Muhammad Ali used to ask a rhetorical question about daring to be great. And what he meant was a boxer has to put everything at risk – his health, his title, and the chance to make the big money. In exchange, by taking on the best competition around, that fighter gains respect. When Ali came out of his three year exile, in his third fight he fought Joe Frazier, taking an enormous beating, almost being knocked out in the eleventh and fifteenth rounds, and losing a decision. But he was finally appreciated as a great fighter because even though he lost, he was game throughout the fight – soon after, Budd Schulberg entitled an Ali biography “Loser and Still Champion.” Ali arguably gained more from that loss than from any win.
And that’s how the pound-for- pound works. Everybody on that list, to a greater or lesser extent has dared to be great and has achieved or approached it – win or lose. That is something the heavyweights should keep in mind. But these days heavyweight champions and contenders both are manufactured by fighting retired ex-contenders and ex-champions and by the wishful thinking of a boxing media anxious for the next great American heavyweight.
Besides having television’s best theme music and perfect narration from Liev Schreiber (I could listen to him read the phone book), on no other show could you possibly see these priceless moments portrayed in such entertaining fashion — and have them relate to a huge upcoming fight: Oscar De La Hoya passing gas, Floyd Mayweather Sr. making Kool-Aid and eating a taco in his car while driving, Ricky Hatton showing off his butt in a thong, Freddie Roach getting a haircut, Enzo Calzaghe borrowing a New York street musician’s guitar and playing for him, Roy Jones Jr. emotionally watching the election night announcement in Times Square that Barack Obama had won the presidency, rap star 50 Cent riding a Segway through Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s mansion, and Roger Mayweather shopping for Thanksgiving groceries.
This footage was kept on the shelf per Freddie Roach’s request as to not tip off Team Hatton on their training techniques. Check out Manny Pacquiao’s blinding speed and power as he works the mitts with Freddie Roach in the ring. Straight from The Wild Card Gym. This video was shot by Brad Cooney of www.8countnews.com. View more
As Renaissance Men go, Manny Pacquiao puts Thomas Jefferson to shame. And in case you missed it, the pound-for-pound king and new junior welterweight champion just added two more professions to his long list this week.
Boxer. This one’s pretty obvious, and it’s the job I’d like to see him do for a little while longer, rather than considering retirement after a bout in October. He’s pretty good at it, if I don’t say so myself.
Here’s the new top 12 pound-for-pound list for May 2009:
1. Manny Pacquiao (49-3-2, 37 KOs)– His obliteration of tough guy Ricky Hatton reminded me of those Bruce Lee movies where the smaller guy beats the bigger or heavier guy with ease. Manny’s a lot like that. Despite his size he can beat much bigger guys and it’s not fiction but fact. He’s the real life Bruce Lee.
Honorable mention:
Vic Darchinyan, Ricky Hatton, Hozumi Hasegawa, Arthur Abraham, Celestino Caballero, Mikkel Kessler, Chris John and Wladimir Klitschko.
There is no doubt that Pacquiao is a very special fighter, one worthy of intense praise for not only his accomplishments, but for how he has transformed himself from a left-hook happy slugger into a complete fighter.
He also goes about his business with a quiet dignity in a sport filled with braggarts and blowhards. So, is Pacquiao’s sudden elevation into the pantheon of great fighters justified or is he being overestimated? Will he continue down his path of destruction or will some fighter hand him his head after which some of the naysayers now having their say will proclaim, “I told you so.”
He said: “I haven’t watched the fight yet. I don’t know whether I will watch it. It has been embarrassing for me.
“What I vaguely remember is that no sooner had the bell rang when I went down, then again. I felt I was doing well in the second round and he nailed me again.
“It has been difficult to take for me. It is just embarrassing really.
“I know he is not that much better than me.
“Before I could get warmed up he nailed me. I felt I hurt him in the second round, but no sooner had I hurt him than he nailed me again.
The following May he attracted a whopping crowd of 55,000 to Manchester City’s Eastlands Stadium to see him bounce back with a unanimous points decision over Juan Lazcano.
But Hatton is still coming to terms with the fact that he lost badly again in Vegas, saying: “I’m still devastated about it and spending time with my family is my priority now, so I can’t say what I am going on to do.
“Whatever I decide to do - and I am not saying I am the best British fi ghter by any means - I don’t think any British fighter has had a following like me. There was about 25,000 in Vegas this time. Incredible support.
“Before this fight and the Mayweather fi ght, I am told the record was about 10,000. It doesn’t even come close. It is incredible stuff.
