Classic viewpoints: Pacquiao/Hatton

[dpw417]

Pacquiao steps in against the new, and improved version of Ricky Hatton this weekend. Now trained under Floyd Mayweather Sr., who promises Hatton will be a 'slicker' pressure fighter who will utilize the left jab more, and incorporate better head movement.

I'm not sold.

I like Manny...and I like him big in the fight. Pacquiao has made some very impressive progress himself the last few fights, employing better footwork, a more measured approach, better head movement, etc.

IMO Mayweather's stylistic approach will hurt Hatton more than help him. By attempting to jab more (Hatton still comes in very squared up) it gives Pacquiao the opportunity to just tee off on the incoming Hatton. Look for Pacquiao to counter Hatton's jabs with his straight left hand to the head and chest/stomach. He can either block the jab and step in, or slip the jab...then he can use the right hook setting up other combinations. Hatton, by being more jab oriented, falls right into Pacquiao's hands.

Hatton goes down twice in the 7th.
Pac by 7th round TKO

[mcvey]

Pacquiao steps in against the new, and improved version of Ricky Hatton this weekend. Now trained under Floyd Mayweather Sr., who promises Hatton will be a 'slicker' pressure fighter who will utilize the left jab more, and incorporate better head movement.

I'm not sold.

I like Manny...and I like him big in the fight. Pacquiao has made some very impressive progress himself the last few fights, employing better footwork, a more measured approach, better head movement, etc.

IMO Mayweather's stylistic approach will hurt Hatton more than help him. By attempting to jab more (Hatton still comes in very squared up) it gives Pacquiao the opportunity to just tee off on the incoming Hatton. Look for Pacquiao to counter Hatton's jabs with his straight left hand to the head and chest/stomach. He can either block the jab and step in, or slip the jab...then he can use the right hook setting up other combinations. Hatton, by being more jab oriented, falls right into Pacquiao's hands.

Hatton goes down twice in the 7th.
Pac by 7th round TKO
Hatton does not do well against south paws.
Manny has been stopped by two bodypunches.
Manny has improved his footwork and boxing.
Hatton has improved his boxing and defence?
Manny looked a million dollars against ODH.
ODH looked like shit ,so ,was Manny flattered by that result?
Imponderables.I think Pac man wins it with his speed,but Hatton looks very sharp and maybe Floyd Snr can make the difference ? My heart says yes my wallet says no. Pac man to win ,possibly by cut eye stoppage, hope I'm wrong,but speed kills.

[the cobra]

Originally posted by dpw417
Pacquiao steps in against the new, and improved version of Ricky Hatton this weekend. Now trained under Floyd Mayweather Sr., who promises Hatton will be a 'slicker' pressure fighter who will utilize the left jab more, and incorporate better head movement.

I'm not sold.

I like Manny...and I like him big in the fight. Pacquiao has made some very impressive progress himself the last few fights, employing better footwork, a more measured approach, better head movement, etc.

IMO Mayweather's stylistic approach will hurt Hatton more than help him. By attempting to jab more (Hatton still comes in very squared up) it gives Pacquiao the opportunity to just tee off on the incoming Hatton. Look for Pacquiao to counter Hatton's jabs with his straight left hand to the head and chest/stomach. He can either block the jab and step in, or slip the jab...then he can use the right hook setting up other combinations. Hatton, by being more jab oriented, falls right into Pacquiao's hands.

Hatton goes down twice in the 7th.
Pac by 7th round TKO
I agree with everything here, but I'm expecting Hatton to last into about the 9th, maybe 10th round.

[FromWithin]

I don't think Manny knocks Hatton in the first rounds. Pacquiao is powerful but maybe less than we think. He is extremely fast, but it still took him 9 rounds to KD the limited David Diaz, who himself said that it's not the power, it's the speed. Same thing with DLH, his face was a mess but he also said that Pacquiao didn't punch hard enough to knock him out. Hatton doesn't have a bad chin either, but is susceptible to cuts and with the way Manny punches extremely fast it's a possible way of TKOing him.

The main strategy of Floyd is to jab (and Hatton is physically stronger) and get Manny in the ropes, because he tends to go there in a straight line and when he covers up pound his body to death. I hope Roach fixed this tendency because he did that even against DLH...

[Minotauro]

I think Pacquiao stops Hatton late maybe the 11th.

[JimmyShimmy]

Pacquiao steps in against the new, and improved version of Ricky Hatton this weekend. Now trained under Floyd Mayweather Sr., who promises Hatton will be a 'slicker' pressure fighter who will utilize the left jab more, and incorporate better head movement.

