Hatton-Pacquiao: Has Everybody Abandoned Ricky?
May 1st, 2009
By Chris Williams: As we get closer and closer to this Saturday’s bout between Ricky Hatton and Manny Pacquiao, it’s become pretty clear that not too many boxing fans are on the side of Hatton in this fight. It didn’t start out that way a couple of months ago. At that time, there were legions of Hatton fans saying that he would be too big for the smaller, former featherweight Pacquiao.
However, Hatton clearly looked bothered by it and after quickly speaking at a recent press conference in Las Vegas, sat down and looked visibly upset. What does Hatton expect from fans? Come on, if they think Pacquiao is the better fighter, why should they hide it? If this was a checkers championship would fans hold back their predictions out of fear of hurting one of the player’s feelings?
It is what it is. Boxing fans are jumping ship because Pacquiao looks better in training, seems to have an aura of invincibility and Hatton seems to have none of those things going for him. The chemistry between Hatton and his trainer Floyd Mayweather Sr. seems off for some reason.
They don’t seem to connect well with one another, and the new training for Hatton seems all wrong for him. He doesn’t look like he’s taking to the new training from what I’ve seen and he’d probably be better off if he had stuck it out with his old trainer Billy Graham instead of switching to Mayweather Sr. at this late stage in Hatton’s career. Did Muhammad Ali dump Angelo Dundee when Ali began to lose late in his career? Nope!
Hatton said, “I was written off at the start when I first won this title from Kostya Tszyu, which seems a lifetime ago now. I think I was the 5-1 underdog then so I’m used to being in this position again.” I hate to break this to Hatton, but the win over Tszyu wasn’t that big of deal because Tszyu was an old 36 by the time that Hatton fought him, so it’s not something that is particularly impressive that Hatton was able to wear the older Tszyu down and beat him four years ago.
I’m guessing right about now, Hatton is finding himself in the same position that Tszyu was back in 2005. Although Hatton is six years younger than Tszyu, he’s fought many of the same weight issues in having to take off a lot of weight in order to get down in weight. Forget about Hatton’s 30-year-old chronological age, he might actually be four or five years older in physical age due to his constant binging between fights.
For his part, Pacquiao always stays close to his fighting weight and doesn’t balloon up like Hatton does. The weight issue likely is one of the reasons why boxing fans are abandoning Hatton and choosing Pacquiao to beat him this Saturday. I know for me, that’s a big factor in me picking Pacquiao to win.
Tags: 14 Responses to “Hatton-Pacquiao: Has Everybody Abandoned Ricky?”
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I hope this will quiet down those stupid brits. Poor Hatton is just like a schoolboy who is picked to be a great boxer by a loud mouthed promoters. And then build him up to a boxers wonderland. REALITY CHECK, Hatton is not even close to be a PRO boxer after so many wins.
I wonder how much he is worth now.
Manny fan,
Hatton’s not a wimp, it’s just his over self-conscious trainer Mayweather Sr. that’s talking all this crap about Pacquiao not having a slight chance. Well we all know he’s proven wrong. I actually think that Hatton’s a great guy out of the ring. After watching 24/7 I can see he’s very close to his heritage, like Manny.
Oh and, to all the people who say “Pacquiao has no chance” or “Hatton’s gonna win by TKO”, wow you need to lock yourselves up for a few months
I really hoped that Hatton would actually put up a fight. He wasted my PPV $. Yall talkin him up should pay up for your fighters inability to at least past 3 rounds. ODH (even now) could beat Hatton. My grandma could beat Hatton. Hell, my dog’s grandma could beat Hatton.
Well said dosanjh1. You’re right on the money. Rex said 8 rounds or less Porter. He was right too because 2<8. Hope you didn’t lose too much money… stick to betting on soccer games. Lol!