Yesterday, in Hyde, Manchester, Ricky “Hitman” Hatton opened the doors to his new gym, “Ricky Hatton’s Health and Fitness Centre.” Upon doing so, the 30-year-old also spoke to the members of the media that were in attendance. Needless to say, the hottest topic of conversation was the May 2nd loss Hatton suffered at the hands of Manny Pacquiao and whether or not Ricky will fight again.
Brutally honest as always, Hatton admitted he has been crying since the 2nd round KO loss, and that he has had the urge to hide himself away since the loss, only the second of his career.
Speaking to The Star newspaper, Britain’s most popular fighter of all-time said he needs a lot more time yet before he can make up his mind about his fighting future.
“There have been tears,” Hatton said. “After all, it has been difficult to take for me. I just want to rest, re-charge my batteries and get life back to normal. I’m not saying it is over yet, but I’m not in a position to make a final call. Once I get back to normal, I’ll be in a position to decide what I want to do. You won’t hear the last of me in boxing, but the physical side of fighting is the last thing that should be on my mind right now.
Mayweather signed on to fight Juan Manuel Marquez this July. During the official press conference, Leonard Ellerbe said that Mayweather was back and had a hit list. But just who is on this hit list? Obviously Marquez is the first. A future hall of famer, Marquez is a test for anyone, but having only fought above 125 pounds once and signing to fight at a catch weight around 143, the legitimacy of this fight is in question.. Yes, he is the one man to give Pacquiao some real problems, but Floyd is bigger and fighting closer to his natural weight then Marquez. If Mayweather can get past him, and most of us suspect that he will, who is next?
Pacquiao’s trainer Freddie Roach has already said that they are not going to wait around for anyone. If this turns out to be true, the timing could be off and the dream fight may be in real jeopardy. Early speculation is that Sugar Shane Mosley is anxious for a meeting in the ring with Pacquiao. Miguel Cotto’s name has also been tossed around lately as a possible opponent for Pac. It seems as if either of these guys signs to fight with Pac, it would be set up as a fall matchup. With Floyd fighting in July, the timing seems to be off for him to meet Pacquiao in 2009.
Pacquiao shows the world why he is now called the best fighter in the world. He may have sent his second superstar into retirement, this time with a flush left hook to the jaw in the 2nd round. Ricky Hatton can kiss his rematch with Floyd Jr. goodbye.
July 18th 2009: Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Juan Manuel Marquez
Mayweather will step into the ring for the first time since 2007. He will face off against Manny Pacquiao’s toughest foe, Juan Manuel Marquez. If he wins we will all be looking forward (hopefully) to a Pacquiao-Mayweather showdown in the fall.
So there you have it, some of the big things that have happened in boxing since the Pretty Boy’s last fight. I’m not saying that the other guys don’t deserve their shot at giving Mo’ his first O, but there is finally a pecking order to the man.
Marquez has his shot, and Pacquiao will hopefully get the winner. Sugar Shane isn’t far behind, but let’s not forget how much trouble he had with Mayorga, a guy who was destroyed by De La Hoya. Cotto was out, but thanks to Margarito’s cinder-block fists and questions as to when the cheating began, Cotto goes to the back of the line, assuming he gets by Clottey of course (no guarantee). Williams is standing next to Cotto, but I think I would rather see him stay at Middleweight. I don’t believe Hatton should fight again and don’t want to see Margarito ever step into the ring again.
Long story made short, if Mayweather can get by Marquez, the Pacquiao-Mayweather fight is the only fight in boxing that MUST happen. Who knew the best way to figure all that out was for Floyd Jr. to retire?
Overall a combination of factors led to Hatton’s devastating loss to Manny Pacquiao, one major factor was that while Team Hatton was in turmoil, Team Pacquiao was a well oiled machine firing on all cylinders. The inclusion of Former Heavyweight Champion Michael Moorer to Team Pacquiao paid dividends. Another factor is that Pacquiao just has superior skills to those possessed by Ricky Hatton.
I would also question Hatton’s mental preparation. The last thing that should be considered is that you ‘can’t teach an old dog new tricks’, and Mayweather Sr, being the great trainer he claims to be should’ve known this. Mayweather Sr, could have just opted to improve the things that Hatton already does that is make Hatton into a better brawler. Is Floyd Mayweather Sr. the blame, NO? He IS part of the problem, but Ricky Hatton’s main problem is that he never developed
the fighting skills to compete at the highest level of the sweet science and came to that realization late in the game. This revelation is crystal clear if you look back at the Luis Collazo and Juan Urango fights. Could Billy Graham have done a better job? Probably not in the skills department, but mentally yes. Graham would have totally controlled the training environment.
Fans shouldn’t be surprised if Ricky Hatton continues to fight under new trainer Freddie ‘The Joke Coach’ Roach. I’m sure that as far as Freddie Roach is concerned the joke is on Floyd ‘Joy’ Mayweather.
