“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.

Pacquiao embarrassed Marco Antonio Barrera in 2003, at a time when Barrera was at the height of hispowers. You take away a flash knockdown in the first round, and Pacquiao blanked Barrera as he did De La Hoya five years later.

He embarrassed Erik Morales twice in 2006, the second time so completely that Morales stayed on the deck as the referee tolled the 10 count. Making a proud Mexican champion willingly pack it in takes some doing.

Pacquiao is an all-time great who is a sure-shot for the Hall of Fame. He probably is the greatest Asian fighter in boxing history.

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

Pacquiao’s 2007 campaign for a congressional seat to represent the first district of South Cotabato was far from a pleasant experience. Not only did he lose the election and a lot of money, his bid was unpopular with many Filipinos who didn’t want their hero wallowing in the quagmire of Filipino politics.

One insider with links to the current administration told THE RING that Pacquiao’s first bid for political office was motivated by more than his sincere wish to help his people. Philippines President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo needed the seat in her party’s camp to help maintain a grip on power, and Pacquiao was allegedly told it was time to pay back some favors.

It is also the unique position Pacquiao holds in Filipino society that would make a loss on Saturday night tougher on him than it would on his opponent. While Hatton has the hearts of his followers in his hands, Pacquiao seems to have fought his way into the very souls of his compatriots.

Should Pacquiao win, the victory would earn him a world title in a fifth (some believe sixth) weight class, putting him in the elite company of Thomas Hearns, Sugar Ray Leonard, Oscar De La Hoya and Floyd Mayweather Jr.

If Pacquiao (48-3-2, 35 knockouts) beats Hatton, he will become the first non-American fighter to hold world titles in more than four weight classes.

So far, Pacquiao has won title belts at flyweight (WBC), junior featherweight (IBF), junior lightweight (WBC) and lightwieght (WBC). No Asian, Latin or European fighter has ever held world titles in more than three weight classes.

Boxing purists believe that Pacquiao has already won world titles in more than four weight classes, counting his breakthrough 11th-round stoppage of Marco Antonio Barrera in 2003 as a victory that earned him featherweight champion status.

“I respect Ricky Hatton. He is a good person. He is a nice guy and I would like to remind everyone that there is nothing personal for this fight and we are just doing our job to give a good fight to the people and make them happy.

Pacquiao also said he wanted to make the people of his native Philippines proud as well as his family. The ‘Pac Man’ added: “Specifically to the Filipino people who are looking for a victory on Saturday, I will do my best to bring honor to our country.

By Lance Pugmire

Ricky Hatton weighed in at the junior-welterweight limit of 140 pounds Friday at the weigh-in for his Saturday night showdown against Manny Pacquiao at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Pacquiao came in at 138 pounds, prompting his trainer, Freddie Roach, to glance at the scale in surprise after reporting earlier that Pacquiao had awakened at 138 and was allowed to eat breakfast.

“When Manny eats, he’s very happy,” Roach said.

Pacquiao took to flexing after weighing in, thrilling a large throng of his fans in the capacity crowd of about 6,000 in the arena. Hatton’s crowd was larger and more vocal, singing, “There’s only one Ricky Hatton,” to the tune of “Winter Wonderland,” along with “God Save the Queen.” read more

MANNY PACQUIAO

- Pacquiao has the advantages in both speed and technical skills, giving great angles, along with excellent lateral movement, and throwing a much higher volume of punches than Hatton.

- “Pac Man” possesses a heat-seeking left and a potent right hook. And even though Hatton has been taught better head movement by his new trainer, Floyd Mayweather Sr., it may not be enough for Ricky to avoid getting hit.

- Rarely moving backward, Pacquiao can go to war when the occasion demands-for references see his fights against Juan Manuel Marquez and Erik Morales.

- Pacquiao comes into this fight after one-sided “ass whuppings” of David Diaz and Oscar De La Hoya. And knows that a victory over Hatton could pave the way for a fight for boxing’s pound-for-pound supremacy with Floyd Mayweather Jr., giving him added confidence and incentive.

You know the scenario, it’s happened countless times in sports. A team comes up with a brilliant performance in a big game, but then falls flat on their face in their very next outing. Either they are emotionally spent from the previous effort, fall prey to complacency, or a combination of both. In the immediate aftermath of the initial victory, while everyone else - from friends, family, fans and the media - lavishes the victors with praise, it’s up to the coaches to bring them back down to earth and to get their troops to refocus on the upcoming task.

That was the job of one Freddie Roach, who guided Manny Pacquiao to his career-defining victory over Oscar De La Hoya last December. It was a victory that propelled ‘the Pac Man’ to unprecedented levels of popularity and influence. This Saturday night at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, he faces the hard-charging Ricky Hatton for the jr. welterweight championship of the world.

Pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao of the Philippines said he is ready to square off with popular British boxer Ricky Hatton this Saturday night at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas Nevada. His trainer, Freddie Roach is confident Pacquiao will win.
Freddie Roach, the award-winning coach and trainer of popular Filipino boxer Manny Pacquiao, announced that the Filipino boxing icon is ready to face Ricky Hatton of England this Saturday.

Roach said that he has never seen Pacquiao trained so hard for a boxing fight as he predicted that a knock out win for his favorite ward.

