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Now the only thing that remains is the settlement in the ring. Who is going to win The Battle of the East and West? Well that’s really a personal pick, but if you’re scoring at home the Las Vegas sports books are still heavily favoring the Filipino superstar Manny Pacquiao by a healthy minus-250 mark.
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It might as well be written in each contract. If you choose boxing as an occupation, sooner or later, you’re coming to Las Vegas. Stockbrokers work on Wall Street, actors work in Hollywood, the President works at the White House. Big-time boxers work in Las Vegas.
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If the two trainers could ever get past their trash talking personas, the public might get an insider’s look into their real personalities. What one may find out is despite all of Floyd Mayweather Sr. and Freddie Roach’s agreed upon differences, the two are more similar than they would like to admit.
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To most boxing observers, body blows can be easily overlooked during the roar of a bout. They’re boring. They don’t knock a man unconscious, nor draw blood. But those who understand the sport know, the right body shot can stun a fighter, complicate the simple act of breathing and end a fight. Ricky Hatton threw what some consider the best body shot ever in a 2007 welterweight title fight against Jose Castillo. After three fairly even rounds, Hatton landed a left hook to Castillo’s liver that dropped him to his knees. The blow sickened Castillo enough that he didn’t move once during referee Joe Cortez’s full 10-count.
Speed kills. It’s one of the universally accepted philosophies that holds true in every sport and arguably no boxer puts his speed to better use than Manny Pacquiao. “Speed is always a big key for Manny Pacquiao,” said Pacquiao’s trainer Freddie Roach. “It’s not only his hand speed, it’s his foot speed. He gets himself in and out of trouble really quick. He scores points and gets out of there. He’s got quick hands, but his feet are what’s special.”
There will be flags a waving and Christmas-themed singing, and that’s just the crazy scene that will play out to those lucky enough to be inside the MGM Grand next Saturday night. Two worlds away the celebration will be even more intense as Manny Pacquiao and Ricky Hatton meet in a megabout to decide boxing pride, and fan superiority between each superstar’s large legion of supporters.
Technically, there won’t be any fighter of Mexican heritage in the ring on May 2 when Ricky Hatton and Manny Pacquiao meet at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. But with so much history between the two regarding boxing’s Mexican fan base, an interesting question has surfaced: Which of the two has earned the support of the demographic?
The most glamorized build-up is taking place on HBO’s award-winning “24/7” series, a show that offers an all-access look into each fighter’s training camps, the escalating side bout between the two outspoken trainers (Freddie Roach and Floyd Mayweather Sr.), and of course, the importance this match holds in Pacquiao’s native Philippines and Hatton’s home of Manchester, England.
For Richard John Hatton, taking over the family business involved different requirements than that of the average occupation. When Hatton was born on Oct. 6, 1978, the fact that he would become a supporter of the English soccer team Manchester City, was clearly made for him as his father and grandfather both played for the club. The choice as to whether or not he would follow in their footsteps in the ring, however, was one he ultimately would have to make.
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As if any boxing fan needed to be told, May 2 will be the biggest fight of either boxer’s career — but for completely different reasons. Officially, the 12-rounder is for Hatton’s IBO and Ring Magazine World Junior Welterweight titles. Unofficially, it’s for pound-for-pound superiority, a poor country’s lowest class, redemption, the “world’s best” trainer trophy — take your pick.
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