Tell him that…Fuck Mayweather! Pacquiao's the big attraction!”
Ouch! Damn Bob!
Well it looks like Mayweather shares some of those same sentiments as he recently made it clear to those close to him that he won't be rushing into a bout with Manny Pacquiao so long as Arum is involved, which, of course he will be. Geesh! Can't we all just get along? Let's hope that cooler heads prevail and both Arum and Mayweather can put their differences aside to give fans a real fight to save the sport. After all, if it makes dollars (and it will), it makes sense (and it does)!
Against Pacquiao’s speed and movement, in the five minutes and 59 seconds that his night lasted, Hatton did not seem to have any idea where the punches were coming from. This allowed Pacquiao to simply tee off. The left hook that put Hatton out cold was thrown from so far back it could have floored a horse.
“What I vaguely remember is that no sooner the bell rang and I went down, then again,” Hatton said. “I felt I was doing well in the second round and he nailed me again.
“It is just embarrassing really. I know he is not that much better than me. I have felt worse after 12-round wars, as daft as it sounds. It didn’t take much out because it was over so quickly.”
Ricky Hatton says he has still not decided whether he will retire from boxing or not after his shocking knockout defeat against Manny Pacquiao.
Hatton failed for the second time to beat the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world after his only other previous defeat against Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Filipino superstar Pacquiao was more clinical though as he stunned the Hitman with a second round knockout in Las Vegas.
“Getting back to reality is what I’ve got to do, having a holiday with my son and the sooner I can make the decision the better. Once I get back to normal I’ll be in a position to decide what I want to do.
“I haven’t watched the fight yet. I don’t know whether I will watch it. It has been embarrassing for me. What I vaguely remember is that no sooner had the bell rang when I went down, then again. I felt I was doing well in the second round and he nailed me again.
“There have been tears. After all, it has been difficult to take for me. It is just embarrassing really. I know he is not that much better than me. Before I could get warmed up he nailed me. I felt I hurt him in the second round, but no sooner had I hurt him than he nailed me again.
Certainly, you have to go back to Tyson’s heyday to find an event like Pacquiao/Hatton, where a fighter so quickly, brutally and thrillingly disposed of his opponent on such a gigantic stage. The packed house that gathered at the MGM Grand last Saturday included the elite A-list scene — Jack Nicholson, Jay-Z, Puff Daddy, Mariah Carey, Denzel. And though the initial excitement about the pay-per-view take has dampened somewhat (right after the fight there was talk of it cracking the two million mark), there’s a very good chance that it did upwards of a million buys, making it among the most successful pay-per-view fights of all time that did not involve either Mike Tyson or Oscar De La Hoya.
In other words, Pacquiao had an enormous and enormously influential audience watching him work against Hatton, and what they saw — six minutes of fury and precision capped by a knockout to end all knockouts — all but guarantees that they’ll be back for more. Provided that Pac Man’s next fight is against another marketable opponent (which seems like a lock at this point) I would imagine that the buzz surrounding it will be worthy of De La Hoya and Tyson in their primes, and that it will do even better PPV-wise than did Pacquiao/Hatton.
Done? What did you come up with? Maybe you can knock Pacquiao’s one-fight lightweight “reign.” That’s fair. David Diaz is no Nate Campbell, or Juan Diaz, for that matter. Much of anybody else? I think I’ll be waiting for your answer for a while, and I think you’ll be scrounging. And, at any rate, in a little more than a year, Pacquiao has fought the clearly best opposition while he was in the junior lightweight division, Juan Manuel Marquez, and while he was in the junior welterweight division, Hatton. And if you stack up the fighters Mayweather didn’t fight while in the pertinent division — Freitas, Casamayor, Mosley, Tzsyu, Hatton, Cotto, Margarito, Williams — and compare them to those that Pacquiao hasn’t fought, I think you’d find more pound-for-pound top-10 guys in Mayweather’s stack than Pacquiao’s.
I don’t dismiss all of Mayweather’s fights over the last few years out of hand. Sure, Hatton was smaller than Mayweather, but I thought Hatton’s style would give Mayweather more trouble than it did, and it’s not as if Mayweather is some giant welterweight. Sure, De La Hoya was getting older, but Mayweather moved up to fight him, and he was still pound-for-pound top-20 at the time. Sure, Gatti had zero chance whatsoever, but he did come with a giant pile of money. Sure, Baldomir had even less of a chance, but he did have the legitimate, lineal Ring magazine belt in the division. Sure, at times some of the opponents Mayweather reportedly wanted didn’t want him, but there are just as many reports the other way around, and it’s always tough to suss those things out. I guess you can find knocks on Pacquiao’s wins of late, too. You can find knocks on any fighters’ wins if you try.
