MANILA, Philippines?Manny Pacquiao?s bombs will have little difficulty finding its target on May 2 in Las Vegas.
?[Ricky] Hatton?s defensive skills are too weak,? trainer Freddie Roach told Telegraph.co.uk. ?He?s too easy to hit. And he?s had problems particularly with southpaws.?
Roach said Hatton?s weakness in defense is one of the reasons why he believes Pacquiao will take out the British ?Hitman? within three rounds of their scheduled bout in Las Vegas.
Roach, who accurately foresaw David Diaz?s knockout in the ninth round when he tangled with the Filipino superstar at 130 pounds, also thinks that the Pacquiao-Hatton duel for the Briton?s lightly regarded International Boxing Organization junior welterweight crown will be action-packed from start to finish.
?I think it?s going to be the best three rounds you?ve ever seen,? Roach told TheSun.co.uk during the megabuck?s bout press conference in Hollywood on Monday. ?It?s going to be short and sweet.?
According to Roach, he expects Hatton to be aggressive from the opening bell, considering his perceived edge in weight at fight night.
?Ricky is going to force the action and Manny is going to respond to it,? Roach said. ?But Manny is going to get him early and I believe he will knock him out in the early rounds.?
After discerning tapes of Hatton?s previous fights, Roach is convinced that the bruiser from Manchester is in for a rude awakening.
Pacquiao, meanwhile, kept a guarded stance, saying that Hatton, who is unbeaten as a light welterweight, could be his toughest foe thus far.
But that didn?t stop Pacquiao from lending a light atmosphere to the Los Angeles press conference.
?I want a rematch,? Pacquiao said, but clarifying that he meant another face-off in darts, not boxing?alluding to the fact that Hatton had beaten him in a friendly game during a promotional tour in the United Kingdom.
