Houston, Texas - What might be junior welterweight champion Ricky Hatton's game plan against Manny Pacquiao in their showdown in Las Vegas this May 2nd? To be sure, trainer Floyd Mayweather, Sr. has thought long and hard over what can be effective strategies against the Pacman.
We ask Houston-based boxers and trainer on how they would approach the fight if they were facing the Filipino icon.
Alfonso Lopez (undefeated Texas Super Middleweight Champion)
Hometown: Corpus Christi, Texas
- I think this is going to be an excellent fight. Hatton could probably pull off a decision.
- He has to get Pacquiao moving backwards. Manny gets defensive when he is moving backwards. And he only punches when he is stepping forward.
- Hatton needs to take it to Pacquiao. Ricky needs to square up a little but more, and take his right hand out to Manny.
- He'll need to rough him up and push him around. Doing so allows Hatton to wear down his opponent down the stretch. That will not be easy to do for Ricky. Manny is in great shape, and is always in great shape."
Larry Pryor (Light Heavyweight Boxer)
Hometown: Washington D.C. (currently based in Houston, Texas)
- Pacquiao should be able to stop Hatton in the seventh or eight round.
- To beat Manny, Hatton would have to be a great counter-puncher on Saturday night.
- Hatton will be a different strategy in order to defeat Pacquiao. The Brit will have to tie up Manny. Immediately after breaks from the referee, Hatton can throw his combinations.
- Hatton will need to attack Pacquiao early, and inflict blows on his body. He'll have to earn Manny's respect. That will be a tough task for Hatton because Manny is both a boxer and a brawler.
Felix Ramirez (Houston-based Trainer)
- I'm going to go out on a limb and say that Ricky Hatton will win the fight. He is much smarter than before and improved on his boxing ability. He is close to his prime, and is naturally at 140lbs. He is the bigger and stronger fighter.
- Hatton needs to be careful with the explosive Pacquiao. He'll have to make Manny miss a lot of his punches. When Pacquiao is not set, that is when Hatton needs to attack.
- Ricky needs to be overly aggressive in this fight. We have two guys with the same abilities. The bigger and stronger guy will win. Freddie Roach has not fixed Manny Pacquiao's flaws: he is not able to handle counter-punchers. The stronger Hatton can knock Pacquiao out of balance.
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Comments
I ve read in another article that Joy May said that he looks at Manny and sees an amature. If that's their perception and they trained with that line of thinking, come fight night they might be in a big surprise.
just watch power of a pacman he is in 140 but the power left hand of our hero is in 154... watch that meeeen. peace be with you brother...
THIS UNIQUE IDEA AND UNDERSTANDING OF MINE ON RICKY HATTON IS WHAT WE NEED TO MAKE MONEY IN THIS FIGHT:
I believe that both fighters' "IQ" is very important in this fight.
I have analyzed Ricky Hatton's past fights/interviews and that he has a very low ring IQ.
All in his mind is to prove to the boxing world that he really is a much stronger fighter in every of his fight.
He grew up and became a champion in this kind of idea so techniques are not that important after all.
This is Ricky Hatton's way of thinking and the very reason on why PBF made him an amateur fighter.
Another thing is that he sticks to the game plan even if the game plan is not effective.
He has no plan "B" in his own.
All in his mind is to force his game plan to be effective even if he is clearly losing the fight.
Almost everybody's analysis were based only on Hatton's body strength, and the size difference is not that big but the IQ in favor of Pacman.
Mayweather Snr can help on Ricky's technical skills but can't help his IQ.
- SKY-OSK, A Regular Boxing Fan
He has to get Pacquiao moving backwards. Manny gets defensive when he is moving backwards. And he only punches when he is stepping forward.
"HE KNOCK DOWN MORALES WHILE MOVING BACKWARDS!!!" Moreles vs Pacquiao 3
if he gets knocked down he should get up immediately like marquez did and if he couldn't get up he would lose by a knockout.
For him to win --he needs to hit Pacquaio with a baseball bat...
All of them is just anxious to have pacman's attention. Manny is a clean damn fighter, those RACIAL critics of manny,hell to all of you. Manny is a living proof of human kinetics.who else among the boxers in sweet science history has ever done what mannys accomplishments..Combine them all from fighting 106 up to 147..Guys..lets accept that manny is gifted fighter...He is just a super HUMAN BEING..Genetically mold by a pure Filipino blood of a warrior.
Funny guys up there...bfor hatton can attack, expect the volominous power shots right on hattons face...plus d qickness oh my...no wander these trainers r nt future hall of famers...bloody face on hatton round five thats why manny should wear red.
funny gus up there..bfore hatton can attack expect d volominous power shots of manny..plus d quickness oh my right on hattons face..no wander these trainers r nt future hall of famers...
the only way hatton can win over pacman is to play dirty. head butts, low blows, elbows, lure manny in a wrestling match. thats the way floyd sr thought his man and thats the surprise his telling us about.roach knows all this,and still pacman will win
Manny pacquiao is an elusive boxer/fighter. Ricky Hatton wii be having problem catching up the pacman. He will find himself looking around for the pacman thus making himself open for attack in rounds 3 and 4. The first two rounds( 1 & 2) of their fight are merely orientation and observation for the pacman. The pacman is not like Ricky Hatton's previous opponents, who were just standing in front of him and absorbing punches and body shots. You will be likened to ODH come fight night.
during the fight hatton will be calling his momma for help.
is there a standard of measure somewhere where they say hatton is the stronger fighter?
has hatton been punched by the likes of morales, marquez, barrera and survived. Has hatton fought three champions in a single year?
People oftentimes judge people by their looks or the way they compose themselves. Manny doesn't have a "likable" form of what we percieve a boxer to be BUT he gets the job done. Hey, that's what counts. Look at Bill Gates, he's a nerd, a drop out - but he is a very, very wealthy man. Again, that's what counts.
hatton is just a tune-up for pbf-pacman.if pacman could fight fire with fire with hatton then pbf would be in deep hole.no excellent counter puncher can fight a fighter with extreme power and with good boxing skills.if hatton could have been a good boxer he could pull off an upset with pbf but the case is he was not.now he is i could say a decent boxer.if manny will prove that he is still dominant with this type of oponent,without a doubt another training camp would complete the puzzle for manny.no way anybody even in 147 pounds could beat him.floyd,you better stay retired.
whoever wins in this fight these two fighters must always be considered among the most exciting fighters or pound for pound listings. what???!!! mayweather jr.? no way!!!
Boxing is a game of both brains and brawns. No disrespect to Hatton but I see him as having only one of these two. Pacquiao has both.
Ahemm!!! As i said, Pacquiao gets the job done.
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