I'm not sold.

I like Manny...and I like him big in the fight. Pacquiao has made some very impressive progress himself the last few fights, employing better footwork, a more measured approach, better head movement, etc.

IMO Mayweather's stylistic approach will hurt Hatton more than help him. By attempting to jab more (Hatton still comes in very squared up) it gives Pacquiao the opportunity to just tee off on the incoming Hatton. Look for Pacquiao to counter Hatton's jabs with his straight left hand to the head and chest/stomach. He can either block the jab and step in, or slip the jab...then he can use the right hook setting up other combinations. Hatton, by being more jab oriented, falls right into Pacquiao's hands.

Hatton goes down twice in the 7th.
Pac by 7th round TKO

We've got it the same.

Pacman TKO 7.

[Dempsey1238]

Hatton imo, I just have this gut feeling.

[Russell]

Pacquiao by TKO, mid to late rounds.

I wouldn't look at Pacquiao struggling against surgical, precise fighters like Marquez as being indicative of what a rough and tumble brawler is going to accomplish.

Hatton's skin is just begging to be opened up too. He's definitely suffered from horrific cuts before and not a lot of fighters have more damaging punches then Manny.

[GPater11093]

result same as russel

Bernard Hopkins did an interview and he broke it down exactly the same way as me

Manny is going to use his legs to win this fight. He needs to land a combination then move like he did against Diaz and Oscar. After he has moved he has to come straight back in with a combination then move again. This is not boxing of the back foot in fact it is quite an offensive strategy. Watching Manny in the gym on 24/7 that is what his plan looks to be.
Also Manny really makes the most of his southpaw stance, he leads with his left and pivots away to his left away from all punches from an Orthodox fighter. He also rolls away from a right hand up close.
Hatton on the other hand has shown us in his last fights he is really strong at LWW and that will help him but i cant see him getting to use his strength effectivly

Also Russel you mention Hattons skin do you think cuts will be a problem as Manny often comes in wih the head recklessly

[punchy]

Hatton I think is going to be too strong, this should be a great fight from two great fighters.

[PhillyPhan69]

Hatton I think is going to be too strong, this should be a great fight from two great fighters.

I am surprised that not many others share this thought? I agree..I believe Hatton will be to strong for Pac, and excpect an entertaining fight with Hatton overpowering Pac and ending it in the later rounds.

[Maxmomer]

Should be a good battle till the 9th round.

[PhillyPhan69]

Should be a good battle till the 9th round.

And....??????

[he grant]

I like Paq ... I think he is too fast and I'm far from sold on Ricky's chin ... however, I'm a fan of both guys and look forward to the bout !

[teeto]

Go Pacman

[lefthook31]

Funny, you have two guys who started their careers as raw straight ahead bangers. Now you have two of the premeir trainers in Roach and Mayweather, channeling their abilities and tightening up their games to make them more complete fighters. Roach has the advantage having worked with Manny longer, but his style is still very offensive minded. In my opinion Manny has had a lot of success due to his speed and brute strength over his opponents, and this fight will provide more of a realistic picture of how good his boxing skills are.
In this fight I think the abilities and strength are about even, and the smarter corner or gameplan will win the fight. I dont think were going to see a straight up brawl, but more of a tactical fight with one of the fighters acting as a counterpuncher. Mayweather Sr brings a more solid approach to a fighter over Roach in my opinion, but it will be interesting to see how much Hatton will be able to showcase of what he has learned in a tough high intensity fight.
If Hatton stands in front of Manny and fights in his usual wide open style, hes going to get picked apart quickly. If Mayweather is seeing the same thing Im seeing in Manny, hes going to have Hatton stepping off to the side and countering Pac's combinations. Manny seems to be very repetitious rhythem fighter, throwing combinations as he moves straight ahead. Its the same thing over and over, and once he gets a fighter backing up, he keeps coming forward. Hatton needs to move in angles and punch inside those combinations with straight right hands and hooks to the body. Thats will keep Manny off balance and allow Hatton to start taking the lead. If Hatton can establish his distance, than he can start using his jab and moving Manny into position to fight his older style late in the fight.
Interesting matchup overall, I dont see some quick stoppage unless Hatton gets cut up. I see more of a tactical fight with the smarter fighter/corner who establishes themselves first coming out victorious via decision or late round stoppage.

[riggers]

I have a feeling its going to be a Hatton win and not only that, he is going to do so decisivley and surprisingly easily.

Pac has not beaten anyone live over 130lbs so we don't know how he will deal with a strong light welter.

