PPV box office. Pacquiao has the following of a nation, but does not generate the same income from closed circuit tv at home.
Both will generate interest with the US and Hispanic communities. Hatton’s style is admired by the Mexicans. As Pacquiao, too. Witness the great friendship between Hatton and Marco Antonio Barrera.
When Hatton fought Floyd Mayweather in Dec 2007, it broke all pay per view records in the UK, with 1.2 million buys, with the US making 700,000. It was the first time the UK had outstripped PPV numbers in the US. At the same time, Nevada Immigration recorded over 35,000 British passport holders coming through into Las Vegas in the fortnight before the fight with Mayweather. Huge hype, wrong result for the British fans. Mayweather could not be outmuscled by Hatton, as he had done other elite opponents, notably Kostya Tszyu, in Manchester, in 2005. But this is not a country v country event, it is man against man, mano a mano, Pacman versus Hitman.
I spent a day around Pacman in Freddie Roach’s Los Angeles gym in November (on a mission to see Amir Khan, who was being reconstructed under Roach and had benefitted enormously from sparring with Manny) and the prize fighter’s entourage is huge, but highly respectful. I have to say I was amazed at the end of his workout when the whole gym fell silent and into prayer. Pacman never sits still in his training sessions, and was a very humble, quiet man to sit with and interview. Real privilege to witness a sportsman at the top of his game.
[As an aside, I have to admit to my own history of travelling here, back in the days just after I had graduated from University. With a Masters in Linguistics, I set off to the Far East for a year. Personally, I’d love this fight to have been the Thrilla in Manila II. I went to the Philippines in 1989, having fled from the Tian An Men massacre. I had been working in Beijing for 10 months. Once in Manila, I took a small plane to another island, travelled by jeepney for two hours (four armed soldiers sat atop the jeep with the suitcases of the travellers) then headed out on a boat to the island of Boracay. Twenty years ago, it had one tiny nightclub, and was the most beautiful place I had ever seen. I have to say the tiny island was like paradise. NO. It fact, it was ten days of paradise. It must have been pretty good. I married the girl I was travelling with, my sweetheart, and we are still together today.]
Anyway, Manila or not, I think we are set for a great fight, and intrigue every step of the way. I only hope we get a re-match – in Manila. I might even head out to Boracay again, which I’m told, is much changed.
