Ladies and gentlemen, we have our first mega fight of 2009 and boy is it a dandy. Las Vegas, Nevada. Ricky Hatton versus Manny Pacquiao. The MGM Grand has the honor of hosting what should be an epic slugfest.
Manny Pacquiao, with a record of 48-3-2, is considered the pound for pound king by almost everyone. His entertaining style and personality make people want to tune in no matter who he fights. The fact he has faced the best after best, fight after fight, and continues to do so doesn't hurt his credentials. Fresh off a destruction of Oscar De La Hoya, Manny gets back into the ring with another high profile fighter who sells a lot of tickets in Ricky Hatton.
The fight with Hatton won't be as easy for Manny as the one he had with De La Hoya. Pacquiao dominated every second of every round and forced Oscar into retirement. On paper however, there aren't too many categories where Hatton has the edge.
Hatton has one blemish on his record, a loss to Floyd Mayweather Jr., a fighter similar to Pacquiao. Manny will be faster and a better counter puncher than Hatton. Many believe that Hatton will have the disadvantage in the power category also. Both champions possess solid chins and great heart.
There are many reasons why Manny Pacquiao is considered the best fighter in the world. Hand speed, punching power, footwork, and determination. He has never backed down from any challenge and Ricky Hatton will have a few tricks up his sleeve.
This is a make or break fight in my opinion for Ricky Hatton. With a win, he shoots up the pound for pound rankings. If he loses, many wonder where he might go from there. This will be his second mega fight, and a loss will show maybe he doesn't deserve anymore.
Every advantage goes to Pacquiao in this one. Speed, power, and defense being the main things I looked at. That said, I picked Hatton to win. That was until I saw Hatton at the weigh in.
There are many many stories about the weight issues of Ricky Hatton, also referred to on occasion as Ricky "Fatton." He appeared extremely weight drained on Friday, the day before the big night. Cutting a large number of pounds is one thing when you fight average joes, but it's a different story when you climb into the ring with the likes of Manny Pacquiao.
On a side note, I am sick of Floyd Mayweather Sr.'s act. This guy to me is classless. I see no need to bash the other trainer, especially when it's someone as respected as Freddy Roach. Floyd Sr. is trying to make this about him and taking away from his fighter. There are rumors that Hatton is fed up with him also.
Daniel Jacobs, a rising star in the boxing world is doing something impressive on the undercard. Coming off of a victory on April 24th, Jacobs will fight again just eight days later. Currently at 15-0 with 14 knockouts, keep an eye on Jacobs, he will be champion in the not too distant future.
2009 has been a great year for boxing. HBO is doing fans a favor by having less pay per view cards and rightfully so given the economic times. Tonight's main event should be worth the price if it lives up to the hype. I see the fight going many ways, and there is a chance that it's another Manny Pacquiao brilliant performance.
I expect a very entertaining battle between two stars in the sport of boxing. You are going to want to tune in Saturday night.