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• Manny Pacquiao
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• Ricky Hatton

Pacquiao KO's Hatton in Two - Mayweather Next?

Freddie Roach predicted the fight wouldn’t go past three rounds.  As Larry Merchant told Roach in the ring following the fight, “We won’t hold it against you that you were off by a round”.  On Saturday night, Manny Pacquiao continued his reign as the current Ring Magazine Pound-for-Pound champion defeating Ricky Hatton in a fight that lasted shorter than most of the fight songs heard from many of Hatton’s endearing fans who made the trip from the UK.  Not to be outdone were the Filipino-Americans in attendance that came to support their South-Asian sensation who has taken the sports world by storm since his defeat and eventual retiring of Oscar De La Hoya last December.  In the early bouts the electricity began to run through the room and as the final bout before the main event came to an end when Humberto Seto knocked-out Benoit Gaudet, the chants for Ricky and Manny were already making their way around the MGM Grand arena.

With the likes of Jack Nicholson and Denzel Washington along with Mariah Carey and P. Diddy in attendance, it was an evening that wasn’t short of star-power to take in the most-anticipated fight of the year.  Hatton, with a loss on his record from Floyd Mayweather, Jr a couple of fights ago, claims to be renewed under the guidance of none other than Floyd Mayweather, Sr and looked to play the challenger role to Pacquiao’s pound-for-pound title choosing to enter the ring first even though his IBO and Ring Magazine’s Light Welterweight titles would be on the line.  Entering second would be Pacquiao shouldered by Filipino WWE star David Bautista and new corner-man and former heavyweight champion Michael Moorer.  Behind them, Freddie Roach would quietly enter the ring, confident that with the training that was done, the fans would see no-more than nine minutes of fighting.

With a record of 48-3-2 with 36 KO’s, Manny has moved between divisions like no other fighter capturing titles in five weight classes and beating champions in six.  This would be his first opportunity at 140 pounds against the current Light Welterweight line champion and would be looking to improve on a 16-2-0 record with Roach in his corner who’s turned the once flyweight slugger into a welterweight boxing machine.  Roach, the former trainer of De La Hoya, is an astute student and master of the sweet science, and his approach to training Pacquiao has been nothing short of pure genius constantly improving his student’s game in the ring fight after fight.  Compared to Hatton, who looked to Mayweather, Sr to help adjust his game to counter Manny’s speed and quickness, this would be only his second fight with his new trainer.  Much would depend on the actual training done in the gym and less on the talking outside it.

Not to be left out, earlier in the day, Mayweather, Jr would announce his return to the ring coming out of retirement and putting his undefeated record on the line against former Pacquiao foe Juan Manuel Marquez currently #2 in the pound-for-pound rankings.  The fight will take place July 18th with the winner eventually looking to fight against the eventual winner between Pacquiao and Hatton. 

Following the final instructions from referee Kenny Bayless, both fighters set themselves in their respective corners as the anticipation in and around the ring reached a fever pitch.  Both combatants could hardly contain themselves and at the sound of the bell, they came out, touched gloves and began to let their punches speak for themselves.  As anticipated, Hatton would be the aggressor looking to impose his seemingly more powerful punch over Pacquiao and would smother the faster Filipino following his combinations while punching in the clinch.  Pacquiao, however, would effectively jab Hatton coming in and would throw a newly fashioned right hook a number of times as Hatton cocked his right leaving him open to the short punch in Pacquiao’s southpaw stance.

Hatton would continue to move in and attempt to draw Pacquiao into fighting him versus boxing him, but Pacquiao would continue to punish him on the way in with the right hook that even I, a fan since he’s been a flyweight, haven’t seen in his arsenal before.  Midway through the first round, Hatton’s face was already showing the effects of the quick and accurate punching that consistently wowed the fans at ringside and it wasn’t long before Hatton’s aggression would cause him to take one on the chin and this time, tasting the canvas for the first time.

Pacquiao had just thrown his first multiple-punch combination after counter-punching in the first two minutes.  He would counter and then hit his opponent with a flurry of punches that Hatton could never prepare for in weeks and weeks of training.  You could tell that this only drove Hatton to pursue him even more as he drove in with a wild left only to get tagged with the short right hook that put him on his knees.  It happened so fast at first I thought it was a slip, and then on the replay when I not only saw the right hook, but Pacquiao slipping under the wild left, I sat amazed and at his speed and dexterity. 

Fans jumped to their feet and upon seeing the count being administered, it was evident that Hatton was in need of an adjustment.  Unfortunately with a minute still remaining in the round, there was plenty of time for someone who is capable of throwing 6-10 punches per second to get another knockdown.  That second fall came at the expense of a straight left as Hatton was moving backwards in the block and Pacquiao’s punch would drive through his glove and connect on the right forehead sending the champion into his corner seconds before where he would eventually be once he made it to his feet. 

One could only imagine what was going through the champion’s mind as the camera showed the effects of the 35 punches he took in that first round.  Bruises began to form and the redness on his forehead were nothing compared to the look of bewilderment in his eyes as it was obvious that this was not the plan he had in mind coming into the fight.  Mayweather, Sr could only try to remind him to get back to his game plan and put up his guard and to move around going in as the marks on his face showed otherwise.  At the other end, it was game on as planned; a plan that was expertly laid out and practiced, a plan that frustrated the champion, and a plan that Pacquiao executed with perfection in the first round.

In the second, it was more of the same as Hatton could do nothing more than what he was used to and that was to go after his opponent.  This won him his 47 victories, provided him with many of his glorious knockouts, and gave him the belts he currently wore around his waist.  Though at the same time, it was this sluggish style that put the one blemish on his record and in the second round it would be his downfall.

Early on Pacquiao would continue to tag Hatton with punches as he came in mixing up jabs with right hooks and punishing him with devastating left straights.  Hatton was obviously frustrated not being able to get in and power punch inside as Pacquiao would slip away or they would both end up in the clinch.  Both fighters would exchange punches in the clinch and Hatton would get a warning for holding the back of the pound-for-pound champion’s head.  Pacquiao would throw punches in bunches with speed and accuracy that amazed all eyes in the ring as Hatton consistently took them and did his best to respond with ones of his own. 

Late in the round, it looked as the fighters settled into a rhythm as Hatton would be more cautious going in and Pacquiao would go back to countering instead of throwing multiple punches following counters.  Then at the ten-second mark following missed short hooks by both fighters, Hatton would reset and lean in with a jab and as Pacquiao slipped the punch tasting a bit a leather, he went FTW and threw a high left hook of his own that nailed the champion on his chin and sent him crashing to floor with the back of his head slamming on the canvas.  The power punch that laid out many a flyweight and lightweight boxer made its appearance at 140-pounds and with his eyes rolling into the back of Hatton’s head, there was no need for Bayless to count as it would be two minutes before he would get back to his feet.

Following the fight Merchant asked Pacquiao about the hooks that he used to perfection and in broken English he responded, “That’s the ones that’s going to be the kill!” referring to the left and right hooks.  With those killer hooks, devastating straights, and blinding speed his arsenal is impeccable.  Add a defensive style that frustrates opponents by slipping punches and countering with accuracy and effectiveness, and you have what many now know to be the greatest boxing machine on the planet.  

It may have been Floyd Mayweather, Jr that did the talking at the beginning of the day coming out of retirement to attempt to reclaim what was once his Ring Magazine Pound-for-Pound championship.  But it was Manny Pacquiao at the end of the day that did his talking in the ring sending a message not only to Mayweather, Sr from Freddie Roach via Ricky Hatton, but to Mayweather Jr who he will inevitably match-up with in what will be the fight of the decade.