Manny Pacquiao’s powerful left hook has ended any sensible prospect of Ricky Hatton fighting again
Mayweather’s punch did not have the concussive finality of Pacquiao’s wicked left, but the two blows will forever be linked. Pacquiao’s arrived in the final second of round two, the third knockdown blow the Filipino had to throw to claim Hatton’s IBO and Ring Magazine light-welterweight titles, and if Hatton heeds the wishes of family and friends the last one he will ever take.

Pacquiao put Hatton down in the first round with a right hook he admitted to his corner he never saw, and again with a short left before the bell. From that point on, it was clear we were in for a short night. Pacquiao’s trainer, Freddie Roach, told later how they had worked on that right hook for weeks. “Ricky cocks his punches before he throws ‘em. Every time he left an opening, Pacquiao’s so quick, I knew the inside hook would work every time.”

This was an echo of the strategic naivety Hatton showed against Mayweather, when he was out-thought and knocked down by a punch devised by the American’s uncle and trainer, Roger.

“At the moment I find it hard to make a decision about my future because my head’s in my backside,” Hatton told Sky Sports News. “I don’t know at the moment because I never thought it was going to happen. People are still going to see plenty of me [whatever the decision]. I’m going into promoting now. They’re going to be fulfilling my dreams from now on … As far as physically boxing myself I don’t know what I will decide.”

There are suggestions that he will opt for a farewell fight in his home city of Manchester but he said he felt it was important to take his time before making a final decision. He is due to return to England on Thursday before going on holiday with his fiancée, Jennifer Dooley, and his young son, Campbell. He may confirm whether he will fight on in just under a fortnight, when his new boxing gym and health club opens in Manchester.

Ricky Hatton, though, played a huge role in this fight being the success it appears to have been. People may debate his credentials, his record, and his skills, but if you tell me there’s no part of you that just likes Ricky Hatton, I have to wonder how that’s possible. His image was never manufactured; he is who he is. He’s as real as they come, flaws and all.

Hatton, now 30, will likely think retirement, though I still don’t believe he will actually retire straight off. The days of the “Hitman,” the fighting pride of Manchester, England, coming to Las Vegas and headlining mega cards are now over barring some amazing career rejuvenation. But he will remain a star so long as he fights on with his usual level of class, humor and pride.

Ricky Hatton is not among the greatest fighters of his generation. He’s a little bit under that mark. But tell me this: Who takes his place? Who’s going to bring 25,000 fans, most of whom can’t even get a ticket to the fight, from England to Vegas? Whose fans are going to pound drums and sing their guts out, creating the most electric atmosphere I’ve yet seen for any fight (Mayweather-Hatton)?

“>"If we’d have gone a few rounds it could have been different. But he caught me with practically the first punch he threw. I’d rather have been knocked out in two rounds than have somebody that has outclassed me for the full duration. Maybe it could have been different, but that’s boxing. I’ve lost twice and I’ve lost to the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world," Hatton told The Sun.

From the very onset he was simply outclassed. While he tried to charge Pacquiao with his customary aggression, he was met early on by a right hook that visibly shook him. Halfway through the opening stanza, you could see that Hatton’s supposed advantages in strength and size were going to be easily negated by the Filipino’s speed and precision. As his face got reddened from the slicing shots of Pacquiao, you got the sense this was David Diaz all over again. Only Hatton - whose chin showed signs of faltering last year versus Juan Lazcano - wouldn’t be nearly as durable. He was knocked down twice late in the first and what took place in the second was just a mere formality.

“I believe that it’s a hard punch,” said Pacquiao of his finishing kick, “and I believe he could not get up.” He’s obviously as good at understatement as he is at boxing. That punch - which might end up being the Knockout of the Decade - was an exclamation point to a bold statement that Pacquiao has been making since his close shave versus Marquez last March. And the statement is very simple - I’m truly a great prizefighter, one of the best of this past generation, and any other era before it.