Hatton is fast at closing the distance, very fast, he goes from out of range to against the chest as well as anyone boxing right now. Yes he gets hit sometimes coming in, but if Pac cannot hurt him and keep him off..... then we have to assume Hatton IS going to get inside. Once inside Hattons strength and style suits better. Pac is elusive but up close less so. A left hook to the body or head sometime beforethe 6 th round starts and Hatton has surprised everyone.

I could of course be horribly wrong ! I just don't see Pac posing the problems Mayweather did, or having the strength to muscle Ricky back.

[dpw417]

bump.

[Russell]

Also Russel you mention Hattons skin do you think cuts will be a problem as Manny often comes in wih the head recklessly

Most definitely. Did you see as lean and dry Hatton looked?

Rehydrated or not, he's asking to be cut.

[riggers]

I am here for my humble pie.

I hope Ricky has no excuses he just got beat plain and simple

[GPater11093]

looks like cuts werent a problem

[riggers]

Not unless cuts means right hooks and no head movement.

[Dempsey1238]

wow, I did not expect it to end like this.

[dmt]

it was rather one sided which is quiet shocking. Pacman is undeniably now one of the top 40 atg p4p fighters ever.

[Flea Man]

Shocking end to a fine career.

[Rebel-INS]

it was rather one sided which is quiet shocking. Pacman is undeniably now one of the top 40 atg p4p fighters ever.

Rather one sided? It was an horrifically one sided beat down.

[Dempsey1238]

Dempsey Willard???

[riggers]

I was thinking more like Curry v McCrory

[Chinxkid]

Freddie Roach is a boxing genius. It seems to come so easily to him, so matter of fact he is about the pearls of wisdom that come out of his mouth. I am very sorry to see he is sick. What a bad break, what a loss his absence will be to the game. And what a story is that Roach/Pacquiao marriage. Manny Pacquiao is one of the "happiest" fighters I've ever seen, happy in the sense that he appears truly grateful for the opportunity to have a career in the ring. He is inspired by his good fortune, truly infatuated with his life, and what an inspiring guy that makes him. The stuff boxing legend is made of; boxing as a metaphor for life! I am moved by his example!

[MrMarvel]

Granted, Hatton was there to be hit. But I can see that few of you expected Pac to hit with such power. His shots were so fast and from so many angles.

His right hook is wicked. He throws it outside and inside. His reflexes are spectacular. He sees an opening and fires the shot in the blink of an eye. He's thinking in there, yet his punches appear automatic. He's a special athlete.

The knockout was devastating. It will be recorded as a TKO, but it was a knockout. Shame the ref didn't count. Ricky wasn't going anywhere. The ref could have counted to a hundred. But, then, seeing Ricky not being able to focus his eyes. The ref must have seen his pupils opening and closing. Spooky.

[janitor]

I have never been more wrong about how a fight would unfold or more shocked by the outcome.

I saw it as a 50/50 type fight that Paquiao would have to work verry hard to win.

I never in my wildest dreams thought he would destroy Hatton.

As Mr Marvel says I was shocked by the power. Paquiao seems to get more devastating the bigger his oponents get because they cant evade him.

We have seen a future classic fight gentlemen.

[GPater11093]

Freddie Roach is a boxing genius. It seems to come so easily to him, so matter of fact he is about the pearls of wisdom that come out of his mouth. I am very sorry to see he is sick. What a bad break, what a loss his absence will be to the game. And what a story is that Roach/Pacquiao marriage. Manny Pacquiao is one of the "happiest" fighters I've ever seen, happy in the sense that he appears truly grateful for the opportunity to have a career in the ring. He is inspired by his good fortune, truly infatuated with his life, and what an inspiring guy that makes him. The stuff boxing legend is made of; boxing as a metaphor for life! I am moved by his example!

Roach is the best coach of my life time and will likely forever hold that mantel

he learnt his trade from the great tactician Eddie Futch and he is as good as him IMO

i always listen to what Roach says i think he speaks a heap of sense, i have alot of time for Roach and will never ever go against him in a fight again after the Oscar fight

[Chinxkid]

Roach is the best coach of my life time and will likely forever hold that mantel

he learnt his trade from the great tactician Eddie Futch and he is as good as him IMO

i always listen to what Roach says i think he speaks a heap of sense, i have alot of time for Roach and will never ever go against him in a fight again after the Oscar fight

Are you speaking as a fighter, a gambler or neither?

