PacMan gobbles up Hatton…
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@opubco.com
(another brilliant outing by Manny Pacquiao. Photo credit Gabriel Bouys/ AFP/Getty Images)
I’ve watched the Manny Pacquiao two-round destruction of Ricky Hatton about five times now. You know what? It’s not going to get old.
Should have trusted my gut. I wanted so bad to say Pacquiao KO 4, but I thought that was a little disrespectful to such a great champion like Hatton.
Live and learn. So I went TKO 9, and I don’t even consider that a correct prediction with how bad the Filipino icon beat up the British hero.
I don’t know what was more impressive – Pacquiao’s power, speed, or right hook?
Pacquiao is one of the few boxers I can say I’ve seen from the beginning. I’ve seen him evolve these last eight years, and it’s something to marvel at. The way he has become the ultimate fighting machine. And not only that, but he gives every fan their money’s worth.
It’s a safe bet to buy a Pacquiao PPV because you know if it doesn’t end early, it wasn’t because PacMan didn’t give it his all to try to.
Pacquiao TKO 2 Hatton
Hatton had the ring generalship, believe it or not. He was moving Pacquiao back and to the ropes. But when he got inside, he didn’t do anything, Pacquiao smartly clinched and back to center ring.
Almost immediately realized how much power was on those right hooks by Pacquiao. These weren’t just flickering, stay-busy punches. They had some serious “oomph” on ‘em.
Thought a left may have hurt Hatton midway through the first as he was holding on. Seconds later as Hatton was trying to deliver a left hook, Pacquiao caught him with a right hook that sent him sprawling to the canvas.
After an extended period of time wiping off the gloves by referee Kenny Bayless, it was back to business for Pacquiao.
He had about 30 seconds left to try to finish the job and dropped Hatton again in the final seconds for an easy 10-7 round.
Listening to Floyd Mayweather Sr., sounded like he was trying so hard to make sure people knew it was Hatton’s fault and not his that he didn’t really tell Hatton anything.
In round 2, Pacquiao was a little wild, going for the home run shot. Once he settled down, boom, lights out.
A picture-perfect left hand dropped Hatton where he stood, and he was out. Not even sure why Bayless counted at all. He eventually called it off at about 5 or so because while Hatton’s eyes were open, nobody was home.
Hatton lay on the canvas for a good five minutes or so and had even the most blood-thirsty fans a little worried before regaining his senses.
Is this Pacquiao’s crowning achievement? I have no idea. It was the best one-punch KO I’ve seen from the Filipino star.
It cemented him not just as the No. 1 pound-for-pound, not just a Hall of Famer and not just as an all-time great. I don’t know what he is. He’s the best fighter I’ve seen in my 11 years of following the sport. He’s just won his fourth straight fight in a fourth different weight class.
Unheard of.
How’s this for a last five opponents? Ricky Hatton (TKO 2), Oscar De La Hoya (TKO 8), David Diaz (TKO 9), Juan Manuel Marquez (SD 12) and Marco Antonio Barrera (UD 12). That’s wins over four sure-bet Hall of Famers (Hatton, DLH, JMM and MAB).
I’ve been called “old school” for my love of boxing and horse racing. Saturday made me feel like it was the 1970s again. A terrific Kentucky Derby, won by a 50:1 long shot Mine That Bird and a great championship fight won by the best fighter in the world today.
Phenomenal.
Back later in the week with more on Pacquiao as well as reaction on Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Juan Manuel Marquez being signed for July 18th and where Pacquiao fits into the equation.
Pacquiao vs. Hatton prediction…
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@opubco.com
(time for talking is over, fight night is tonight)
Tonight we’re about to find out just how much appeal a Great Britain fighter (Ricky Hatton) and a Filipino hero (Manny Pacquiao) have with a dwindling American boxing audience.
When this fight was first announced, I wasn’t too high on it. Felt Pacquiao should have been fighting someone better and that Hatton hadn’t done anything to earn another huge payday.
A definitive KO loss to Floyd Mayweather Jr., followed by two wins against solid (not great) opponents didn’t really have me clamoring for another Hatton PPV.