Even Hatton’s trainer, Floyd Mayweather Sr., who demeaned Roach as a “joke” and laughed off Pacquiao as too small to compete, was blown away by the Filipino.

“I don’t know where the hell he gets it from,” he said of Pacquiao, who began his career at 106 pounds. “It seems like some incredible power, though.”

Boxing historian Bert Sugar was equally in awe. “I hesitate to judge people in the middle of a career, but this is one of the most phenomenal stories of recent boxing history,” he said.

Floyd Mayweather Snr, Hatton’s trainer, against whom the whispers of recrimination are beginning to emerge, was adamant that any decision about ending a 45-2 career should be made by the British fighter. “I can’t tell nobody when to retire, and I wouldn’t suggest he retire,” Mayweather said. “He should do that on his own. It is the best way, and it up to him.

“Some people may want to try it again or one more time, and only the individual can make that decision. He tried twice [against Pacquiao and Mayweather Jnr] and he failed twice. It’s his choice at the end of the day.”

Mayweather’s assessment of Hatton’s performance clearly indicated that Hatton had strayed from the game plan. “Ricky made an error and Pacquiao capitalised on it. He should have kept his hands up better, if you want to talk about mistakes.

Round 1: The round started off pretty slowly, but that was rectified about a minute later. PacMan was already proving to be way too quick for Hatton and started landing brutal body shots. He then came over the top and put Hatton down as he caught him square on the chin with a right hook. Hatton managed to get up, but he was already bloody and obviously hurt. He survived for all of 40 seconds before Pacquiao caught him again with a left and put him down for the second time in the round. Hatton once again got to his feet and managed to survive the last few seconds of the round.

Round 2: I’m not sure what was in Hatton’s water in his corner, but he came out on fire in the second round. He landed a shot early that rocked Pacquiao, but PacMan immediately shook it off and then let Hatton know that was the last time that he was going to be hit like that. With about 1:30 left in the round, they stood toe to toe in the middle of the ring and Pacquiao began to land shot after shot. They were obviously taking their toll and it seemed as though it was only a matter of time before Hatton would succumb to the beating that Pacquiao was delivering.

On the same day that Floyd Mayweather, Jr. came out of retirement to reclaim his retired crown of pound-for-pound king, Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao slipped it safely out of reach by doing in two rounds, what had taken Mayweather ten.

Last night, before a sold-out crowd at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Pacquiao (48-3-2, 37 KOs) secured his right to call himself the boxing’s pound-for-pound champion by knocking out Ricky Hatton (45-2, 32 KOs) at 2:59 of round two.

“He’s still a good fighter,” a humble Pacquiao said of Hatton at the post-fight press conference.

“I’m just lucky tonight I hit first. A right hook.”

Under a hail of punches like bullets from a machine gun, Ricky Hatton’s boxing career met a sickening end
Hatton was not just out before he hit the canvas a second from the scheduled end of round two; the lights went out as soon as Manny Pacquiao’s left connected with Hatton’s unprotected chin, a target so inviting the Filipino could not miss.

Certainly the damage had been done in the first round, when the man entitled to be regarded as the finest fighter in the world, across all the weight divisions, put Hatton down with a right hook so perfect it deserved to be a painting.

In the first round Hatton moved in aggressively against Pacquiao and immediately worked the inside. Both traded punches, with the Englishman landing frequently in the first 40 seconds until Pacquiao countered with a left hand. Suddenly, as Hatton lunged in, a Pacquiao right hook to the chin dropped him to his knees.

Hatton got up shakily but beat the count. With less than 30 seconds left in the round, a left hand dropped Hatton again near his own corner. He beat the count and the round ended.

His next fight, he did the impossible, ruined my birthday and knocked out the then seemingly untouchable featherweight kingpin (and my favorite boxer, of the time) Marco Antonio Barrera. Now title changed hands, but he was the best featherweight in the world.