His story is one for Hollywood, as is Manny's, and I'm sure there are already scripts and books being written as we speak. I like both these guys a lot. I think they are good for boxing and for what feeds the soul. Now and then, somebody comes along in boxing, anywhere really, that is state-of-the-art, and I think Roach and Pacquiao are both faith restoring figures. If I wore a hat I take it off. A Salute!

[GPater11093]

Are you speaking as a fighter, a gambler or neither?

His story is one for Hollywood, as is Manny's, and I'm sure there are already scripts and books being written as we speak. I like both these guys a lot. I think they are good for boxing and for what feeds the soul. Now and then, somebody comes along in boxing, anywhere really, that is state-of-the-art, and I think Roach and Pacquiao are both faith restoring figures. If I wore a hat I take it off. A Salute!

im speaking as a fighter and a fight fan

he speaks so much sense tactically and technically i listen as a fighter and a fight fan and his predictions are almost spot on

im too young to gamble

Roach is a great inspiration to anyone

[Chinxkid]

im speaking as a fighter and a fight fan

he speaks so much sense tactically and technically i listen as a fighter and a fight fan and his predictions are almost spot on

im too young to gamble

Roach is a great inspiration to anyone


He is, and as always with greatness, we only see the tip of the iceberg, the result of the years of struggle, false steps and hard learned lessons. I'm not an expert, at all, on his career, but seems that landing Manny (and Manny landing him) created the perfect storm they both needed. I really hate that a guy like this will have his career cut short due to illness. It was Mickey Rourke that resurrected him, right?

[GPater11093]

yeh he trained Rourke and then Rourke stopped fighting and donated all his stuff to Roach who opened a gym but he was working like 3 jobs before he met rourke

[Chinxkid]

That's just what I heard. What a story!

[GPater11093]

definitly best trainer in the sport

[Chinxkid]

definitly best trainer in the sport

He strikes me as a guy that would have been smart enough to do anything. Do you train with him?

[GPater11093]

He strikes me as a guy that would have been smart enough to do anything. Do you train with him?

wish i did mate

he sthe best trainer around i watch alot of interviews of him and listen to anything he says and remember it

[Chinxkid]

wish i did mate

he sthe best trainer around i watch alot of interviews of him and listen to anything he says and remember it

Well, since you called me "mate", I assume you're on the other side of the pond. That would make it pretty tricky to train with Freddie Roach, wouldn't it? I have a son who's just starting out in the game, at the 140 pound mark in fact. He lives in L.A. and he has trained at The Wild Card a few times, but regularly works at a gym in Downtown L.A. He's a tough kid, a smart kid, a hardworking kid in everything he does; but unfortunately I don't think he's got the speed to mimic Manny's style. He's probably gonna have to make himself a stalker, and all that that means.

[GPater11093]

Well, since you called me "mate", I assume you're on the other side of the pond. That would make it pretty tricky to train with Freddie Roach, wouldn't it? I have a son who's just starting out in the game, at the 140 pound mark in fact. He lives in L.A. and he has trained at The Wild Card a few times, but regularly works at a gym in Downtown L.A. He's a tough kid, a smart kid, a hardworking kid in everything he does; but unfortunately I don't think he's got the speed to mimic Manny's style. He's probably gonna have to make himself a stalker, and all that that means.


yeh im from Scotland

good luck to your son. Speed isnt everything although it is quite important but look at Monzon or Jim Watt

[The Wanderer]

Just wanted to quickly post the two biggest thoughts I had after the fight.

1) Pac is for real at these higher weights.

Even though I'm a fan of Pacquiao, there was a little part of me wondering whether he had been lucky in his opponents since moving up to lightweight and beyond. David Diaz is a tough guy with an iron chin, but as fighters go he rates about a C+ and he barely touched Manny all through their fight, (although he did land one sneaky hard body blow that practically lifted Manny up in the air) so that wasn't exactly much of a test. And then Oscar was about two steps away from being a zombie.

Even though I felt the only advantage Hatton might have is in power, there was still a little part of me worried that he might land a shot like the one that smashed 4 of Castillo's ribs. But he seemed unfazed by anything Hatton had and his power at 140 appears to be legit. And then some. I didn't think Manny would just lay Haton out like that.

2) Pac did a good job fighting inside.

Another surprise for me, because Manny has always loved to launch those long straight punches from mid and long range, (like he did with that massive KO, a possible knockout of the year) and he has those long, thin arms so he's not exactly built for inside work. Yet even after Hatton would manage to get close and get ready to set up shop inside, Pacquiao would still crack him with straight lefts and right hooks in close. Very nice work by Pacman.