Most Hatton fans are not boxing fans – they are football fans. The reasons that there might be some drop in Hatton win predicitions is because the probably now know who Pacquiao is and his record. When the fight was announced they probably didn’t have the faintest idea who he was
Nice article. Those who commented that this isn’t a good article will have his/her ass aching tonight, after Pacquiao beats Hatton by an astounding KO. You guys just don’t want to admit that what you expected Hatton to be is not the Hatton that you are seeing right now. He seems dehydrated just by pulling off some bloody weight on his body eh. You just don’t want to accept the fact that after this fight Floyd Mayweather Sr. will dump this bloody brit after hearing that his beloved Son will step into the ring again. Pacquiao losses once by KO but that was long before he was fighting the better fighter and not on the peak of his career, but this Hatton was KO’ed in the peak of his career while trying to enter into the mainstream. Don’t be so pathetic guys just watch tonight how Pacquiao will give your bloody Hatton a Red Face while facing the Canvass..
idoit hatton will win buy ko easy hatton only lost once to best fighter in world manny lost loads to crapper ppl
I just can’t see a glorified club fighter like Hatton beating the fighting machine that pummeled Oscar into retirement. Hatton tries hard and is pretty fast with his hands, but he’s basically a straight-ahead fighter who gets hit too much, and unlike other guys who fought a similar style–Dempsey, Frazier, Duran, to name a few of the best – Hatton doesn’t have the chin to pull it off. He was wobbled by Juan Lazcano, a journeyman, two fights back, and needed 11 rounds to dispose of feather-fisted Paulie Malignaggi, who basically gave up after three rounds. Hatton’s only truly standout performance was against a washed-up Kostya Tszu four years ago, and people went nuts over him, but the easy beating by Floyd Mayweather Jr. I think is more indicative of his true abilities at this level. There’s just no logical reason to pick Hatton on his merits.
Pacquiao, on the other hand, seems to have vastly improved as both a boxer and a puncher as he’s moved up in weight, his best performances coming against David Diaz and de la Hoya in weight classes he had never tried before. In some respects, the Oscar KO is a mirage, because de la Hoya turned out to be a shot fighter going in, but that should not detract from Pacquiao’s performance, which was probably the most complete of his career. The guy is not a young 30–he’s been fighting almost 15 years and was knocked out twice as a bantamweight–and he’s fighting almost 50 pounds above the weight he started at (106) so I don’t think he will have a particularly long shelf life. But he certainly has enough left to handle Hatton. He’ll cut him up before stopping him in eight rounds. Or less.
He probably will be dehydreated at the weigh in. especially seeing as he hit the mark at 140.
As soon as hes off the scales he will drink about 4 or 5 pints of water.
I think Hatton looks better than ever, Mayweather got him to calm down on the kebabs and Guinness between the Malanaggi fight and this one.
Pacman is world class and if he beats Hatton it will be because hes brilliant not because Hatton is weight drained or anytihng.
O.k all of you seemed to believed that Ricky is the much stronger fighter. thats fine thats your opinion but after the fight just get ready your self; I just hope that all of you could accept defeat and no one of you British Fans would try to invent another excuses after this fight.
9 out of 10 people seem to think Pacquiao wins this fight. Why? where does this opinion come from? Im not a die hard Hatton fan, i much prefer watching slick skills like Mayweather, but I cant see how Pacquiao has much of a chance. He will have to box out of his skin just to stay in the fight. Both guys are come forward fighters, Hatton is bigger stronger and more determined, Pacquiao wont have the power to keep him off, and if they trade Hatton is the certain winner. If manny backs off and tries to dance around the ring, he will be pushed back onto the ropes and Hattons body punches will cut him in two. It wont be like the De la Hoya fight, a walking punchbag who wont throw back. De la Hoyas performance was one of the most pathetic i have ever seen in a top level fight and this seems to be the basis for people thinking Pacquiao will beat Hatton. Erase that fight from your memory(because it cant be taken seriously) and now ask yourself if a former bantamweight- has the power to trouble a very strong, rough and aggressive welterweight champion, who has lost only once, to the best boxer of his generation. Suddenly Hatton seems like the favourite to me.
pacquiao is the favourite but think hatton has got a massive chance, hes in the shape of his life and looks really sharp in training. they have got a gameplan which is why they havent shown u much of him in training, gonna be a hell of a fight. hattons gonna stop him in the 9th
his fans havent dropped him this is a genuine 50/50 fight and i think people are backing pacquiao because of the delahoya fight which many are sayin how great it was but how old was oscar 35 when was the last time he fought at welter your quick to comment about tszyu being old and finished but not oscar who had nothing left when pac beat him hatton wont be weight drained has come into this fight in much better condition then he has for a while and is annoyed that no one is giving him a chance how can that be when he is the leading man at light welter
Fair article. Its hard to pick a winner. I think ricky will come to the ring more focused than he did against floyd because of all the stuff at the weigh in. He seems to really want to prove people wrong. I have my fingers crossed for him. There will be 20,000 brits in vegas who wont abandon him thats for sure