Immediately after testing Barrera, he jumped in with an unsung Mexican pugilist by the name of Juan Manuel Marquez and quickly dumped the master boxer three times in the first round en route to a memorable draw.

The following year, Tijuana toughman Erik Morales took a spirited decision from him. Some who thought he was over-rated, felt the end was near for the rising star.

“You know, Mayweather, he could’ve fought Manny Pacquiao. He just had to wait one day. I think he’s scared of Pacquiao,” Roach said during the postfight news conference. “He chose Marquez. We’re not going to wait around. I like to keep Manny busy. A busy fighter is a good fighter.”

Pacquiao took a more diplomatic approach when asked about Mayweather by ESPN’s Jaime Motta.

“For me, I can fight anybody at 147 (pounds), or I can fight at 140, but he’s got an upcoming fight with Marquez, and we’ll see after the fight,” Pacquiao said.

“In the first round I expected my right hook would be dangerous for him because I knew he would come forward with his hands down. He was wary of my left hook, but I have a new technique: the right hook.

“On the first knockdown, the right hook you saw we worked on every day in the gym.”

The 30-year-old native of the Philippines floored Hatton three times in the bout, the final one an incredible powerful left hook to the chin that moved Hatton’s head as if on swivel. The “Hitman” hit the canvas with such force, and referee Kenny Bayless counted Hatton out with one second remaining in the round.

Hatton remained on the canvas, motionless in the middle of the ring before receiving medical attention and exiting the arena floor.

It didn’t take long for Manny Pacquiao to make a statement with Ricky Hatton. With 7 seconds left in the second round, Hatton hit the canvas hard and never got back up. The ref had no choice but to wave the fight off.

Round one saw Hatton hit the canvas twice. Although Hatton made it up both times, he was in some bad shape. He came out a little more cautious in the second round, but as the round was near it’s end, Pacquaio landed hard on Hatton’s chin and sent Hatton down hard. Hatton never had a chance of getting back up.

After the fight, it took a few minutes before Hatton was allowed up. he left the ring and refused to speak with HBO commentator Larry Merchant. Hatton was not feeling well enough to be in front of the cameras.

Pacquiao was on fire tonight and he was untouchable. It seemed clear after the first round, Hatton never had a chance.

“That was my strategy, left hook and right hook, that was going to be the key to this fight,” Pacquiao said in the ring afterward. “I expected my right hook to be dangerous for him.”

Pacquiao showed against Hatton that he is the most dangerous man in boxing. He’s the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world, and right now — even though Floyd Mayweather is back — there’s no question about that.

In the first, Ricky went low with a right immediately. He got in his face, and stayed there. Manny banged with the right nicely. The Brit mauled and brawled, and clinched copiously. A gorgeous right hook sent Hatton down and he was up at 45 seconds left. He was down again at the end of the first, off a left that hit off Hatton’s glove into his face. He got up at eight and the bell clanged. Wow is the best, if pedestrian, word to use at that display. In the second, Hatton landed a left. Manny’s right worked still, though. A left dropped Hatton hard at the end of the round, and Hatton was done, stick a fork in him.
The main subplot entering the bout was the trainer vs. trainer angle, with top P4P honors being up for grabs in the minds of many. Freddie Roach, who has overseen the transformation of Manny from a one handed swarmer into a two fisted technician over an eight-year span, put some distance between he and Floyd Mayweather Sr with Pacquiao’s victory.

MANILA, Philippines – Manny Pacquiao knocked out Ricky Hatton with a left hook in the second round of their bout to grab the the IBO light welterweight bout at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Saturday (Sunday in Manila).

In the very first round Pacquiao sent the Brit down twice with stinging hooks, first with a left and then with a right.

The victory makes Pacquiao a six-time world champ in five weight divisions and kept him as the top pound-for-pound fighter in the world.