Morales turns 33 in September and currently has a career record of 48-6 with 34 knockouts. He is a Hall of Famer no matter if he comes back or not, at least in my mind. His trilogy with Barrera was one of boxing’s greatest, fiercest rivalries, and his trilogy with Pacquiao was a sight to behold as well.

I know some people want to hope for the best and go, “Well he looked pretty good against David Diaz, I thought he even won that fight.” That’s fine — he was competitive.

But he was competitive against David Diaz, a guy Morales would have eaten for breakfast when he was at his best. Seven months later, Diaz would get tested by a pro sparring partner when he fought a stay-busy bout with Roman Montano, and then three months after that he got so thoroughly destroyed by Pacquiao that he admitted mid-fight that there was nothing he could do. Tough guy, gutsy guy, nice guy, funny guy — not a great fighter.

By WIRE SERVICES
Manny Pacquiao is hoping to do what he did his last time in the ring, which is give his opponent a real beating. Oddsmakers feel he will, making the Philippines’ national hero a 2-1 favorite over English challenger Ricky Hatton in their 12-round light welterweight bout Saturday at …

As for Freddie Roach: what is it that he brings to a fighter that no other trainer of his generation does? After all, at first glance he looks far from the notion of what you might think the world’s premier boxing trainer would or should look like - more Harry Potter than Cus D’Amato. And unlike the latter, Freddie has never dedicated himself to one fighter from the very first day they put on the gloves to the last, filling the role of surrogate father, counsellor and protector as he rears his progidy with loving care. On the contrary, the long list of fighters who’ve trained under him for just one or two fights suggests a man for whom the fighter-trainer relationship starts and ends in the gym, someone who would much rather his fighters deal with any demons they might have in their own time, just as he does his.

It’s already been well documented how he’s managed to succeed as a trainer while dealing with the debilitating effects of Parkinson’s. Yet to watch him take a fighter like Manny Pacquiao on the pads is to watch a man in the full vigour of fitness and health, as if everything including his condition is left outside the ring for the duration of the workout. Like a sculptor working on a piece of clay, he focuses in on Pacquaio’s movement, his balance and handspeed, as he calls out multiple punch combinations, striving to improve the armoury of fighter whose ferocity has now been matched with a defence that Roach has painstakingly designed around it.

Thus was the warning given by boxing historian and book author Bert Randolf Sugar, who, together with fellow ring expert Steve Small, enumerated the “strengths and weaknesses” of both main protagonists in the 12-round International Boxing Organization (IBO) and Ring Magazine light welterweight championship dubbed “The Battle of East and West” on May 2 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, here.

“Anyone who has watched 24/7 knows that Manny is trained to throw punches, then duck his head and step away to his left or right,” observed Sugar. “This will work well against Hatton who frequently lowers his head and charges straight forward.”
Sugar counseled that Pacquiao “must be first. Establish jab then dictate the distance and the pace. Once that’s accomplished, look to drop that straight left behind the jab and follow with combinations.”

Pacquiao should not get careless, he added. “Manny’s mistakes are covered up by his blinding speed and power. However, he cannot afford to get caught up in exchange with the heavier-handed Hatton.”

“My people give me the best support and respect any boxer could have. I want to win this fight for the Filipino people, to inspire them. I will then have a few fights more and that’s that.” Filipinos love Pacquiao because he has never lost touch with his poor upbringing, dishing out half of his £30m fortune to his compatriots.

His story is typical of anyone growing up in the Philippines in the 1980s. One of six siblings, he lived in a cardboard box and sold doughnuts and cigarettes to get by when he left home at the age of 12. Like so many in his position, boxing gave him a route out of poverty, and in his glittering career he has won world titles at four different weights.

He’s now odds-on favourite to make that five against Hatton - even though this is his debut at light-welterweight - and add the Hitman to his list of impressive scalps, which includes De La Hoya, Juan Manuel Marquez, Marco Antonio Barrera and Erik Morales.

Tomorrow night at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, we get treated to the first superfight of 2009. Manny Pacquiao challenges the junior welterweight reign of Ricky Hatton. Filipino and British fans are storming the Vegas strip by the thousands. Since the recent retirement of Oscar De La Hoya, Pacquiao and Hatton have emerged as two of the biggest ticket sellers in the sport. The fight is very important for a number of reasons. The biggest is the globalization of boxing. If the HBO pay-per-view numbers come back with a significant number, it proves that a major fight in America does not require an American-based fighter to be involved.

The staff of BoxingScene.com comes together to voice their opinions, strategies and predictions.

The American sends British star Hatton into the MGM Grand Garden Arena to defend his unbeaten record at light-welterweight against the pound for pound best boxer in the world.

It is just their second fight working together, with Hatton seeking to get back on top of the boxing world after suffering the only defeat of his career in a welterweight showdown with Mayweather’s son in December 2007.

Mayweather Sr had just seven weeks to prepare Hatton (45-1, 32 KOs) for last November’s victory back at light welterweight over Paulie Malignaggi, but the lead in to the fight with Pacquiao (48-3-2, 35 KOs) has been longer and there has been speculation that the training camp has been marred by personality clashes.