But I dig the fan base of each guy, and that crowd will be electric tonight.
That doesn’t mean I’m not stoked up about the bout. The only bad thing going against the fight now is that Game 7 of the epic Chicago Bulls-Boston Celtics game will be going on at the same time. And you know about my Chicago roots.
Hatton has changed up his style from the street brawler to more of a conventional boxer under new trainer Floyd Mayweather Sr. (or so he believes)
Pacquiao is coming off a career-defining win (at least in the public’s eye) vs. Oscar De La Hoya.
This will end in a KO one way or the other. Too many combustible elements in each other’s mode of attack for it not to.
It’ll be interesting to see if Hatton can reach PacMan. Pacquiao’s chin hasn’t been tested all that much on clean, flush shots because nobody can time him correctly. He’s too quick, hands are too fast.
Meanwhile, Hatton is there to be hit. Mayweather has worked on that for Hatton, but it’s more than 40 fights into his career. Don’t know how much can be done at this point.
To be quite honest, I don’t see how Hatton is going to slow down Pacquiao. I don’t see how he is going to take Pacquiao’s punch.
Despite the fact I am openly questioning how much Pacquiao has left emotionally after the last couple of years, I think he’s going to win and do it in style.
Not sure if he’ll drop Hatton and knock him out officially, but I could see a cuts stoppage with Pacquiao just puffing up those eyes to where Hatton can’t see.
Hatton’s old style would have made for maybe an all-time classic because he wouldn’t let Pacquiao breathe for one second. Nonstop pressure and would have been an all-out war.
This fight won’t disappoint, but I think it’s going to be a long night for Hatton and his supporters.
Official prediction: Pacquiao TKO 9 Hatton.
How will Pacquiao respond?
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@opubco.com
(will Manny Pacquiao, right, have his way with Ricky Hatton like he did with Oscar De La Hoya?)
I’ve talked a lot about the Manny Pacquiao and Ricky Hatton fight coming up Saturday night on HBO PPV.
And talking with fellow fight fans, it seems I have a different outlook on this when it comes to Pacquiao than most.
This stems from nothing the man himself has said, purely a gut feeling from The Boneman.
I don’t think Pacquiao wanted this fight. He has still looked as good as ever on HBO’s 24/7, but I’m wondering if there won’t be a letdown of some sorts Saturday.
Look at Pacquiao’s career since he first burst onto the scene with his KO of Marco Antonio Barrera in 2003. I remember his stirring KO of LehLohonolo Ledwaba in 2001, but that didn’t put him on the worldwide map.
Since, Pacquiao has fought Barrera twice (2-0), Erik Morales three times (2-1), Juan Manuel Marquez twice (1-0-1) and has beaten other solid contenders like Oscar Larios, Jorge Solis and David Diaz.
But in most of those fights, I felt PacMan went in with something to prove. No bigger case of that than last December when Pacquiao obliterated Oscar De La Hoya and basically making De La Hoya admit to himself that it was time to walk away.
It didn’t seem like Hatton was first choice, and I felt he was more or less pushed into accepting this bout.
Deep down, think Pacquiao wanted a shot at Floyd Mayweather and bring him out of retirement.
What I’m saying about Pacquiao is what a lot of boxing pundits were saying about Felix “Tito” Trinidad earlier this decade.
When you’ve got all this money, and you’re in big fight after big fight after mega fight, what keeps the fire there? And what lets you know that it’s REALLY still there?
De La Hoya and Roy Jones Jr. have claimed a lot that they still loved the sport. But when they’d get in the ring, the passion wasn’t there.
I think this is the first huge fight where PacMan is really expected to win and wonder how that is affecting him, if it is at all.
When someone has made his living off of being the “little engine that could,” it is a little different.
In just about every Pacquiao piece, you hear people talk about how he started his career at 106 pounds and won his first title at 112.
Should be a good one Saturday…but not the undercard. Learning absolutely nothing from the past, this is loaded with absolute garbage.
There are good fighters on the card like Humberto Soto, Danny Jacobs, Mike Alvarado and Abner Mares, but they’re fighting less than stellar competition.
Back early Saturday with the Pacquiao-Hatton prediction.