Before the fight, sports analysts Ed Picson and Ed Tolentino were one in saying that the Battle of the East and West would be a brutal fight, but Pacquiao’s speed might once again lead him to victory and cement his reputation as the world’s pound-for-pound king of boxing.

Martin Nievera, wearing a T-shirt designed by the late rapper Francis Magalona, broke tradition by being the first male to sing the Philippine National Anthem in a Pacquiao bout.

He was followed by pop icon Sir Tom Jones, who sang “God Save the Queen,” the British National Anthem, and Fil-Am Jasmine Villegas, who sang the “Star-Spangled Banner,” the US National Anthem.

The bout was witnessed by a star-studded audience that includes Oscar de la Hoya, Jack Nicholson, and Mariah Carey.

Exclusive behind-the-scenes access to this pre boxing fight, along with in-depth interviews, as these determined warriors, both making their second “24/7″ appearance, prepare for the first mega-fight of 2009.

Ricky Hatton and Manny Pacquiao break camp and head to Las Vegas for their final fight week activities as the May 2 Jr. welterweight showdown approaches. The finale comes for the four-episode series “Pacquiao vs Hatton 24/7″ (9:30-10:00 p.m.) in anticipation of Saturday’s bout.

Pacquiao Hatton 24/7 Episode 4 HBO Part 1 of 2

Pacquiao Hatton 24/7 Episode 4 HBO Part 2 of 2

Triumph, and Hatton, the lad from Hyde, will be carried out on the shoulders of his adoring fans. But it remains a long shot, even though this fistic meeting has clear imponderables on either side, involving both style and substance. Strategy will be key in this fight, in a great match of styles between two men who leave everything they have in the ring.

The backdrop to this contest - for the IBO and ’The Ring’ light-welterweight titles - is that Pacquiao is being adopted as the home fighter in the United States, and has been installed as a huge favourite. Even Bill Clinton visited Pacquiao in the desert city this week, alongside other dignitaries.

8. Sugar Shane Mosley, reigning WBA welterweight champion (speaking to Sky Sports): “I think they match up pretty well. It’s going to be a great fight, with Manny Pacquiao being the better boxer and Ricky Hatton being a little stronger. I’m kind of leaning towards Pacquiao right now, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Hatton pulls it off. He’s been looking very good in training and I think he’s going to do a good job.”

9. Vinny Maddalone, heavyweight fan favourite (speaking to this writer): “I know Pacquiao’s the favourite, but I’ve got to go with Ricky. Ricky’s hungry and I think he’ll stop Pacquiao late in the fight. I think he’s improved under Floyd Mayweather Senior. He has more head movement and a batter defence now. Ricky’s whole thing is pressure, and pressure can change a guy’s whole game-plan. Pacquio has all the heart in the world, but I go with Hatton in around the ninth or tenth round.”

10. Claude Abrams, editor Boxing News magazine: (predicting in the magazine) “I wouldn’t be surprised if both men were to hit the floor or get wobbled. We shouldn’t eliminate the possibility of cuts, either. Hatton hasn’t suffered serious injuries as of late, but Pacquio often wades in, head down and carelessly. Assuming injuries do not play a significant part, I foresee a fabulous battle. I lean towards the man with the superior mobility and agility to use his stiff hitting, southpaw awkwardness, accuracy, handspeed and volume to prevail in a battle I suspect we will be talking about for years to come.”

I guess that's why Pacquiao's mystique is so extraordinary. Even Hollywood writers would get the boot for writing such an unbelievable story. Pacquiao's exploits make Rocky seem ordinary. We're talking about a kid who started his career having to carry steel in his pockets during weigh-ins just to make the minimum weight to fight. That same kid became the sport's biggest superstar. I know we always hear stories about fighters using boxing as their tool out of poverty, but Manny's is on a totally different level. And yet, despite accomplishing so much and making even more financially, he still has that same genuine smile and humility he displayed the first time any one of us saw him.