Although I believed he would lose against Pacquiao, I was surprised it happened so quickly.
But Manny beat Hatton in every department — his speed, footwork and power were superb.
The knockout was a frightening one and reminded me of the devastating defeats two Brits — Dave Boy Green and Herol Graham — had at world level.
I don’t think Ricky has looked the same since he beat Kostya Tszyu in Manchester four years ago, which remains for me the highlight — and high point — of his career.
The speed with which the Filipino warrior operates and tirelessly practices is unlike anything I have ever seen. Pacquiao pushes the envelope at the top speed of a pair of human hands and then practices precise mechanical punches in sequence at that same speed. The speed with which you witness his hands moving in video clips (where you hear him cry out with exasperated gasps) is nowhere near as random as it might appear. A lot of fighters can flail their hands towards a target, but it is tireless effort that compels Manny Pacquiao to take his God given gift of hand speed one step further and practice placing combinations at supreme velocity.
In his early years, it was this speed and the potential it held that had the young tiger destroying anyone who stood in his way. It is now years later and the jaws of the most skeptical boxing pundits are dropping as the realized potential of that speed (paired with learned skill and a veteran savvy) is destroying fighters 28 pounds north of where the young Filipino fighter began. Manny Pacquiao is currently scoring one-punch knockouts over champions up to ten weight division higher than when he began his career.
I stick to what I’ve said recently in comments and just back-and-forth with folks here: Mayweather does not have Pacquiao’s résumé anymore. While Floyd has been talking, Manny has been fighting and winning. As much as I think Mayweather doesn’t get enough credit for some of the great things he’s done from hardcore fans, I also don’t think it matches what Pacquiao has done.
The difference is truly Marquez, Barrera and Morales — when he beat these guys (at least the first times in the cases of the latter two) they were great fighters. Pacquiao beat them all, and he beat Barrera and Morales very convincingly.
Was Corrales ever really a great fighter? Was Hernandez? Was Oscar still great? Was Ricky great at 147? I don’t want to slam any of them, but I say no on every count. I don’t think Castillo was great, either. All of them were very, very good, save perhaps for Hatton, who I’d put at simply “pretty good” at 147, something even Hatton would agree with, I think.
They’ve both had several other notable wins, and I put their “extra credit” good wins about on par with one another.
There are a lot of ways to go about debating this, I believe. But for me, it’s Manny Pacquiao, and it has nothing to do with the fact that I’d rather watch Manny fight than I would Floyd.
The best way to settle this would be for the two of them to meet, if and when Mayweather beats Marquez in July. That’s the old-fashioned way. Let’s get old-fashioned.
It’s bewildering thinking about what Hatton was confronted with in the form of Manny Pacquiao for the nearly six minutes the fight lasted. How about an opponent with faster hands who possessed a bigger punch, who could put them together better from any spot in the ring. There’s no doubting that during training camp Ricky worked hard on not coming straight in, leaving himself wide open during and after exchanges. Not only did he have to hope to make Pacquiao miss, but he needed to make him pay too — in order to have a chance to score the upset. In the gym with big gloves and head gear on he probably looked good and showed marked improvement defensively. But doing it in the gym while sparring and on fight-night are a lifetime apart. Slipping and getting under
punches sounds great and works every time against an imaginary opponent. In reality the list of fighters who can attack and
push the fight and routinely make their opponent miss is quite short. And when the opponents whose offense is trying to be navigated go by the names Pacquiao and Mayweather, a lot of names will disappear from the list.
The problem is when a fighter gets hit during the heat of battle they revert back to what they feel most safe and comfortable doing. What we saw happen towards the end of the first round and into the second round was stimulated by a degree of panic and self preservation on Hatton’s part. Unfortunately, Ricky didn’t have the time or mindset to think his way through of what not to do while Manny was getting through with right-hooks and three punch combinations delivered with the intent of ending the fight. In fact, Pacquiao remarked after the fight that he knew after the first knockdown Hatton would be open for everything else. That’s because fighters know.
“Maraming salamat sa inyo, taas noo tayong mga Pilipino kahit saang sulok ng mundo (Thank you everyone. We Filipinos stand tall and proud wherever we go),” he said, addressing hordes of media awaiting his arrival.
“Mas lalong makakasama kung mag stay ako dun. Mas safe kung uuwi ako dito sa Pilipinas (It will be worse if I stay there. I feel a lot safer going home),” he said, referring to earlier advice that he delay his flight home.
“I feel so happy that I am home now with my family,” he said.
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